hi-speed is not required. spin/rotation is more important than pure speed.
Last edited:
PSA: Don’t do this to your balls!
- Thread starter DeadStick
- Start date
That's a good level of maintenance on you home table, I have to admit. Minus the vacuum, I do the same cleaning routine on my favorite table at the pool room. If only nobody else would play on it, but that can't be the case.
With respect to oil on the hands, my hands are as dry as the Sahara Desert, so for the few hours in a session of play or practice, my hands are not getting the balls dirty. Since I've cleaned the table, pockets, and rails as well, the balls just aren't getting dirty.
Ball cleaners, I guess they have a place, mainly to sell for hundreds, but I have no use for them. My decades old Centennials and even older Aramith Vitalites have a nice shine with only wet paper towel cleaning. They really couldn't be any more clean, with decades of use. Also, by mixing in solutions to the ball cleaner, the balls may look beautiful, but they perform terribly. Uncontrollable throw once you do that. I believe most high level tournaments do not use ball cleaners, and if they have a cleaning solution put on them, that gets removed. That makes the balls perform the way they should.
Not intended to be a be all and end all, but I have not found a use for ball cleaners, and it's worked fine over decades.
All the best,
WW
Your hands still have oils on them even if you don't have sweaty hands.
If that were the only purpose, no one would buy them.
It depends on what you use. Automotive products that contain a large amount of wax or silicone are not good products to clean phenolic pools balls for the reasons you've cited above. Even too much purpose made ball cleaning solution can be an issue. Less is more. I've been using a 4:1 mixture of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and Aramith Ball Cleaner in my machine. Not only does it clean the balls and shine them up, but it doesn't leave them slick. Slick is bad. They are like brand new, right out of the box each time I take them out of the machine. Clean, shinny, but not slick.
Do you really believe they are hand cleaning each ball one at a time for a large Matchroom event? Maybe a quick wipe with a micro fiber towel after each match but I'd wager a fair amount they are using a ball polisher to clean the balls for the day's play.
That's all you had to say instead of pontificating half truths.
Last edited:
Nice! How long does it take you to achieve that? A 2-4 minute cycle (depending how dirty they are) in my machine would yield identical, if not better results. You're probably spending 2 minutes on each ball; over half an hour for an entire set. If that's part of your routine and you have the time to burn, cool. Whatever works for you. I prefer to spend that half hour hitting balls. This all being said, I'm VERY skeptical you are achieving these results with only damp paper towels. I'd love to see a video of these balls after a few hours play, going through your damp paper towel routine and the results.
SeniorTom
Well-known member
At pool halls, one's imagination would lead them to see the many different ways pool balls get so dirty. Ball returns, dirty hands, poor chalk, etc. Sometimes it's like a black grease on the ball, not sure where that comes from but ball cleaners are good for pool hall ball sets.
Black smudges usually come off the pockets. At my local spot one of the nimrod workers thought he'd dye the Diamond leather pockets. That shit is still coming off onto the balls 6mos later. Original GC pockets won't usually do it but aftermarket/knockoff pockets can leave tar-like smudges.
Believe it or not, I only spend about ten seconds wiping down each ball. They barely look like they even need cleaning, but I do. So that's about two minutes total. I practice mostly nine ball, rotating the nine through fifteen, to give them all some use. I'm not into taking videos, but you can see the results. I'll take another picture if you want.
Some factors. One, I start with a clean table, as you do. I don't chalk over the table, and I don't chalk before each shot. Probably an average of twice a rack. A lot of players way over-chalk. I use Masters green, doesn't seem to leave much residue at all.
Agree with you on not wanting the balls to be slick. Too hard to control. You might get a more brilliant shine with a machine ball cleaner, but I would wonder about the wear on the balls. To achieve that by using it constantly, I would think over time the balls would wear more than just wiped with damp paper towel or cloth.
What they do at tournaments? I went to a bunch of U.S. Opens in Norfolk in the mid 1980s. They cleaned the balls between matches with a dry towel, no liquid at all. Not sure about now. If they're using machine cleaners, I would doubt they're using any liquid solution. Maybe others know.
All the best,
WW
Last edited:
SeniorTom
Well-known member
Chalk, like v10, is amazing for not leaving residue. Great investment, and lasts a long time. Secondly, I have two sets of pool balls, some old, original Brunswick that came with the table (I'm not the original owner) which are many years old, and a new set of Dynosphere Silvers the are really nice. I find myself playing with the old Brunswicks 90% of the time because they mimic the pool hall balls better, old and battered a bit. I swear the two sets I have play/react differently, and am more confident playing the old set.
Long story short, a Diamond Polisher ended up cheaper
Sorry for your loss. I've had many stupid blunders in my life.
So a bit of a happy ending to this mishap - I just received the first of two replacement ball sets after my incident here, this Tournament TV set from @wrldpro (thanks Bobby!), which was one of 10 box-signed sets in rotation when Jayson set his world record(s). The balls are in like-new condition; I couldn't be happier with them. They included the signed piece of cloth, dvd, thumbdrive, and certificate from the event. And I never would have owned them unless my Centennials got shredded.
Also have a set of Cents coming from @Colonel that should be here shortly. Didn't want to be forced to use my skittles Cyclop balls as backup again.
Also have a set of Cents coming from @Colonel that should be here shortly. Didn't want to be forced to use my skittles Cyclop balls as backup again.
SeniorTom
Well-known member
That's nice that this incident turned out in such a positive manner, but what can an individual do with a signed piece of cloth?
It's encased in a laminated sheet that documents Jayson's WR. So the same thing you'd do with any sports memorabilia.
It's not like I'm going to use it for a break cloth or anything lol.
Benelli
Well-known member
Wait... Vitalites were made by Hyatt, not Aramith...
Yep, good catch. Vitalites were Hyatt.
Benelli
Well-known member
Outstanding balls and I'm glad they still get to play on your table!!!
You’re so welcome. Not only am I glad you are happy with the Aramith balls but also that you now own a couple pieces of Billiard history.
Car orbital polisher, 5gal paint bucket, rug, buffing compound, done!
SeniorTom
Well-known member
You guys got me thinking, I have a ammo brass cleaner that is motorized and vibrates with the media inside and a polisher. I could probably put five balls in at a time and polish them good.