All worsted-wool cloth gets slower when its really humid. I don't know about the stretch but just having more moisture in the fibers slows it down.
860 or 860HR for Garage table
- Thread starter northshoremb
- Start date
Hi OP, just played on a 860HR a few days ago. It ain't really that slow imo.Thanks for all the replies!!Think I'm going to do the HR for the little bit longer life. I have a Somonis X1 cleaner and will do the damp microfiber cloth after playing so should last longer. Mainly for me practicing on my own 90% of the time
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Now the fun part
Practice? We talkin bout practice man?
Ted Lasso / Allen Iverson Ted Lasso / Allen Iverson Practice Speech Mashup
Playing in Houston is like a sauna almost. I live in Tulsa and its damn near as bad. Not too brutal in winter but the rest of the yr. it gets pretty sticky here.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
If you're in a place that humidity makes you wish you lived somewhere else in the summer I'd go with the HR. Have it installed in the summer if possible so it gets the correct stretch with humidity. You don't HAVE to do it in the summer, but if it's not stretched right during the winter (low humidity) you might need a re-stretch in the summer months.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Not if you got that sweet stroke going on. You get 10X more options on a fast cloth that won't wear off your spin before contact.
northshoremb
Registered
So I seen a video of a bar room owner who soaked his cloth before stretching so this way was super tight when it dried since it's winter and not humid can you wet the cloth to make it stretch then let it dry for a few days before playing?
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An old-school mechanic i used to know would use a spray-bottle and just 'lightly' mist the cloth before installing it. His shit never came loose. Tight as a drum head.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I'd ask in the mechanics section, but personally if I ever put cloth on in the winter again, I'll lightly mist is with a water bottle and let it set for a couple minutes before I install it. Either that or leave it in the bathroom with the shower running hot for 10 minutes.
I think knowledgeable mechanics will say it's not necessary, but people who install for a living have gorilla strength in their hands. I do not, no matter how much I wish it to be true.
Depends on pocket size & what games you play. Most of the videos demonstrating the historical greats….they are indeed typically playing on slow cloth. But, pockets then were usually ‘buckets’, and the powerful stroke required to move Whitey around in some short-rack games could be seriously problematic on a Diamond table (for instance). Plain 860 is only good (IMO) when it’s new. Many televised tournaments are played on tables freshly installed (and covered) especially for the occasion. 860 speed is quite correct then. The higher the wool content, the greater the speed fluctuations with seasonal change, especially with no serious climate control.
Those that like the slower cloth DO have a point though, as position play can be thus more methodical, but I personally prefer the finesse stroke required when playing on 760, especially with tight pockets.
Kudos to all that have given the OP cloth installation advice. Interesting reading and sounds like good advice. So, assuming the cloth is installed properly and tight as a drum:
Myself I have a gold crown on a deck that I enclosed and there is no insulation. So, gets cold or hot and humid or not.
I installed two 18-watt golden rod gun safe heaters on the edge of the table just under the three pieces of slate. Six total. And, I put water heater insulation below each of the three sections of the table to hold the heat in.
Keeps the 360HR cloth slightly warmer than the surrounding environment and mitigates the effects of the humidity.
Myself I have a gold crown on a deck that I enclosed and there is no insulation. So, gets cold or hot and humid or not.
I installed two 18-watt golden rod gun safe heaters on the edge of the table just under the three pieces of slate. Six total. And, I put water heater insulation below each of the three sections of the table to hold the heat in.
Keeps the 360HR cloth slightly warmer than the surrounding environment and mitigates the effects of the humidity.
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KennyTooSlow
New member
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where it doesn't get that humid ... and have a 9 foot Connelly Ultimate with 860 in my garage and for sure ... it plays frustratingly slow.
People want quicker cause they got no power or stroke to move the cueball. They want to soft-barbie shots. I'm sorry but I've always been a big fan of the 1980 green clothes where you need to really STROKE that ball to bounce that cueball in and out of the rails.
Yes, I remember a friend of mine who got sort of an awful stroke. He misses many shots in the slow cloth whenever it requires a powerful stroke because hitting it hard would reveal your stroke flaws & you may wack that cue then miss. But him playing on the quick cloth the new modern ERA really hides and covers this flaw, he just medium & soft hit all balls now. No stroke is needed whatsoever.
You can lightly dampen old cloth evenly to not leave spots, and it will tighten up quite a bit.
That said if you so it right the first time and your installer stretches it super tight...it stays perfect.
Reg. 860 isn't super fast plus its non-directional and you don't have to brush it all the time. I hated 760 when it came out but 860 and HR are just right imo. I don't miss the old Mali/Stevens rugs in the least. It didn't take long for that stuff to disappear once Simonis came 'back' out. Simonis was around before WW2 but their factory got bombed and it took them a long time to gear back up. If you like the old woolen stuff Championship still offers some.