Ball cleaning

Thanks for all the info , I just wish they would stanardize what the balls are cleaned with!!!

Yep, right after they standardize the cloth, balls, tables, pocket openings, slate pocket shelves, cue tips, chalk, cleaning tables, tournaments & payouts...shouldn't take much more than say....a 100 years or so:D

Glen
 
The equipment specifications under the World-Standardized Rules prohibit the use of wax on the balls.

16. Balls and Ball Rack
... Balls should be unpolished, and should also not be waxed. Balls should be cleaned with a towel or cloth free of dirt and dust, and may also be washed with soap and water. Balls contaminated with any slippery substance - treated with a polishing or rubbing compound and/or waxed - must be cleansed and dewaxed with a clean cloth moistened with diluted alcohol before play.​
 
The equipment specifications under the World-Standardized Rules prohibit the use of wax on the balls.

16. Balls and Ball Rack
... Balls should be unpolished, and should also not be waxed. Balls should be cleaned with a towel or cloth free of dirt and dust, and may also be washed with soap and water. Balls contaminated with any slippery substance - treated with a polishing or rubbing compound and/or waxed - must be cleansed and dewaxed with a clean cloth moistened with diluted alcohol before play.​

The same rules also point out:

Pocket Openings and Measurements:
Pocket billiard tables: pocket openings are measured at two points - the first being measured between opposing cushion noses where the direction changes into the pocket (tip to tip). This is called the mouth. The second point of measurement is at the narrowest point at the back of the facing. This is called the throat.

Corner Pocket:
Mouth...................................................4 7/8" minimum to 5 1/8" maximum


According to that rule, NO ProCut pockets set at 4 1/2":D

Tip: The cue tip on any stick used to perform a legal jump shot must be composed of either a leather or synthetic leather material.

According to that statement, almost ALL jump cues are illegal to use as well.:D
 
super aramith polish is great and buffs the micro scratches off the ball.

after cloth gets old aramith polish the balls then use brillianize plastic cleaner and it makes the balls very slick .which in my opinion is what you want.or wax

I use the liquid polish that came with the Ball Star machine (following instructions).

I have thought of using Brillianize only.

You recommend using the polish and then Brillianize?

What do they clean the balls with at a pro tournament?
 
The same rules also point out:

Pocket Openings and Measurements:
Pocket billiard tables: pocket openings are measured at two points - the first being measured between opposing cushion noses where the direction changes into the pocket (tip to tip). This is called the mouth. The second point of measurement is at the narrowest point at the back of the facing. This is called the throat.

Corner Pocket:
Mouth...................................................4 7/8" minimum to 5 1/8" maximum


According to that rule, NO ProCut pockets set at 4 1/2":D

Tip: The cue tip on any stick used to perform a legal jump shot must be composed of either a leather or synthetic leather material.

According to that statement, almost ALL jump cues are illegal to use as well.:D


Glen -- either you're quoting out-dated rules or something other than the WPA (World-Standardized) rules. A 4.5" corner-pocket mouth is allowable. Here is the entire current specification for pocket openings and measurements:

9. Pocket Openings and Measurements
Only rubber facings of minimum 1/16 [1.5875 mm] to maximum ¼ inch [6.35 mm] thick may be used at pocket jaws. The WPA-preferred maximum thickness for facings is 1/8 inch [3.175 mm]. The facings on both sides of the pockets must be of the same thickness. Facings must be of hard re-enforced rubber glued with strong bond to the cushion and the rail, and adequately fastened to the wood rail liner to prevent shifting. The rubber of the facings should be somewhat harder than that of the cushions.

The pocket openings for pool tables are measured between opposing cushion noses where the direction changes into the pocket (from pointed lip to pointed lip). This is called mouth.

Corner Pocket Mouth: between 4.5 [11.43 cm] and 4.625 inches [11.75 cm]
Side Pocket Mouth: between 5 [12.7 cm] and 5.125 inches [13.0175 cm]
*The mouth of the side pocket is traditionally ½ inch [1.27 cm] wider than
the mouth of the corner pocket.

Vertical Pocket Angle (Back Draft): 12 degrees minimum to15 degrees maximum.

