Balls popping out of leather pockets...

[Elephant Man]

Is there a sure fire cure all to keep the balls from popping out of the leather pockets? I have tried chalking the pockets, which helps a little, but gets messy quick. I have been told that saddle soaping can help a lot but can also stain the balls. It doesn't happen often, but usually at the wrong times. It makes sense, leather tip or leather pocket equals friction. Live and learn and go plastic next time? Or will they eventually break in and get better, or get worse? Been over 5 years...

 

[theyonger]

Invest in a better quality table
This shouldnt happen in a good quality table because the pocket end that is properly shaped/ assembled should put the balls down in the pocket
Otherwise hmmmm i supose you can just add a super absorbent material at the bottom of the pocket so the balls dont jump

 

[Elephant Man]

I don't think the balls are making it to the bottom of the pocket, but maybe... Maybe the table wasn't assembled correctly, meaning the pockets could have been bent at a better angle when installed. I searched near and far before buying this table, and it was the highest quality I could get new for around 2K. It is a very solid table, and the pockets I thought are all pretty generic, with a little leather work to emphasize the brand. So this is not a common problem that people with quality leather pockets have an issue with?

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Elephant Man,

You might try asking this question in the mechanics forum. I would imagine these guys will have an answer for you and they will see your query much quicker there. They are always in that forum and it will stay on page one there much longer than here in the main forum.

Plus, here in the main forum you'll get silly responses like "buy a better table."

 

[Johnnyt]

I don't think the balls are making it to the bottom of the pocket, but maybe... Maybe the table wasn't assembled correctly, meaning the pockets could have been bent at a better angle when installed. I searched near and far before buying this table, and it was the highest quality I could get new for around 2K. It is a very solid table, and the pockets I thought are all pretty generic, with a little leather work to emphasize the brand. So this is not a common problem that people with quality leather pockets have an issue with?

Put this on the Mechanics Forum here on AZ. Tell them your problem and the brand and size of the table and a mechanic will tell you whats wrong and how to fix it. Johnnyt

 

[theyonger]

Lol but its true though crappy tables have makers who think a pocket is just a pocket and don't know about the potting issues that a lot of crap tables have

 

[Sarnia Shorty]

Check the mechanics section. I made a post about this exact same topic a couple months ago there. Got some good feedback from some of the mechanics and there are a few pictures posted that will help you out.

 

[9bizzle]

Is there a sure fire cure all to keep the balls from popping out of the leather pockets? I have tried chalking the pockets, which helps a little, but gets messy quick. I have been told that saddle soaping can help a lot but can also stain the balls. It doesn't happen often, but usually at the wrong times. It makes sense, leather tip or leather pocket equals friction. Live and learn and go plastic next time? Or will they eventually break in and get better, or get worse? Been over 5 years...

I have a very old Brunswick table with #3 pocket irons and had a very serious problem with this. The pockets were shaped in such a way that they caused the ball to travel around the pockets perimeter in a groove and deposit back on the table. I had to do some fairly serious surgery to the pockets with a knife to cut out what seemed to be an overabundance of leather in the pockets between the outer layers. I don't know exactly what kind of pockets you have, or if you can get to that leather to cut it out, but when I did this to mine it pretty much put a stop to it.