Ball Cleaning - Why is the debate?

K

ktrepal85

Banned
After a little research through the forums it seems that there is a debate over which method is best for cleaning pool balls. This makes no sense. Pool has been around forever, why can't we figure out the best way to clean the balls???

I made my own ball cleaner like you've probably seen before with a 5 gallon bucket, car buffer, and piece of carpet. I used 1 drop of Aramith ball cleaner per ball and it doesn't work that great. The balls became clean but they were very dull looking with a "waxy coat" on them that would stick to every little piece of dirt on the table or ball return. So I cleaned them again and then hand scrubbed them even further to get some of the "waxy coat" off and they still quickly had shit stuck to them. So I used Windex last night(not sure of the result).

Why doesn't the ball cleaner give better instructions? Why can't we all decide how to clean the damn balls?

The obvious advice is that I used too much ball cleaner but I don't see how any less can be used b/c it would just soak into the buffer and carpet and wouldn't get to the balls at all.

What am I doing wrong here?
 
Aloha

You may want to check the type of pad that is on the buffer. Every so often he pad has to be cleaned or changed out. The compounds being used need to match the product being buffed. The buffing pad will clog up and leave compound on the surface. With the right pad and speed.mthe balls will come out clean.

If you have any questions take a 6-pack of beer to your local body shop and talk with them. Most will help out with a little incentive. If you get no help there, P.M. me with a picture of the type of pad and product and I can walk you through it.

Aloha
 
I have a Diamond ball polisher. Both sets of my sets of balls are relatively new. I use 1 drop of Aramith ball cleaner on every other ball, it works great. The balls are nice and shiny, have no marks, and are slippery but not as slippery as wax. Before I bought the ball polisher I would clean them up 1 at a time in my lathe using Maguires cleaner wax. The Aramith Tournament Pros were nice but the Centennials while looking nice would get dull spots pretty quick. Since switching to the Aramith cleaner this problem went away. I have cleaned up a friends set that were in real bad shape. I had to use 2 cycles of Aramith ball restorer then 2 more cycles of Aramith cleaner, they turned out pretty good, not like new but when I started they looked like he was using them on the sidewalk. He was very happy with the results. As far as i am concerned the money I spent on the Diamond polisher is money well spent. I was going to build a bucket polisher but I did not like the idea of the rubbing each other at high RPMs for an extended period.
 
The buffer came with two type of pads. One is pretty hard like a dry sponge and the other is soft like a cheap blanket. I used the softer one.
 
ktrepal85 said:
After a little research through the forums it seems that there is a debate over which method is best for cleaning pool balls. This makes no sense. Pool has been around forever, why can't we figure out the best way to clean the balls???

I made my own ball cleaner like you've probably seen before with a 5 gallon bucket, car buffer, and piece of carpet. I used 1 drop of Aramith ball cleaner per ball and it doesn't work that great. The balls became clean but they were very dull looking with a "waxy coat" on them that would stick to every little piece of dirt on the table or ball return. So I cleaned them again and then hand scrubbed them even further to get some of the "waxy coat" off and they still quickly had shit stuck to them. So I used Windex last night(not sure of the result).

Why doesn't the ball cleaner give better instructions? Why can't we all decide how to clean the damn balls?

The obvious advice is that I used too much ball cleaner but I don't see how any less can be used b/c it would just soak into the buffer and carpet and wouldn't get to the balls at all.

What am I doing wrong here?
Click to expand...

Throw away the proprietary "ball cleaner" concoction and use warm water and liquid Ivory soap.

Dale
 
I personally don't clean my own balls. I have them professionally done at a place down on Canal street in Galveston. The price is reasonable, and the ambiance is superb.
Anyway, one of the best ways I know of it clean pool balls is to pop them into your automatic dishwasher, set the heat level to warm, or cold, and wash away the dirt and grime.
At the end of the dry cycle, take them out and spread them on a cotton towel. Obtain a small spray bottle and mix in equals amounts of Armor All and purified water. Give them a light spray, then roll them around on the towel for an even coat.
Let dry, and then lightly buff. They'll shine like a diamond in a goat's butt. :)
 
Tramp Steamer said:
... pop them into your automatic dishwasher ...
Click to expand...
I've never used a dishwasher for that, but I recall a report of a very bad experience with one. Maybe they were using the wrong soap.

I use Aramith polish and rub the balls by hand and then buff them with a towel. Plain soap does not buff out scuff marks and miscue marks on the cue ball.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I've never used a dishwasher for that, but I recall a report of a very bad experience with one. Maybe they were using the wrong soap.
I use Aramith polish and rub the balls by hand and then buff them with a towel. Plain soap does not buff out scuff marks and miscue marks on the cue ball.
Click to expand...

A non-abrasive soap such as a liquid with a degrease feature should work. :smile:
 
My bucket polisher did a good job using a microfiber buffer bonnet and like 3-4 drops of Chem-Pak ball cleaner. If you drop the polish onto the rotating balls it seems to distribute and work a little better.
 
I coat the balls in aramith cleaner and allow them to dry for half an hour then rub them clean with paper towels.

works great never had a problem
 
I think a few times I've seen posts where the home made polishers could not get that same deep waxed look that the commercial ones can do.

Just be careful with working on getting them shiny at the expense of having them play properly, if they are too slick you'll get funny spin happening.

I have not had to clean my Aramith set yet since I got it since I don't play at home much, or much at all anywhere actually LOL, but I will just bring them with me to my regular pool hall and ask them to toss them in their machine.

