Best slate shaving tools and practices?

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
I can barely run out on most 9 ball racks much less run 100+ in straight pool. I already have 5" corners and read that I can shave my slates to get better.

Do I really shave them or do I need to get out the grinder? Do I start mid table and cut a big ol groove to the pocket or just carve the edge to have a negative shelf?

Sent from the future.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
:smile::smile::)I tried this on the golf course recently, to help improve my putting- digging a shallow trench to the hole from where my ball lied; they asked me to leave the course!
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
We actually have something similar to the center to pocket (CTP) table shaving crap here in Colorado. With very steep mountain passes that cross over the continental divide at 12,000' above sea level most tractor trailers and passenger vehicles are sporting chains.The roads get deep grooves from the abrasive traction devises that are required on these roads in the winter months. This time of year these grooves are so deep that when traveling in the slow lane you don't even need to hold the steering wheel.:killingme:
 

Dan_B

AzB Gold Member
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yep, novel and unique, logical would in his case use a v-groove carbide router bit and a
template bed that go's from 0" to about 1/4" in height.
You only need to have the trough/trench guide to the hole start about 6" from the pocket.

The cool shot is having the object ball come to rest in the trench, wobble a little maybe,
then roll to the pocket, perfect pocket all the time, center cup.


...yeah, I can see that.
 
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Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
The trick to this is to stretch the cloth tight enough to have it span the gap of the shaved groove so it is not easily seen, the weight of the object ball should be enough to depress the cloth and scoot with gravity.
 

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
yep, novel and unique, logical would in his case use a v-groove carbide router bit and a
template bed that go's from 0" to about 1/4" in height.
You only need to have the trough/trench guide to the hole start about 6" from the pocket.

The cool shot is having the object ball come to rest in the trench, wobble a little maybe,
then roll to the pocket, perfect pocket all the time, center cup.


...yeah, I can see that.

Dude definitely. It could maybe make a cool game played at slow speeds
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ask John Schmidt- I think he is familiar with the trench to pocket technique - just kidding folks! I think:wink::wink:
 

Dan_B

AzB Gold Member
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Dude definitely. It could maybe make a cool game played at slow speeds

YES perfect,

1P, pocket only counts if the object ball catches the trench (flute).

I'm not sure if this is helping logical out with his game,

but then???

we're play'n here
...right?
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I can barely run out on most 9 ball racks much less run 100+ in straight pool. I already have 5" corners and read that I can shave my slates to get better.

Do I really shave them or do I need to get out the grinder? Do I start mid table and cut a big ol groove to the pocket or just carve the edge to have a negative shelf?

Sent from the future.
Harriman says you need to ask Schmidt. ;)
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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I know you guys are kidding but some people might actually believe those crazy ideas. Here is the proper way. Note that the vertical scale is exaggerated for clarity.

CropperCapture[504].png

The are basically two ways to shave the slate by the pocket. The orthodox or "straight" shave keeps a constant slope from the starting point, which is generally about an inch from the pocket drop, but is adjusted to achieve different efficiencies of pocketing.

The slope is about 2% but this will need to be increased if you use very slow cloth. By contrast, if the cloth is very fast, you should not decrease the slope to match because then you will see a lot of "creepers" where the ball will be moving very slowly for several seconds before it falls.

The "advanced" shave is very effective at eliminating creepers as the ball will accelerate towards the pocket once it has a start. There is considerable art in shaping this shave, and only truly accomplished table fitters should be employed for this task. One such fitter is being discussed right now in another thread.:wink:

I hope this clears things up.

P.S. As for how to do it, if this is your first stone/masonry project, you are making a mistake. Hire a good fitter. Do not let him take the slates away to work on them, however.

Bob <--- who really hates those creepers
 
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Dan_B

AzB Gold Member
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...huh,
I would not of thought of doing that :smilewinkgrin:

went dbl check a set of old amf 9' to see if it they had that, hadn't notice, so
can't say I've seen that before.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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...huh,
I would not of thought of doing that :smilewinkgrin:

went dbl check a set of old amf 9' to see if it they had that, hadn't notice, so
can't say I've seen that before.
I'm not sure if I've really seen it or not since you sort of have to take the cloth off and measure with a straightedge and a feeler gauge. I'm told that tapering the slate into the pocket was common when play was charged by the rack -- no hangers allowed. Some of the tables at the Palace in San Francisco (Brunswicks prior to Centennials) seemed never to hang a ball up.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Do some actually not realize this has been a DH reference on my part from the start?

Am I losing my touch?

Sent from the future.
 
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Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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Do some actually not realize this has been a DH reference on my part from the start?...
Well, some among us are far too intelligent to go into that thread.

Bob <-- not one of the lucky ones :(
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
Dropping marbles

The penguins started us off gambling at a very early age. It was only later that I realized it was the poorest kids that always won the raffles. Can't trust a penguin!

Anyway, we were allowed to drop marbles. A heavy steel marble would quickly make a sweet spot, aiming at the sweet spot was easier than aiming at the hole and I won marbles by the box full!

Years later I played on some old ten footers with deep wet cloth. Wasn't long before I recognized my old buddy, the sweet spot, on my favorite table. There was a trough running about two feet out from a corner pocket. Get anywhere in that trough and watch your ball head for the hole!

Hu
 
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