Ball Cleaning Questions

M

Mosens

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Doing some research and would appreciate your input if you have a home table.....

1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
- BallStar
- Diamond
- Bludworth
- Porper
- other


Thanks
 
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Welder84

Welder84

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I try to copy the conditions where I compete. I used to play at poolrooms that would clean all the balls every morning. Now I play in rooms (including my own) where you might not see clean balls but on occasion. Total personal preference. Practice like you play might be good advice. As far as ball polishers go if you are on a budget watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkA...k1_K4fzHRDs8Jl7WA6sbmOxqWM_mYpZoC88qSkQDk4Mvw. Yes you can make a ball polisher or buy the best out there most likely the Diamond machine. Happy days!
 
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haystj

haystj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
When they are dirty, lost the shine
2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
Aramith ball cleaner
3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
Diamond Ball Machine
4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
Very, almost impossible to get the high gloss shine by hand achieved with the machine. (at least in a reasonable time frame)
5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
I still clean by hand but polish with the machine
 
rexus31

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use a homemade 5 gallon bucket polisher using a 10" random orbital automotive buffer with Le Manifik Ball cleaner from Tiger Products. I'm pleased with the results and generally clean the balls and vacuum the table every 3rd or 4th use.

Here's mine:

39789237263_143499aece_c.jpg


49258570873_5cf59b5427_c.jpg
 
B

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Mosens said:
Doing some research and would appreciate your input if you have a home table.....

1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
when they get dirty
2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
maguire detail
3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
bludworth
4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
yes yes yes yes yes
5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
- BallStar
- Diamond
- Bludworth
- Porper
- other


Thanks
Click to expand...

hope this helps
 
A

Agile

Registered
Mosens said:
Doing some research and would appreciate your input if you have a home table.....

1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
- BallStar
- Diamond
- Bludworth
- Porper
- other


Thanks
Click to expand...

I clean balls and table at least once a week. I use a. Ballstar and I noticed that not only is it very fast, but the balls come out clean and very polished. I can notice how slippery they are as I get really great backspin with no effort. I suspect that the pros play with newly polished balls all the time. BTW, the Ballstar recommendation is that the polishing only lasts 1.5 hours. I find that to be pretty accurate. I use the Tournament Aramith to prevent burn spots although they are nearly impossible to prevent.

The table gets cleaned with the Simonis X1 which does a great job. Then I will occasionally use a non rotating vacuum to get the chalk up, then a brush lightly to smooth everything out. Simonis 860. I used a rotating vacuum once and noticed that a lot of the wool fibers were in the trash. Pretty much not recommended.

I should mention that the balls come out warm so the Ballstar does add some friction from rotation. they really get moving in there and they do spiral nicely so everything gets cleaned. Also, I have been using some other cue balls instead of the Tournament one and I think they leave burn marks that the Tournament does not. One was a measles ball and the other a training ball so I will default to the Tournament ball in the future.

The Tournament balls are supposed to be much better and reducing burn marks. I thought, hey, I will probably only buy one set of balls so why not the best?

Also, one thing I like about the Ballstar is that they have their own cleaning and polishing solution. You have to shake it before using to get the cleaning stuff from settling to the bottom. I have to say, the ball come out looking fantastic, but of course they are the Tournament version....
 
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fastone371

fastone371

Certifiable
Silver Member
1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
When they are dirty, lost the shine
2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
Aramith ball cleaner
3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
Diamond Ball Machine
4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
Very, almost impossible to get the high gloss shine by hand achieved with the machine. (at least in a reasonable time frame)
5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
I have 3 sets of premium balls, no way am I going to clean all of those by hand, thats why I bought the Diamond.

****special thanks to haystj.
 
A

Agile

Registered
Agreed. I used to polish balls By hand but it took forever to both clean and polish. Well, maybe 45 min. After getting the Ballstar I would never hand polish ever. It’s does far better than anyone could. While it is polishing you get to clean the table. I also use three cue balls so by the time they wear off the polish it’s time to clean again.
 