Horizontal Pocket Cut Angle: The angle must be the same on both sides of a pocket entrance. The cut angles of the rubber cushion and its wood backing (rail liner) for both sides of the corner pocket entrance must be 142 degrees (+1). The cut angles of the rubber cushion and its wood backing (rail liner) for both sides of the side pocket entrance must be 104 degrees (+1).

Shelf: The shelf is measured from the center of the imaginary line that goes from one side of the mouth to the other - where the nose of the cushion changes direction - to the vertical cut of the slate pocket cut. Shelf includes bevel.

Corner Pocket Shelf: between 1 [2.54 cm] and 2 ¼ inches [5.715 cm]
Side Pocket Shelf: between 0 and .375 inches [.9525 cm]​

As far as jump shots go, the WPA has no separate rules for jump sticks. All sticks must meet the same requirements:

17. Cue Sticks
Cue Sticks used at WPA competitions should comply with the following
during play at table:

Length of Cue: 40 inches [1.016 m] minimum / No Maximum
Weight of Cue: No minimum / 25 oz. [708.75 gm] maximum
Width of Tip: No minimum / 14mm maximum

The cue tip may not be of a material that can scratch or damage the addressed ball. The cue tip on any stick must be composed of a piece of specially processed leather or other fibrous or pliable material that extends the natural line of the shaft end of the cue and contacts the cue ball when the shot is executed..

The ferrule of the cue stick, if of a metal material, may not be more than 1 inch [2.54 cm] in length.​

The rules I've cited, of course, do not necessarily apply if the competition is not under WPA auspices.

But all of this stuff about specifications for pockets and cues is extraneous to the topic of this thread. I just thought it was helpful to know that waxing the balls is not permitted under WPA rules.
 
But all of this stuff about specifications for pockets and cues is extraneous to the topic of this thread. I just thought it was helpful to know that waxing the balls is not permitted under WPA rules.

Some of the rules have been updated, but others are clearly out of wack, take this rule for example:

13. Fastening of the Cloth (Guidelines)
Before cloth-covering the slate, a strip of canvas (or table-cloth) should be glued to the vertical pocket cuts of the slates and their underlying wooden slate liner. The table-bed cloth must be stretched for "proper tension" and mechanically attached to the underlying wooden slate liner with fully driven fasteners (staples or tacks) spaced a maximum of 1 inch on center approximately, with at least inch [.9525 cm] penetration into
the wooden slate liner. Guidelines for proper tension are as follow:


Under these rules, Diamond tables would be disqualified because the cloth is not stapled to the backing under the slate...because there is no wood backing to staple the cloth to.
1. Length of the cloth should be manually stretched as tight as possible, and then relieved ½ inch [1.27 cm] before attachment, and

2. Width of the cloth should be manually stretched as tight as possible,
and then relieved ¼ inch [.635 cm] before attachment.


Installing cloth in this manner is totally wrong, unless stretch shadows are the preferred look of the bed cloths.

12. Cloth
The cloth must be non-directional, nap-free billiard fabric which will not pill or fluff, composed of no less than 85% combed worsted wool and no more than 15% nylon. 100% combed worsted wool fabric is preferred. No backed cloth will be allowed. Only the colors of yellow-green, blue-green or electric blue are acceptable for WPA


Brunswick Centennial cloth is 70%wool/30%nylon, yet used in tournaments. Simonis 860 falls into the 90%wool/10%nylon, but the 860HR don't because it's also 70%wool/30%nylon.

I'm not arguing with you in any way shape or form, I just think it's kind of out of line for the WPA to try and put these rules in their book so to speak, then act like they control the world tournament system...yet don't sponsor the events themselves;)........so what do they really have to offer to players all around the world? To me, they're just another group of people that THINK they're in control of pool today.

They all would be in a hurt the first second someone REALLY steps up with the cash to pay Pro Players and sponsor a real tournament system...that don't care if THEY sanction that system or not...because I guarantee the players would jump ship and not think twice about it;)

Glen
 
I don't like the idea of using a coat of wax. It just seems that, like waxing a car, over time the wax comes off and it has to go somewhere. That somewhere is probably into the cloth resulting in wax build up in the cloth over time. So now, in addition to the cleaning problem, the cloth is behaving differently.

