Ball cleaner with ball cleaner machine ..what do you use??

[dabarbr]

I have a Diamond ball polisher. I use one of the two products recommended by Diamond for use with their machine - Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer.

They also recommend the Aramith ball polish but I prefer the Maguiars because it isn't so pasty/creamy but more of a liquid that works from a spray bottle so it doesn't gum up the pads and is easier to use. I just set the balls in motion and give them a couple of squirts while they're spinning. It also isn't gritty so it should cause less wear over the long run.

I used to use Brillianize when I did them by hand. When I got the Diamond I tried both the Brillianize and the Maguiars. The Maguiars polished the balls better. Neither of these products leave a residue.

Give the Maguiars a try, it's only about $10 for a good size bottle. If you end up going with something else you can always use it on your car. They have a couple of different "Quick Detailer" products and an Ultimate Quik Wax that's in a very similar bottle, but specifically get the "ULTIMATE Quik DETAILER" as recommended by Diamond:

It's available at most big box auto supply stores.

I've tried most of the cleaners and I find this product to be an excellent choice. It's also easy to apply while the cleaner is in motion. Thanks for turning me on to it.

 

[lfigueroa]

About how long of cycles do you run doing it that way Lou?
Thanks.

I'm running about five minutes, maybe even a little less. The machine spins so fast that the balls come out as good as they're going to in that short a time. I have no idea why they put such a long timer on it -- I can't imagine letting them go for 30 minutes.

Lou Figueroa

 

[ArizonaPete]

I use Aramith ball cleaner with my BallStar crock pot unit. That Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer looks interesting but does it transfer from the playing balls to your pool table cloth? That would be my concern.

 

[sfleinen]

BallStar w/ the green BallStar cleaner.

Same here. Although I like what Mitch (DogsPlayingPool) shared about a product Diamond recommends for their own polisher, Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer, and the fact that it can be sprayed onto the balls while the machine is in motion (which the BallStar allows).

I use Aramith ball cleaner with my BallStar crock pot unit. That Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer looks interesting but does it transfer from the playing balls to your pool table cloth? That would be my concern.

That would be my concern, too.

But I'm going to see if the auto stores near me have it and give it a try.

-Sean

 

[Cuebuddy]

I use Aramith ball cleaner with my BallStar crock pot unit. That Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer looks interesting but does it transfer from the playing balls to your pool table cloth? That would be my concern.

I used Aramith ball cleaner exclusively for years and now I noticed a slight yellowing on the bed cloth where the balls role along the rail cushions.
It is the same color that I noticed on the polishing pads on my ball polisher and on the towel I would use before I made my polisher. I do think it is residue left over from the Aramith product.

Now I use Brillianize plastic cleaner and use the Aramith polish about every fourth cleaning.

I think I will try the Maguiars today and report back.

The problem I see happening with Brillianize is it cleans them so clean it makes them more grippy. The balls seam to grab at the contact point more then they should. The balls also seem to start to collect impact spots faster when they are grippy, there for causing more skid.

 

[lfigueroa]

The problem I see happening with Brillianize is it cleans them so clean it makes them more grippy. The balls seam to grab at the contact point more then they should. The balls also seem to start to collect impact spots faster when they are grippy there for causing more skid.

I had the same problem when I tried just spraying a mist of water on the balls while they were spinning -- they came out "squeaky clean" and kinda grabby.

I think there's difference between cleaning balls and polishing them. Polishing is better.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Sealegs50]

I am also concerned about noy wanting to leave a waxy residue on the balls. For a while I used Pledge polish. But I've changed to the Porper ball polisher. I have a home made polisher that does 5 balls at a time and does a great job. I wipe the balls off with a cotton rag a couple of times. The balls come out great and play similar to the balls in the pool halls. I haven't noticed effects on the cloth.

 

[Majic]

I clean and polish my pool balls by hand. I recently cleaned the balls with Meguiars Detailer and they weere just ok. Using Meguiars as a base followed with the Aramith Polish works great. I just have to wipe the balls with a micro fiber cloth for the next couple weeks and they play great.


Oh..........and I sprayed the detailer onto the leather pockets and have not seen any black spots on the balls.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

I use Aramith ball cleaner with my BallStar crock pot unit. That Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer looks interesting but does it transfer from the playing balls to your pool table cloth? That would be my concern.