Ghosst

Ghosst

Broom Handle Mafia
Silver Member
1) How frequently do you clean your balls?
When they lose their shine

2) What cleaning/polishing products do you use?
Aramith Ball Cleaner

3) What cleaning/polishing machine do you use (or by hand)?
Custom-made

4) If using a machine, are you happy with it (why/why not)?
Very. It does everything I need it to, and it matches my furniture since I made it myself.

5) If cleaning by hand, would you consider buying a machine (and which one)?
I do clean individual balls by hand like the cue balls as they pick up chalk, If I had to do it again, I would still make my own although with an upgraded platter, motor, and have a sprocket 3-D printed.
 
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A

Agile

Registered
Agile said:
I clean balls and table at least once a week. I use a. Ballstar and I noticed that not only is it very fast, but the balls come out clean and very polished. I can notice how slippery they are as I get really great backspin with no effort. I suspect that the pros play with newly polished balls all the time. BTW, the Ballstar recommendation is that the polishing only lasts 1.5 hours. I find that to be pretty accurate. I use the Tournament Aramith to prevent burn spots although they are nearly impossible to prevent.

The table gets cleaned with the Simonis X1 which does a great job. Then I will occasionally use a non rotating vacuum to get the chalk up, then a brush lightly to smooth everything out. Simonis 860. I used a rotating vacuum once and noticed that a lot of the wool fibers were in the trash. Pretty much not recommended.

I should mention that the balls come out warm so the Ballstar does add some friction from rotation. they really get moving in there and they do spiral nicely so everything gets cleaned. Also, I have been using some other cue balls instead of the Tournament one and I think they leave burn marks that the Tournament does not. One was a measles ball and the other a training ball so I will default to the Tournament ball in the future.

The Tournament balls are supposed to be much better and reducing burn marks. I thought, hey, I will probably only buy one set of balls so why not the best?

Also, one thing I like about the Ballstar is that they have their own cleaning and polishing solution. You have to shake it before using to get the cleaning stuff from settling to the bottom. I have to say, the ball come out looking fantastic, but of course they are the Tournament version....
Click to expand...

Note: Just cleaned the table today. With the Simonis 860, Ballstar, Simonis X1, non rotating vacuum, Tournament Arimith and a damp wipe with a cloth I have no burn marks after 6 months of daily play. I do use a break cloth.
 
C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Agile said:
Note: Just cleaned the table today. With the Simonis 860, Ballstar, Simonis X1, non rotating vacuum, Tournament Arimith and a damp wipe with a cloth I have no burn marks after 6 months of daily play. I do use a break cloth.
Click to expand...
Simonis 860 HR ?
 
A

AtLarge

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Agile said:
No. The slick polish on the balls especially the cue ball only lasts 1.5 hours of play.
Click to expand...

Oh; I thought you were talking about how long to leave the balls in the polisher. Doing it after every 1½ hours of play seems like an awful lot!
 
A

Agile

Registered
ChrisinNC said:
Just curious, as Simonis claims the HR version decreases burn marks / break track lines.
Click to expand...


This is true. And, Arimith claims that the Tournament balls have a special formulation that reduces burn marks. I think this formulation, the fact that the 860 cloth is 90% wool as opposed to synthetics which heat up more and the polish put on the cue ball by the Ballstar machine and polish itself are keeping the burn marks away.
 
A

Agile

Registered
AtLarge said:
Oh; I thought you were talking about how long to leave the balls in the polisher. Doing it after every 1½ hours of play seems like an awful lot!
Click to expand...

It would be. I use three cue balls so I suppose 4 1/2 hours is what I would get. However, I only polish balls and clean the table once a week. I probably play at least an hour a day sometime 2-3 hours now with the CV.
 
A

Agile

Registered
j13smiley said:
When they get dirty. Home made polisher.
5310e5d1c0f9a78bc3d39c71aea9312f.jpg
Click to expand...

Uhhh, that’s a cleaner. I’ve used it by hand on the other table I had in Lake Placid. The balls were not as slippery as the cleaner/polish I use in the Ballstar. It would be an interesting comparison to make. I would assume there is some polish in what you are using and most likely your home made cleaner does a better job than my hand cleaning did.

Another thing to try is the Ballstar cleaner/polish in your machine....
 
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