Sometimes that's true but its rare for 60yr old rubber to still be good. If you do a subrail mod he'll have to get new rubber.
I need a little help identifying this Gold Crown
- Thread starter BobbyD963
- Start date
For reference ....just because I am not sure what you mean........Buckets refers to the size of the opening of the pockets.........Drop pockets are not buckets...and buckets are not (necessarily) drop pockets....Drop Pockets can also be buckets....but buckets are never considered drop pockets.......Drop Pockets are just inserts that catch the balls to keep them from falling to the floor....in place of a return track that sends the balls up table....I removed the ball returns for noise reduction....GCI and GCIIs tend to make a racket when the balls return.
My personal reasoning for 4.25 pockets...(technically a tad bigger 4.3-4 depending on how measured).....I told RKC that two balls should not go in the same pocket side by side without freezing up against each other.......IMO anything bigger is big pockets....anything smaller is a Gaff table. (perhaps a One Pocket would have tighter pockets as a standard)......I just told him to go with what I thought should be the universal standard for pocket size..(width of 2 balls side by side)......not buckets...not Gaff.....Of course others may have a different opinion.
BobbyD963
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Good points. I appreciate that. My wife and kids think this is the household pool table. While the table will be in my formal dining room I would rather not have them play on it, as pathetic as that might sound. So the less shots they make the less fun they have and the less likely they are to play on the table.
The ONLY way to measure pocket opening is across the points. Two balls frozen, parallel to a line across the points, would freeze on the points at their equators if its 4.5". If the equators are inside the point the pocket is larger than 4.5 and if outside the points smaller than 4.5 https://drdavepoolinfo.com/faq/table/tdf/ Simplest/easiest way is to measure directly from point-to-point, that's the pocket opening size.
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SuperAramithPro is same resin mix as Centennials. The Tournament Duramith balls are the newest model with a harder surface, supposed to burn less/stay cleaner.
i had my gc1 rails extended to make 4.25 pockets
this is what those pockets look like regarding 2 balls
one pocket players are gravitating to small pockets, and rightly so for the pros. as they just don't miss and run out too often in the game.
however it also takes away lots of banks for less than top pros where you can hit them with confidence of making them and play position which can sell out if you miss. that is a big part of the game that goes away with tight pockets to a not top player.
overall anything less than 4.5 pockets is too tight for me and from what i see almost all players in the pool rooms.
and some of the tight pocket tables have too deep a shelf which does affect things very badly.
granted it may help your pocketing of balls. but that is half the game and position is the other half.
however it also takes away lots of banks for less than top pros where you can hit them with confidence of making them and play position which can sell out if you miss. that is a big part of the game that goes away with tight pockets to a not top player.
overall anything less than 4.5 pockets is too tight for me and from what i see almost all players in the pool rooms.
and some of the tight pocket tables have too deep a shelf which does affect things very badly.
granted it may help your pocketing of balls. but that is half the game and position is the other half.
Buckets = super easy pockets.
Standard Gold Crowns from GC1 through GC6 have all shipped from the factory with 5.0" pockets at the corners. The GC5 and GC6 had a "Tournament Edition" table that was instead 4.5" pockets for an extra $1000 factory option. Not many of those out there though.
If you are used to Gold Crowns inside commercial rooms from 20-30 years ago, they were all 5" corners, UNLESS a local mechanic "shimmed" them. The practice today of extending the rails instead of using extra shims didn't really take off until about 15 years ago, and only the fanatic pool players do that, because it requires extensive modifications and new cushions.
Double shim = 4.75" pockets and were common for the serious 9 ball players.
Triple shim = 4.5" pockets, and were common for the serious 1 pocket players.
Most commercial rooms had the 5" factory configuration on the majority of their tables, and a handful of double and/or triple shimmed tables for the gamblers.
One thing of note, a 5" pocket on a GC I don't consider a "bucket". Because of the way the jaw facings are angled, you still have to hit the ball good for it to fall in the pocket. By contrast, a "home" table, even from Brunswick, IS a bucket table. Those pockets are still 5" at the corners, but the jaw facing angle is closer to parallel than a GC, and makes the ball fall much easier.
As far as tougher pockets = better player, that is a debate on here for sure. I know a bunch of people who have a TIGHT 9' Diamond at home, and can't run 3 balls. I personally don't think it makes any difference, and even think a tight table might be worse unless you can legit run 100 balls in straight pool or 7-9 racks of 9 ball (once in your life, not every day). It can be worse because it makes you play timid and ease up on your stroke, rather than playing aggressive and pounding the balls in like the top pros do.
