Phenolic plastic (phenol-aldehyde resin) is considered to be the foundation of the plastic molding industry. It contributes to a large percentage of all molded plastic products and is used almost exclusively for industrial plastic materials.
That may be but plywood is not particleboard and depending on the usage can be stronger and more stable than solid wood.
the point was that the weight of the rails important, as is how firmly the rail is attached to the slate.
I figured the physics of why that is would be quite well understood but some wanted to engage in insulting childish talk rather than discussing the intricacies of the rails themselves..
lightweight rails have poor bounce characteristics in general, that's why steel was added to weight the rails of some older snooker tables.
Bolts that protrude through the felt and basically clamp the rail to the base frame or to the slate won't hold the rail as firmly as by other means such as attaching the rail directly to the slate. This is the way most of the tables are built.
with some of the older tables you will find nice hardwoods used in the rails, some are steel backed, its like a 1/4" plate behind the skirt which is usually outside the rail.. a bolt that can protrude the rail and attach directly into the slate basically ties the weight of the slate to that of the rail and adding firmness..
of course manufactures have considered the cost of such and if you add that much weight yes the frame needs to be strong enough to support it.. there has been no point in time that a manufacturer would not consider their costs and think to reduce costs in order to compete on price.. some went all the way to really build things well to get their name recognized , others spent a lot on advertising to pump brand name recognition.
If you examine the older snooker tables there is a massive frame and its normallly all really good hardwood too.. If you were to compare that to a diamond table youd quickly see the differences and probably come to the realization that things could be made better, but at a price..
the feel of playing on a really solid and well made table is dramatic, one thing the player can sense easily is how silently they return the ball, the cheaper the table is, the more of a "bonk" you can hear, yes it's worse if a rail is actually loose..
The exact same principles can apply to any table not only a snooker table and there are some small manufacturers priding themselves on building better than the mainstream.
most consumer products have declined in quality over time. washing machiness , furnaces and cars used to last 30 years quite easily..
now it's just not the same market.. I see the same with a lot of industrial machinery, ther is no cmparison in the casting quality , repairability , longevity etc. Now the average lifespan of a furnace or a hot water heater or a stove or even a car is reduced a great deal from what it was earlier in time. expectations have been reduced accordingly. manufacturers have also recognised that if they can become well recognised they can increase the turnover of their products, again a way of making more money. Businesses are in business to make money not to make the best or most repiairable products. business principles dont involve consicence, they involve money decisions.
Pool table aren't much different. the manufacturers found a lot of cost savings, there were improvements in process like in slate cutting.. CNC cutting of parts, lamination processes and equipment, higher use of plastics reduce costs because plastic is cheap.
since there are really no moving parts most of the wear is in the cloth and of course rubber degrades over time, It always has. leather is of lesser quality on average.. some old tables still have the original pockets from back in the 30's and the materils used is unapproachable today.. now they use nylon string not high end linen or hemp which lasted a century.
If you want somethign built like a brick shithouse , buy an old one, if you are happy with a diamond, thats fine.. Could the design be improved ? yes, definitely..
I have to replace my fiurnace , it was built int he 50's gee the thing lasted over 70 years.. can I find one today that will go that long, probably not ! Im hearing of others replacing them after 10-15 years.. similar with the new electric cars. Just not ever intended to last, more garbage throwaway designs, new ones each year, factory repairs and high costs and parts availablity are factors.. The automakers don't want cars that last 35 years like the one I drive.. Try to find a new one that will ? good luck with that !