Secondly, if the theory is that a coat of wax will make the balls more slippery and therefore eliminate "skidders" I can see the use of wax resulting in more inconsistencies in how the balls react - just thing you'd be trying to avoid. Since the wax will wear off over time, and especially due to all the rolling and contact between balls then you will end up getting different reactions depending on whether a) both balls have wax at the point of contact, b) only one ball has wax at the point of contact, or c) both balls are bare at the point of contact.
 
I'd like to revive this one by asking a question:

By buffing out small scratches in the balls, using an abrasive wax/polish, aren't you actually "wearing" down the ball to the depth of the scratch in order to remove it? These perfectly balanced balls (super pros/centennials) are now now no longer perfectly balanced then because we are wearing down certain random spots where the scratches are. No chance we might want to leave the scratches if they're small enough not to affect the roll rather than take more mass off the ball? I realize they just won't look as nice but is there any sense to what I'm saying?

I'm not a mechanic, just a newbie with a thought...
 
I'd like to revive this one by asking a question:

By buffing out small scratches in the balls, using an abrasive wax/polish, aren't you actually "wearing" down the ball to the depth of the scratch in order to remove it? These perfectly balanced balls (super pros/centennials) are now now no longer perfectly balanced then because we are wearing down certain random spots where the scratches are. No chance we might want to leave the scratches if they're small enough not to affect the roll rather than take more mass off the ball? I realize they just won't look as nice but is there any sense to what I'm saying?

I'm not a mechanic, just a newbie with a thought...

Makes sense, but I'm really not sure. I like the idea of aramith cleaner in a spray bottle for my home made polisher. Any one have any thoughts?
 
I have a BallStar machine and I usually just give the balls a light spray of plain water. I only use Aramith Ball Cleaner every 4th or 5th time I clean. I think that if you wax the balls, some wax will eventually wind up on the table cloth - that's not what you want. Do you really want those balls to be sliding on the table? I just use Aramith because it's designed specifically for billiard balls by the ball manufacturer and after cleaning leaves no residue. At about $6 or so per bottle, why screw around with car waxes, etc. I'm still using the same bottle I bought about a year ago. It does the job it's designed to do very well.
 
Makes sense, but I'm really not sure. I like the idea of aramith cleaner in a spray bottle for my home made polisher. Any one have any thoughts?

Have you used the Aramith cleaner? The reason I ask is because it is kind of thick and creamy. I'm not so sure it would work well with a spray bottle.

Try Brillianize or Nexus plastic cleaner; both come in a spray bottle Not nearly as thick and leaves no residue on the balls and probably builds up on the machine pads less as well. Then every once in a a while to get a more complete polish apply the Aramith cleaner to the balls and give them a spin.
 
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The Aramith ball cleaner is fine if you're doing them by hand. But if you bought a machine to avoid doing them by hand, the Aramith will gum up the works like RKC says.

With Brillianize or Novus #1 you just put the balls in the machine, spritz a little on each ball and let 'er spin. When they're done I give them a wipe as I take them out to make sure they're dry. Of the two I prefer Brillianize, as the Novus seemed to leave a coating that flakes off.

Brillianize + the Diamond polisher does a great job.
 
I built a ball polisher based on this YouTube video posted by force follow.

It works great for me and only cost me roughly $25 to build. I squirt some aramith ball polisher on the pad, then put in about 5 balls at a time in the "machine". I run it for a couple of minutes. Balls come out like new.

Steve
 
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Brillianize + the Diamond polisher does a great job.
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Tap tap, thats exactly what I use too.
 
Brillianize?

I have used both Brillianize and Aramith ball cleaner in a Porper ball polisher. In my experience, the Brillianize seems to leave the balls very clean, but they seem to attract chalk more during play - perhaps due to elevated static electricity.

Anyone else experience that?
 
I have used both Brillianize and Aramith ball cleaner in a Porper ball polisher. In my experience, the Brillianize seems to leave the balls very clean, but they seem to attract chalk more during play - perhaps due to elevated static electricity.

Anyone else experience that?


I did feel that way using the brillianize with a hand crank ball cleaner. (Seemed to leave a slight residue behind.) With the diamond I dont have that problem.
 
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