That would be my concern, too.

But I'm going to see if the auto stores near me have it and give it a try.

-Sean

The Maguiars doesn't leave a residue when I use my machine. The key as with most products is don't use too much. Literally one or two squirts while the balls are spinning will get all of them. My Diamond spirals the balls at about 400-600 RPM so one slow squirt gives full coverage.

I clean and polish my pool balls by hand. I recently cleaned the balls with Meguiars Detailer and they weere just ok.

I know what you mean. By hand I could get them clean but just not attain that high polish. But in a machine the Maquiars really does a great job. I just couldn't get the shine with any product by hand that I can now with the Diamond machine. I guess there is just no substitute for RPMs.

Also, when I did my set by hand I tried numerous products and it is tough getting most any of them completely off the balls doing it manually. But in a machine the RPMs take care of that, with this product anyway.Think about how long you'd have to rub each ball to get the equivalent work done by hand, plus with the machine you have centrifugal force working for you to throw the excess off the balls. Now with a wax or paste I'm not so sure.

 

[mantis99]

How's your table playing? Has it slowed down at all yet

After building my polisher I used a wax based product the first few times I cleaned the balls. The CB reacted with crazy amounts of spin that were almost unrealistic, making me question the value of cleaning with wax. After the wax wore off however, the CB slowed down to a point that was slower than it was before, and the table itself is definitely slower than it was. As a matter of fact I'd love to know how to clean the table off to get it back it's previous speed. A long story short, I wouldn't use a wax based product. Nix also be hesitant to use any ball cleaner that doesn't separate the balls durin cleaning. Too many people have reported potting that's happened to their balls after prolonged use.

 

[mantis99]

I use Aramith ball cleaner with my BallStar crock pot unit. That Maguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer looks interesting but does it transfer from the playing balls to your pool table cloth? That would be my concern.

Yes it does. If the balls are consistently waxed you can't tell because that keeps then playing fast. However, if you used a set of unwaxed balls you would see how much it has slowed your cloth down if it has been used over time.

 

[Island Drive]

How many ball trays are you cleaning ea day? If its one, use a bar rag type thick cotton cloth and water, works fine, and keeps the finish from wearing and becoming porus, takes just a few minutes and cost you just your time.

 

[realkingcobra]

After building my polisher I used a wax based product the first few times I cleaned the balls. The CB reacted with crazy amounts of spin that were almost unrealistic, making me question the value of cleaning with wax. After the wax wore off however, the CB slowed down to a point that was slower than it was before, and the table itself is definitely slower than it was. As a matter of fact I'd love to know how to clean the table off to get it back it's previous speed. A long story short, I wouldn't use a wax based product. Nix also be hesitant to use any ball cleaner that doesn't separate the balls durin cleaning. Too many people have reported potting that's happened to their balls after prolonged use.

The slow down on your table may be due to something else

 

[Sealegs50]

Nix also be hesitant to use any ball cleaner that doesn't separate the balls durin cleaning. Too many people have reported potting that's happened to their balls after prolonged use.

Perhaps not separating balls could become a problem with frequent use in a pool room. I haven't had any problems. Commercial polishers are 2-3 times the cost of a new set of balls. I think my pool ball set experiences more collision damage on the table than in my polisher. JMO.

 

[bbb]

The slow down on your table may be due to something else

what brand cleaner/polisherwould you recommend??

 

[Island Drive]

What I find amusing, do you wax your car every time you clean it, or do you wash it and wax or polish it once or twice a yr, this to me applies equally for acryllic ball sets. Do you polish your exotic car rims EVERY time or do you clean em and then dress em up once in awhile. Depends on your ego I guess.

 

[jalapus logan]

Novus 1 works great. Bludworth recommended it to a buddy of mine. After he used it, I was convinced. Great stuff. I just spray in on the balls as they spin about in the bucket and they come out sparkling and they play great.

 

[dmgwalsh]

Novus 1 works great. Bludworth recommended it to a buddy of mine. After he used it, I was convinced. Great stuff. I just spray in on the balls as they spin about in the bucket and they come out sparkling and they play great.

I like Novus 1 the best, too. I used to use Brillianize but Novus is better. Uses some Mequier's but not the detailer one.