Fascinating. And it pocketed all the balls.
Any Reason Not to Use a Brush or a Vac With a Brush Attachment on Cloth?
- Thread starter ChrisinNC
- Start date
Fascinating. And it pocketed all the balls.
I made the mistake of using a rotating brush on my first home table. Cleaned well, but over time it raised the cloth’s fibers, creating a nap and making it play slower. I doubt a non-rotating brush would do the same.
pj
chgo
RT Ford
Well-known member
Years ago, when I was being mentored by Garten Bierbower, he told me that 'back in the day' billiard fabric was primarily wool and the nap was a lot longer than it is now. A brush was used to lay the nap down in the same direction...head to foot on the bed and counter clockwise on the cushions. He said that billiard fabric is porous, so using a brush to 'clean' the cloth is counter-productive. The brush pushes the chalk dust through the fabric, where it slowly builds up on the slate and acts like fine sandpaper, wearing away the fabric from underneath, and shortening it's life. He said that vacuuming is the only way to remove excess chalk and other kinds of dust, as long as the vacuum isn't too powerful. A strong vacuum stretches the cloth and loosens it over time; destroying the 'tightness' required for good play. I've always relayed that information to my customers.
At my local spot I play 3c, they vacuum the tables after every game. This is common practice in 3c
These particular tables are the fastest playing tables in Houston and they don't have to replace the felt that often. But they do anyways about once a year.
I doubt the brush hurts the felt but a rotating brush just sounds like a terrible idea. No reason to use a ton of pressure with a brush.
Anyways check out this vacuum used at a 3c tournament.
The guy vacuuming the tables is a Rasson employee who sets up the mosconi cup tables.
These particular tables are the fastest playing tables in Houston and they don't have to replace the felt that often. But they do anyways about once a year.
I doubt the brush hurts the felt but a rotating brush just sounds like a terrible idea. No reason to use a ton of pressure with a brush.
Anyways check out this vacuum used at a 3c tournament.
The guy vacuuming the tables is a Rasson employee who sets up the mosconi cup tables.
Attachments
Haha
Since I have never shaped any of my tips after the initial install where do you think my tips go?
If my wife has been messing with my tips all these years, I'm going to be upset. Well, actually I would find that quite humorous.
RT Ford
Well-known member
Yeah. It looks like a light weight vacuum that only has a small amount of suction.
My local billiards installer just guided me to use a damp washcloth. So I’ve been out of the habit of using a vacuum for quite a while.
I think that works well too. I've heard people complain that water hurts the felt. If that's true, what happens when it's a humid day?
I've seen chalk wear out a ferrule. It grinds tips quite easily. Of course there are many variables, including type of chalk, how vigorously it is applied, etc.
I can't argue against what people have claimed to see. I just know I used the same tip extensively for ~10yrs and chalking is a part of my PSR, so multiple 1000's of applications with zero wear. It must boil down to the bolded above.
I'm also confident the world isn't flat although I've never been to space.
I sure wish my Roomba went that fast.
I can’t see how the normal use of a brush would stretch the cloth. I’m a Roomba user for a couple of years now, but use a hand brush to pick up cat hair. Cat hair tends to stick to the bristles and it can be brushed off and into the trash can easily. It’s for those quick spot cleaning times in between the Roomba usage.
Nobody’s mentioned the X-1
Does it work?
Does it work?
It doesn't suck.
It won't. I use a 15" horsehair attachment on my shop vac regularly with no ill effect on my Simonis 860HR. I've got 3 years on my cloth and I'd be very surprised if I don't get another 3 out of it. At least.
It's still quite attractive though.
You just need more of them.
Growing up, the local room used a hand brush every night (before they covered the tables), and brushed the chalk/dirt into the (net/drop) pockets (likely not worsted cloth then). In the 90s, I started frequenting a room where the owner used a damp rag to wipe down the tables every night, and was surprised at how much chalk dust he removed. I also now just use a soft bristle brushhead attachment on my shop vac, with the pressure valve opened. With Toam chalk, no damp cloth needed.
RT Ford
Well-known member
If there's too much humidity in a room, the cloth will relax and become loose. I covered a table once in a large, open garage where lawn equipment was stored. When I finished, the cloth was stretched very tight. The next day, the customer called and told me the cloth had loosened and there were wrinkles in it. I told him there was too much humidity in the building and advised him to use a hair dryer on the table. He called me an hour later and told me the hair dryer removed the wrinkles, the cloth was tight again, and the table played beautifully.
A similar situation occurred when I covered a table in an unheated basement. It was so cold, I actually had to wear a coat while I worked. The table was fine when I finished but the customer called the next day and complained that the cloth was all wrinkled. I went back, took the table apart, and re-stretched the cloth. A couple days later, the customer called again with the same problem. After asking a few questions, I discovered that the customer was only heating the room (with a space heater) when the grandkids wanted to play on the table. As the room got warmer, the cloth relaxed and wrinkled. I told the customer I'd re-stretch the cloth when she got heating vents installed in the basement. Live and learn.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
If you want easy mode... go to walmart or similar and get a $100 generic roomba. They work really well and saves a lot of hand vacuuming. I just set it on the table after a session and tell it to clean for 30 minutes. Pool halls near me use them and always have super clean cloth. I've not noticed any wear on my table or those at the hall.
Rotating brushes are supposed to be a no-no but a fixed brush is fine. I also think a rotating brush isn't as big a deal on worsted cloth, but on the old "felt" like stuff that pilled/balled up it could wear it out faster.
Seriously though, generic roomba and save yourself some work.