I'm sure all of us are friendly enough with a pool room manager/owner that we'd feel comfortable just asking to use the cleaner once a month or two.
 
ktrepal85 said:
After a little research through the forums it seems that there is a debate over which method is best for cleaning pool balls. This makes no sense. Pool has been around forever, why can't we figure out the best way to clean the balls???

I made my own ball cleaner like you've probably seen before with a 5 gallon bucket, car buffer, and piece of carpet. I used 1 drop of Aramith ball cleaner per ball and it doesn't work that great. The balls became clean but they were very dull looking with a "waxy coat" on them that would stick to every little piece of dirt on the table or ball return. So I cleaned them again and then hand scrubbed them even further to get some of the "waxy coat" off and they still quickly had shit stuck to them. So I used Windex last night(not sure of the result).

Why doesn't the ball cleaner give better instructions? Why can't we all decide how to clean the damn balls?

The obvious advice is that I used too much ball cleaner but I don't see how any less can be used b/c it would just soak into the buffer and carpet and wouldn't get to the balls at all.

What am I doing wrong here?
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any debate, people know how to clean pool balls. I used to use two ball cleaners. One to apply the cleaner/polish and another one to do the final polishing.

After putting that stuff in your ball cleaner, if it doesn't have replaceable pads inside you have contaminated your ball polisher. I bet if you put in a clean set now, they will come out dirty.

Just clean the balls by hand and then wipe them off and put them in the ball polisher for a final buffing.
 
macguy said:
I don't think there is any debate, people know how to clean pool balls. I used to use two ball cleaners. One to apply the cleaner/polish and another one to do the final polishing.

After putting that stuff in your ball cleaner, if it doesn't have replaceable pads inside you have contaminated your ball polisher. I bet if you put in a clean set now, they will come out dirty.

Just clean the balls by hand and then wipe them off and put them in the ball polisher for a final buffing.
Click to expand...

No debate, huh? Let's see...10 posts, 10 separate recommendations...
 
Lol!!

ktrepal85 said:
No debate, huh? Let's see...10 posts, 10 separate recommendations...
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly!! I don't know what works, I have two sets and both need cleaning. Think I'll just drop them at the Pool Hall and pick them up later...,
 
ktrepal85 said:
No debate, huh? Let's see...10 posts, 10 separate recommendations...
Click to expand...

Not a debate, what they are doing must work for them. You can accomplish the same end a dozen different ways in many things you do. There are few perfect ways to do anything.

I just started coating the ways on my lathes with the stuff I use to clean and protect my guns. I just tried it one day and it worked better then what I had been using for years. Can't argue with success.

In your case though I do think you have made your ball cleaner dirty and gunged up. You have to clean the ball cleaner now. In a pool room when I see really dirty balls it doesn't mean they don't clean the balls.

It means they have dirty tables. You can throw a dirty set of balls on a clean table and they will come back cleaner. If they clean the tables and the balls regularly, it will take very little to keep then in nice condition.
 
I forgot to share my method; I got tired of applying the Aramith polish by hand and I really didn't want to buy an expensive ball polishing machine.

I use my Dewalt variable speed buffer set to it's minimum 600 RPM. I use a Meguiar's W8000 Soft Buff 8" Foam Polishing Pad on the buffer. I place the buffer on the floor pad side up, sit down and throw a leg over its handle. I then power it on and place a pool ball in a travel coffee mug (with a diameter of about 2-1/2") that has a microfiber towel in it. Then, I flip the coffee cup over onto the spinning pad (near the center of the pad with one drop of Aramith ball cleaner/polish) and apply just enough pressure to spin the ball so it gets polished evenly. I pull the coffee mug away from the center of the spinning pad to increase the polishing effect (speed) and move it in to the center to reduce it.

Make sure you feel the temperature of the newly polished ball to tell you how you did. You should feel that it has a warm, even temperature. If you have hot and cool spots, you need to lighten up on the pressure when you push the cup with the ball into the pad.

This takes me about 10-15 minutes to have my Aramith ball set playing like new. The best part is I had everything I needed to do this in my garage already and I didn't have to fabricate anything.
 
King T said:
My thoughts exactly!! I don't know what works, I have two sets and both need cleaning. Think I'll just drop them at the Pool Hall and pick them up later...,
Click to expand...
If the balls are not old or cheap, they have a surface that will clean up very easily. Just keep you table clean and wipe the balls off, use a polish if you want but it is no big deal.

Don't use any abrasive or you will make the surface of the balls just get dirty easier. Some home tables have cheap pocket liners that can mark the balls like they have been written on with a crayon. If that is the case you have to solve the problem at the source.
 
King T said:
My thoughts exactly!! I don't know what works, I have two sets and both need cleaning. Think I'll just drop them at the Pool Hall and pick them up later...,
Click to expand...

They're pool balls. You really can't hurt them. They're real hard. This isn't rocket surgery. Any of the a fore mentioned recommendations will work.
And, do you think the kid at the pool hall gives a rip about your balls? All he cares about is sneaking in a couple of shoots before his shift ends. :)
 
Tramp Steamer said:
They're pool balls. You really can't hurt them. ...
Click to expand...
But you can screw up the surface and that leads to major problems. My advice: never use car cleaner products on pool balls. Never use products containing ammonia on pool balls. They will still be round and the same size but they won't be right.
 
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