Standard Gold Crowns from GC1 through GC6 have all shipped from the factory with 5.0" pockets at the corners. The GC5 and GC6 had a "Tournament Edition" table that was instead 4.5" pockets for an extra $1000 factory option. Not many of those out there though.
If you are used to Gold Crowns inside commercial rooms from 20-30 years ago, they were all 5" corners, UNLESS a local mechanic "shimmed" them. The practice today of extending the rails instead of using extra shims didn't really take off until about 15 years ago, and only the fanatic pool players do that, because it requires extensive modifications and new cushions.
Double shim = 4.75" pockets and were common for the serious 9 ball players.
Triple shim = 4.5" pockets, and were common for the serious 1 pocket players.
Most commercial rooms had the 5" factory configuration on the majority of their tables, and a handful of double and/or triple shimmed tables for the gamblers.
One thing of note, a 5" pocket on a GC I don't consider a "bucket". Because of the way the jaw facings are angled, you still have to hit the ball good for it to fall in the pocket. By contrast, a "home" table, even from Brunswick, IS a bucket table. Those pockets are still 5" at the corners, but the jaw facing angle is closer to parallel than a GC, and makes the ball fall much easier.
As far as tougher pockets = better player, that is a debate on here for sure. I know a bunch of people who have a TIGHT 9' Diamond at home, and can't run 3 balls. I personally don't think it makes any difference, and even think a tight table might be worse unless you can legit run 100 balls in straight pool or 7-9 racks of 9 ball (once in your life, not every day). It can be worse because it makes you play timid and ease up on your stroke, rather than playing aggressive and pounding the balls in like the top pros do.
If you've got the budget, the best Aramith balls are the Tournament Duramith Resin balls. I wouldn't get the Super Aramith Pro set today. They get dirty super fast.
If on a budget, get Dynaspheres balls. (any of them, they are all the same except the aesthetic design). They stay clean just as well as the Aramith Tournament Duramith balls, for 1/3rd the price.
If on a budget, get Dynaspheres balls. (any of them, they are all the same except the aesthetic design). They stay clean just as well as the Aramith Tournament Duramith balls, for 1/3rd the price.
If measuring the points is standard...then I guess I would revise my pockets to 4.5........No matter....RKC gave me exactly what I wanted....two balls width....wedge in the throat.... and won't go...I think (for at least rotation and 8-ball) that should be the universal standard....JMO of course
You could knock those corners out in a day...If you have a buffing wheel....Motorcycle guys DIY it all the time....Your buddies shop most likely will call those corners childs play.
If you want chrome...I would look into chrome powder coat.
wedging the balls in the throat at an angle is not a measurement used to measure pockets. one is the opening(mouth) and the second is the throat which is measured 2'' back from a line across the points of the mouth. A properly cut 4.5" mouth will have a 2.5" throat which is plenty tight. Well, that's what she said anyway.
Its a GC1. Rexus knows this shit like the back of his hand.
These were not chromed from the factory. They were clear anodized polished aluminum as were the rail trim, rail counters and ball return trim if so equipped. The only pieces that were chrome plated were the nameplate and ball storage tray bezel. Both were pot metal. Two feet were offered during the Gold Crown I run: cast aluminum and cast steel. The aluminum feet received the same treatment as the other aluminum bits: polished and clear anodized. The cast steel feet were nickel plated (my table had these).
You can strip the anodize and polish to a high luster if you so choose, but polished aluminum can oxidize quickly if not protected, how quickly depends on the environment.
I chose to powder coat the pocket castings, feet and ball return trim in an almost chrome finish which closely mimics the original finish. I had the rail trim polished and clear anodized. I think the powder coating looks very close to the polished trim. I did not clear anodize the pocket castings because it was expensive ($900 to do the set) and anodizing old cast aluminum is hit or miss and the shop would not guarantee the outcome or redo them if they rainbowed.
My side pockets at 4 1/8" and the sides at 4 7/8"
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Agreed.
The biggest scores have always been on larger (factory) sized pockets.
The Rack had 5 inch pockets and the money bet there was bigger than anywhere else in the country. Guys have to think they have a chance.
Put the cloth on and leave the pockets alone for now.
Just have fun on it and if you think you want them tighter down the road…do it then.
Damn. Thot I finally had one.