Best Way to Get Miscue Marks Off Cue Balls?

C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've had a poolroom for 22 years, and I personally have used the same Bludworth ball cleaner for that entire time, changing out the buffing pads every year or so, spraying a couple of squirts of Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer when starting each set, which does a great job. I clean about 12 sets of balls every Monday, before our weekly tourney.

As we have a bunch of beginner level and kids playing here, the Pro Cup Measle CB's often get an amazing number of miscue nicks on them by the time I clean them on Mondays. I've always used 0000 superfine steel wool pads to hand-buff the cue balls in an attempt to remove as much of the miscue marks as I can before placing the CB's in the polishing machine, but the steel wool still usually doesn't get all the bad miscue marks out.

I guess I could use two different sets of cueballs - the Pro Cup Measle cueballs for the Monday tournaments, then use Aramith Logo cueballs for the rest of the week. Problem is our better players would always be requesting to use the Measle cueball when they came in during the week, which may be a bit of a problem for our waitresses to keep up with continually switching the correct CB's back and forth in the ball trays.

You'd think I would have figured it out after 22 years, but has anyone here found anything better and easier than using superfine steel wool pads to hand-buff miscue marks off of the CB's before placing them in the polishing machine? Thanks!
 
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ChrisinNC said:
I've had a poolroom for 22 years, and I personally have used the same Bludworth ball cleaner for that entire time, changing out the buffing pads every year or so, spraying a couple of squirts of Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer when starting each set, which does a great job. I clean about 12 sets of balls every Monday, before our weekly tourney.

As we have a bunch of beginner level and kids playing here, the Pro Cup Measle CB's often get an amazing number of miscue nicks on them by the time I clean them on Mondays. I've always used 0000 superfine steel wool pads to try and remove as much of the miscue marks as I can before placing the CB's in the polishing machine, but the steel wool still usually doesn't get all the bad miscue marks out.

I guess I could use two different sets of cueballs - the Pro Cup Measle cueballs for the Monday tournaments, then use Aramith Logo cueballs for the rest of the week. Problem is our better players would always be requesting to use the Measle cueball when they came in during the week, which may be a bit of a problem for our waitresses to keep up with continually switching the correct CB's back and forth in the ball trays.

You'd think I would have figured it out after 22 years, but has anyone here found anything better and easier than superfine steel wool pads for removing miscue marks off of the CB's before placing them in the polishing machine? Thanks!
Click to expand...

You realize that you are in effect, sanding on plastic balls with the equivalent of 400-600 grit sandpaper to get rid of miscue marks on said highly polished plastic spheres surface?

Heres a tip, use a damp paper towel and your thumbnail. Works great. Then if the balls are still coming out of the machine with scuff marks, use a little more aggressive plastic polish (something like the Aramith Ball Restorer etc) every so often in the machine.

You'd think I would have figured it out after 22 years
Click to expand...

You said it, not me..... :thumbup:
 
Chuck Fields said:
... use a little more aggressive plastic polish (something like the Aramith Ball Restorer etc) every so often in the machine. ...
Click to expand...
I think the ball restorer is a good idea, but first I'd see if regular Aramith polish and some precisely directed elbow grease fixed the marks. Also, I think it's better to keep restorer away from the machine unless it is right before the pads and other porous parts are changed out. In general I'm leery of ball cleaning machines that have an accumulation of polish (and whatever) in the pads.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think the ball restorer is a good idea, but first I'd see if regular Aramith polish and some precisely directed elbow grease fixed the marks. Also, I think it's better to keep restorer away from the machine unless it is right before the pads and other porous parts are changed out. In general I'm leery of ball cleaning machines that have an accumulation of polish (and whatever) in the pads.
Click to expand...

Like anything else, you can let the pads get gunked up and grimy, or you can take them out and rinse them out in a utility sink, or spray them with a hose etc.
 
Chuck Fields said:
You realize that you are in effect, sanding on plastic balls with the equivalent of 400-600 grit sandpaper to get rid of miscue marks on said highly polished plastic spheres surface?

Heres a tip, use a damp paper towel and your thumbnail. Works great. Then if the balls are still coming out of the machine with scuff marks, use a little more aggressive plastic polish (something like the Aramith Ball Restorer etc) every so often in the machine.



You said it, not me..... :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Yes, I realize using the superfine 0000 steel wool can and does take off some of the original brand new sheen off the surface of the CB, but if you're careful when finely buffing that miscue mark with the steel wool, then once the CB has been through the polishing machine, it brings most (but not all) of the original shine back to the CB. I just see no other easy way to get these bad miscue scratches off the cueball within a reasonable amount of time and effort.
 
Replace your cue balls with Red Circles, and the miscue marks come off easily. And, damp paper towel and thumbnail, as mentioned by Chuck.

All the best,
WW
 
WildWing said:
Replace your cue balls with Red Circles, and the miscue marks come off easily. And, damp paper towel and thumbnail, as mentioned by Chuck.

