Building carom rails for a GCII...

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
Recently I have had the opportunity to play some straight rail and would love to play more often.

Here is an idea I have. Find some GCII rails that are in decent shape and put carom rails on them. I would like to have the ability to switch back and forth between games on my home table.

I know that this would require splicing the side rails and elevating the rails in order for them to play correctly.

Does this seam like a feasible idea? Would rails from other gold crown models fit a gold crown 2? How much would an extra set of rails cost?

Any feedback or thoughts on the idea would be appreciated.
 
hey there , i have been thinking of making some sort of bumper to cover pocket and then all i have to do is attach contraption and not rails , it can be done , but just needs some thinking and engeniring
 
seanjonsean said:
hey there , i have been thinking of making some sort of bumper to cover pocket and then all i have to do is attach contraption and not rails , it can be done , but just needs some thinking and engeniring
Click to expand...

A buddy of mine, handy with carpentry things, said he could make a rail set that sat inside the playing surface and was tensioned by ratcheting straps from beneath. It would reduce the playing surface sq", but he swears it is feasasble.

I decided to buy a pocketless table, myself!
 
Here is one way to do it. Originally made and sold by Brunswick.. The frames are made of cast iron.


Corner
Billiardplug001.jpg


Corner flipped
Billiardplug002.jpg


Side
Billiardplug003.jpg


Side flipped

Billiardplug004.jpg


I have other pictures that show the dimensions pretty well if you want to have a set made. I had to extend and weld the retaining pieces to fit the GC III

A few years ago at Valley Forge there was table mechanic / vendor who would make a set for you for several hundred dollars. Sorry but I don’t remember his name.

It is probably best to make your own as everything has to fit exact. You might find a set at some old time pool hall. That is where mine came from. It would have to be some place that dated to the 50s or before.

They worked well on my Cold Crown III until I reduced the pockets. About once per 50 shots you would hit a seam and throw the shot. For an average guy (like me) they are just fine.

BTW Brunswick might have a set some place in storage if you contacted them !
 
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Oh, what the heck, here are the photos with the dimensions.

P9230002.jpg


P9230003.jpg


A craftsman could use these to get a pretty good idea for the dimensions.

I am pretty sure I could make them from a couple of pieces of 1.5 - 2" angle iron and a welding torch. Might take a few days to make. The tough part is cutting the rails and allowing for the cloth. A little planning and they would not be difficult to make.

BTW you do not need to "raise" the rails. Play with billiard balls and the problem is solved.
 
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