Olhausen Pocket Rattle -- The Final Answer?

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Logandgriff

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Hi All. With a lot of time on my hands and a 25+ year old Olhausen Innsbruck in my basement, I have undertaken to try to figure out the reasons and possible solutions for the dreaded pocket rattle. I love my table and hardly ever notice the rattle, probably because I have developed shooting techniques to avoid it. But when visitors compliment me on my table or ask how I like it, I feel the need to mention the Olhausen pocket rattle and get completely tongue-tied and confusing trying to explain it, I've also wondered if there is an easy fix I should employ.

Here is what I have tentatively concluded and would appreciate any further or different thoughts you may have. My research has included looking on the table mechanic forum but I thought the broader audience on this forum would be best.

Ok here is what I think. Olhausen tables have a wider corner pocket angle and the Accu-Fast cushions, while lasting forever, are springier and thinner than other cushions. The cushions create more angle on a shot down the rail that brushes the rail and the wider pocket angle is needed to counteract this. Putting thicker facings on the pockets may help but I've concluded that the Olhausen folks are not stupid and they made their tables this way for a reason.

Therefore I have concluded that it is best to leave everything stock and live with it, or do what nine out of ten table mechanics and table owners on this forum suggest -- buy a Gold Crown or a Diamond.

Thanks for reading this and stay safe.
 
Lawnboy77

Lawnboy77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Should be a fairly easy fix, like you stated it’s just a matter of correcting the miter facing and down angles. To do that the mechanic may have extend the sub rail first, then cut the angles to match today’s standards for whatever pocket opening the owner wants. The cushions are not the problem, Artemis cushions are even more lively than Accu-Fast and you don’t have that problem with Diamond tables.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
berko

berko

Aggressively passive
Silver Member
I have a olhausen sahara and as far as I can tell, the rattle is mostly caused by the large shelf length of the slate in the corner pockets.

Ive had the facings built up and have tried silicone on the facings. doesn't seem to help appreciably.

The flip side is that I have an excuse when I miss.
 
M

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I double shimmed my pockets to tighten them up so that 2 pool balls just fit on the nose of the cushion in a corner pocket.

I still get rattles, but at least the pockets do not accept any ball rolling in their direction. This, in turn, makes me have to up my game to avoid frustration.
 
mikemosconi

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played on Olhausens quite a bit and their cushions are not as fast as Diamonds or a well set up Gold Crown- those other tables play faster with the same cloth on all 3. The pocket shelves on Olhausen are have less depth into the pocket, so it has to be something to do with how a ball reacts going across the more shallow self into the pocket. I too notice the pocket rattle on corner pockets- mostly at speeds into the pocket above a medium speed- such as when you need to draw off a shot with the cue ball at least 5 feet from the object ball into the corner and pull the cue ball all the way back to the other table end. Even trying to really smooth out a stroke on long shots into the corners where you are far from the object ball and need to move that cue ball a good distance after contact often still results in that rattle. It breaks up runs just when you know you hit it right!

Obviously there is some flaw in how these pockets were designed originally that probably a very good table mechanic can remedy. it is annoying though.
 
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Tennesseejoe

Tennesseejoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The problem is the angle of the pockets. I suggest searching in the ask the mechanic forum because this has been addressed before.
 
couldnthinkof01

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just find it sad that a major manufacturer
has let this glaring problem go on for like
30+ years.
Poor pool. Hard to get mad at the guy
who sells 'em I guess.
They need a new slogan, "Olhausen the pinto
of pool tables!"
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
couldnthinkof01 said:
I just find it sad that a major manufacturer
has let this glaring problem go on for like
30+ years.
Poor pool. Hard to get mad at the guy
who sells 'em I guess.
They need a new slogan, "Olhausen the pinto
of pool tables!"
Click to expand...

Really amazing. Do they even listen to their customers ?
145 degrees instead of 141?
It would take them minutes to set their miter correctly and permanently .
 
W

westcoast

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A good friend of mine has an Olhausen and we've definitely noticed the "pocket rattle", but we always assumed it was due to the deep pocket shelf, not any off kilter angle.
 
B

blehnhard

Registered
I play twice a week at a neighbors who has a 8.5 x 4.25 Olhausen. Rattles in the corner pockets are common making the pockets play a little tighter than their size. I too thought it was because of a "deeper" shelf. Pocket width is just slightly larger than width of 2 balls.
 
L

Logandgriff

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
FYI -- I spent a long time searching and reading on the mechanics' forum and there was a lot of different and in some cases seemingly conflicting information. My post was my stab at making sense out of all the different information I reviewed. Thanks and take care.
 
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