All the best,
WW
Click to expand...
Thanks. We have used red circles here before and I do still have plenty of them in stock in good condition. It's a good CB and they are much easier to clean, I just wish they weren't so yellowish. Maybe I'll switch to those during the week, then break out the pro cups just for tournament night. I can always keep some pro cup CB's out front for the players that request to play with them during the week.
 
Try some Brake Clean or a similar non-environmentally friendly cleaner:wink: Doesn't seem to hurt the ball at all. Try the white Scotch Brite pads instead of the steel wool.
 
As stated, I use thumbnail with damp paper towel - will usually remove almost all of the miscue mark and residue. To remove any other marks on cueball or object balls - the best answer I have found is to use a little isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel - the balls will clean very quickly. I use this method to remove any obvious marks prior to putting the balls into the ball cleaning machine.
 
When playing and before breaking, I spit on a stubborn chalk mark and then rub that off on the inside of the shelf of the corner pocket (where the cloth is vertical).

Any easy chalkmarks, I rub off on my jeans.

A teammate of mine is using the expensive chalk and that's always a problem for the cueball, imho, as it sticks like glue. I find myself cleaning the c/b more often than before.


Jeff Livingston
 
ChrisinNC said:
I've had a poolroom for 22 years, and I personally have used the same Bludworth ball cleaner for that entire time, changing out the buffing pads every year or so, spraying a couple of squirts of Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer when starting each set, which does a great job. I clean about 12 sets of balls every Monday, before our weekly tourney.

As we have a bunch of beginner level and kids playing here, the Pro Cup Measle CB's often get an amazing number of miscue nicks on them by the time I clean them on Mondays. I've always used 0000 superfine steel wool pads to hand-buff the cue balls in an attempt to remove as much of the miscue marks as I can before placing the CB's in the polishing machine, but the steel wool still usually doesn't get all the bad miscue marks out.

I guess I could use two different sets of cueballs - the Pro Cup Measle cueballs for the Monday tournaments, then use Aramith Logo cueballs for the rest of the week. Problem is our better players would always be requesting to use the Measle cueball when they came in during the week, which may be a bit of a problem for our waitresses to keep up with continually switching the correct CB's back and forth in the ball trays.

You'd think I would have figured it out after 22 years, but has anyone here found anything better and easier than using superfine steel wool pads to hand-buff miscue marks off of the CB's before placing them in the polishing machine? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Use a magic eraser found at any grocery store. Get the one that does not contain soap. Use ball cleaner on it or liquid Car Turtle Wax.
 
chefjeff said:
When playing and before breaking, I spit on a stubborn chalk mark and then rub that off on the inside of the shelf of the corner pocket (where the cloth is vertical).

Any easy chalkmarks, I rub off on my jeans.

A teammate of mine is using the expensive chalk and that's always a problem for the cueball, imho, as it sticks like glue. I find myself cleaning the c/b more often than before.


Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...
That would be Kamui chalk - the stuff should be banned from all poolrooms!
 
Chuck Fields said:
You realize that you are in effect, sanding on plastic balls with the equivalent of 400-600 grit sandpaper to get rid of miscue marks on said highly polished plastic spheres surface?

Heres a tip, use a damp paper towel and your thumbnail. Works great. Then if the balls are still coming out of the machine with scuff marks, use a little more aggressive plastic polish (something like the Aramith Ball Restorer etc) every so often in the machine.



You said it, not me..... :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Would this work for the little black marks that sometimes get left on the balls by diamond table pockets?
Did they ever figure out a fix for that or was it just a series of tables recently with the problem?
 
Cardigan Kid said:
Would this work for the little black marks that sometimes get left on the balls by diamond table pockets?
Did they ever figure out a fix for that or was it just a series of tables recently with the problem?
Click to expand...

I have a Diamond Pro table - isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel takes the black marks off very easily. Lots of black marks if I use any of my Aramith ball sets - so I normally use the traditional colored Cyclops ball set - very seldom get any black marks.
 
Cb

I have not had this issue with the premium Aramith CB, you might be using the Asian import ball that looks like the Aramith...


Rob.M
 
ROB.M said:
I have not had this issue with the premium Aramith CB, you might be using the Asian import ball that looks like the Aramith...


Rob.M
Click to expand...
Nope, purchased from my longtime Seyberts account rep and they come individually in the little 4"x8" clear pack - Super Aramith Pro Cup Cue Ball.

It is just amazing when you get kids or even adults that have no clue what the chalk is even for, that miscue on virtually every shot, etc., etc. It boggles me how they can be having fun? But I've been reminded often here in previous threads, that I should just be thankful that I have paying customers and I should let them do as they please!
 
I used to clean the cueball by squirt some Aramith polish into a ziplock bag with the cue ball, seal it up gently massage away the marks.

Bob Jewett said:
I think the ball restorer is a good idea, but first I'd see if regular Aramith polish and some precisely directed elbow grease fixed the marks. Also, I think it's better to keep restorer away from the machine unless it is right before the pads and other porous parts are changed out. In general I'm leery of ball cleaning machines that have an accumulation of polish (and whatever) in the pads.
Click to expand...
 
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