This Will probably be the forum lagh of the day

Johnnyt said:

Two questions please. Are shims and rail facings the same thing? Now don’t laugh too hard on this next question. Is it possible for me to take my rails off and cut a slit in the cloth with a razor in back of the rail and put glue on the facings/shims then slide them in place and then crazy glue the slit closed? Thank you. Johnnyt

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Hey JohnnyT,

I am certainly no table mechanic by any stretch of the imagination - but - I'm thinking you want to tighten up your pockets ??

I'm pretty sure they sell portable devices where you can just set them in the pockets. That way you can use them when you want to & not have to try to do any work on your table yourself (which could end up being a bad idea)

Hey Johnny,

The rail cushions and facings are different.

You will not be able to install shims or thicker facings without having your rails recovered.

Russ....

Johnnyt said:

Two questions please. Are shims and rail facings the same thing? Now don’t laugh too hard on this next question. Is it possible for me to take my rails off and cut a slit in the cloth with a razor in back of the rail and put glue on the facings/shims then slide them in place and then crazy glue the slit closed? Thank you. Johnnyt

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I belive they are not the same thing...

No need for a slit....Technically you could (assuming this is a 9 foot table just remove some of the stapes holding the rail cloth on install the shim and re-staple........More than likely when you remove the rail you will see the staples on the bottom of the rail holding the cloth.

HOWEVER.....The cloth in that area has some "folds" to it so you better pay attention to what you are doing....Also if you apply a shim you might have a bit of stretching to do to get the cloth back on... (you may want to dampen the cloth to re-strecth)

Also......When you re-install the rail you need to make sure you know how to make sure the rail is lined up straight and not too far in or out....They don't always just bolt on perfect.

Note that when you add a shim the extra thickness is going to create some "bounce" in the pocket and can cause the pocket to not play right...(the facing is supposed to be hard compaired to the rail cushion)

It is also going to change the pocket opening "angles" and may also cause the pocket to not play right......It can really make the side pockets play "goofy" to where you can't hit the side pocket facing with any kind of speed lest it double the pocket and bouce up in the air and out.

I am fairly certain that RKC will be along soon and guide you in the "proper" way to shim most any table.....which technically is not shimming the pocket at all........The proper way is extending the sub-rail....If you have the money....extending the sub rails is the way to go...I think RKC now calls the process "Diamondizing" the pockets......

I don't have the cash to do that sort of thing right now.....(Perhaps RKC will come by some day and do my GCII for free....."wishfull thinking")

My advice would be to not mess with it.......It may turn out to be more work than you think....I would suggest (at minimum) find someone who has done this type of work before and at least consult with them before you start removing rails.

Good luck.

Johnnyt said:

Two questions please. Are shims and rail facings the same thing? Now don’t laugh too hard on this next question. Is it possible for me to take my rails off and cut a slit in the cloth with a razor in back of the rail and put glue on the facings/shims then slide them in place and then crazy glue the slit closed? Thank you. Johnnyt

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Shims and wedges are used for adjusting slate to level.
Facings are installed at the ends of each rail and correctly called cushion facings.

The problem with your idea is that the facings will need to be trimmed down after installation so not something you would want to do without removing the rail cloth.
Also considering that your cloth was installed "tight" even if you were able to get an extra facing in I doubt you'd be able to stretch the cloth enough to cover it.

What you're suggesting as well as just adding facings is the hack way of tightening pockets.
You could probably get Penguin or Ridgeback to make you a new rail set taking into account the new pocket dimensions. Then you only need cover the rails.

Extending the rails is going to be a least a new cushion and facing set anyway in addition to a new rail cloth set regardless of what you do.

* Added -
extended rails on a Valley look like ass, JMO

Johnnyt said:

Thank you Dartman. I need to look harder for a new table...that I'm sure will need new cloth and rails for. If I didn't love pool I'd take up hunting, it's a lot cheaper. Johnnyt

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You sir, are always in a state of flux, LOL
Why would a bar hustler like yourself want to get into a Pro 8 table.
I've not been to many bars that have other then 7' tables.

Johnnyt said:

Because I'm going to become a gentlemen pool player and play in tournaments that have 9' table. Johnnyt

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Then you will have to wear a bowtie

Johnnyt said:

Because I'm going to become a gentlemen pool player and play in tournaments that have 9' table. Johnnyt

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Then maybe you can get a game with your DOCTOR eek who said that playing pool was damaging your health! And when he's winding up on his break shot, clue him in that you just TIGHTENED the pockets to make the game even tougher!

Bet HIS heart races if you ask to play for something other than fum....($$$)

I'm no expert Johnnt but I did have pockets tightened on a 9' Brunswick and the thick facings just don't play right. I got rid of that table and bought my Diamond Pro.

Johnnyt-

When talking about shimming a pocket, yes, pocket facings are what is used to shim your pocket.

I would agree that you should NOT cut the cloth. Unstapling is the best option.

The staples you'll use are going to be from a electric staple gun, and not by a hand held gun, so unless you already have one of those types of staple guns, (or know someone who will lend you one) you may want to have someone else do it that has the right tools.

my $.02

If you have the room and the spare cash, you'd be better off getting the 9 footer than using up time and money to tighten up the bar box.

I know, I know... who has spare cash right now... But no matter how you do it, it's always gonna be missing the extra two feet that make a huge difference in how the game plays. You can't get the 9 foot experience on a bar box no matter how much you tinker with it.

Ken...It's a BARBOX! The rails just screw on. There is no way to install them incorrectly.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

BRKNRUN said:

Also......When you re-install the rail you need to make sure you know how to make sure the rail is lined up straight and not too far in or out....They don't always just bolt on perfect.

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Scott Lee said:

Ken...It's a BARBOX! The rails just screw on. There is no way to install them incorrectly.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

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You'd be surprised. I've seen it done! LOL

Club Billiards...I don't know how? The rail is screwed on with a long hexhead screw, that goes through the table body, and has to match up with the female metal insert, on the back of the rail. Either it matches up, or the rail is not attached correctly.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Club Billiards said:

You'd be surprised. I've seen it done! LOL

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I know they do this in Hollywood to tighten everything up, but you may consider applying Preparation H to your pockets to make them tighter.

PLEASE CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS.