Cleaning balls: wtf happened?!

Something went haywire in the shipping process, but the cheap-O 8 ball finally arrived this afternoon.

I drew a smiley face (of sorts) on it, so it could be positively identified, and so it never gets mixed in with my Aramiths. It came wrapped securely in a plastic bag that clearly says "Made in China", on it. Here it is, ready for the big scientific experiment.
original.jpg


I first gave it a heavy, undiluted dose of Palmolive.
original.jpg


Next, I dropped it in the bucket, added some more dish soap, and turned the garden hose on it. The ball is completely submerged.
original.jpg


After about 20 minutes, I gave the ball a light scrubbing with a soft cloth, rinsed it throughly, and then dried it off.
original.jpg


It came out nice and clean, and looks fine to me. It isn't quite as shiny as when it first arrived, but then, who is after a nice bath in dish soap.

But I want to really put it through the wringer, so I dropped it back in the bucket of soapy water, and will leave it there for a few days, or even weeks, to see how it is affected. When I finally take it out, I'll hit it with some Aramith polish, and see how it looks.

So, my initial conclusion is that China makes a heck of an 8-ball. It seems to be totally unaffected by soap and water, at least in the short run. Oh the wonders of modern science.

No telling what will happen if I actually play pool with it, though.
 
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Banger said:
Something went haywire in the shipping process, but the cheap-O 8 ball finally arrived this afternoon.

I drew a smiley face (of sorts) on it, so it could be positively identified, and so it never gets mixed in with my Aramiths. It came wrapped securely in a plastic bag that clearly says "Made in China", on it. Here it is, ready for the big scientific experiment.
original.jpg


I first gave it a heavy, undiluted dose of Palmolive.
original.jpg


Next, I dropped it in the bucket, added some more dish soap, and turned the garden hose on it. The ball is completely submerged.
original.jpg


After about 20 minutes, I gave the ball a light scrubbing with a soft cloth, rinsed it throughly, and then dried it off.
original.jpg


It came out nice and clean, and looks fine to me. It isn't quite as shiny as when it first arrived, but then, who is after a nice bath in dish soap.

But I want to really put it through the wringer, so I dropped it back in the bucket of soapy water, and will leave it there for a few days, or even weeks, to see how it is affected. When I finally take it out, I'll hit it with some Aramith polish, and see how it looks.

So, my initial conclusion is that China makes a heck of an 8-ball. It seems to be totally unaffected by soap and water, at least in the short run. Oh the wonders of modern science.

No telling what will happen if I actually play pool with it, though.
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You sure it's made from phenolic resin and not polyester resin?
 
Banger said:
I never said it was made of phenolic resin. Check my post #46.
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The polyester resin will most likely react differently vs phenolic resin. Your experiment is entertaining but apples to oranges in the context of this thread.
 
The only thing I said, is that I was going to drop a cheap pool ball in soapy water, and see what happens. And that is exactly, what I did.

Where does the OP state that his ball was made from phenolic resin?
 
Success!

This:

_DSC5704.jpeg


plus this:

aramith_ball_restorer2.png


and this:

aramith_cleaner.png


equals this:


8-ball.jpeg


Verrr shiny. It took me 30 minutes to polish 6 balls, so not easy, but not too hard. After 6 balls, my hands were cramping, so I needed a break.

cleaned_balls.jpeg


I was able to get the balls shiny with just the Ball Restorer, but the Cleaner added another level of luster to the shine.

Thanks for the suggestion Bob.

smiley_8_ball.png
 
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bpeacock said:
I think this whole thread was just a setup to sell Aramith ball cleaner :)
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I cleaned pool balls using detergent for clothes and a worn 3M scouring pad. Although I recommend using Aramith ball cleaner or equivalent instead of what I did, still, my method seemed to do okay with the pool balls ---- maybe continued cleaning my way will result in noticeable damage. My pool balls were not affected like that described in this thread. See discussion of my results at Does cleaning pool balls with clothes detergent & 3-M Scotchbright green-side sponge damage the balls at link below

Paul_#_ said:
I followed Pappy Mike's YouTube instructions to clean pool balls with clothes detergent and the green side of a 3-M Scotchbright sponge.
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people buy balls all the time that look like those spoiled ones.

i still dont know why people look on the internet and use products just some random guy recommends and cant believe what happens.
 
maha said:
.... i still dont know why people look on the internet and use products just some random guy recommends and cant believe what happens.
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It wasn't some random guy. The site mentioned above -- Supreme Billiards -- was created by a guy who has been playing for over 10 years and his APA team went to Nationals. He's a 6. (Yeah, too much curiosity.)
 
thats a random internet player. nor someone who has a real store or is a known billiard supply, not just an internet site. which gives reviews and or instructions.

bob you are an internet professional who can give advice and expertise. not some weak player who hasnt been around the block. just because he set up an internet site selling products.
 
maha said:
thats a random internet player. nor someone who has a real store or is a known billiard supply, not just an internet site. which gives reviews and or instructions.

bob you are an internet professional who can give advice and expertise. not some weak player who hasnt been around the block. just because he set up an internet site selling products.
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Yes, I was trying to make a joke. "Damning by faint praise" is the expression. "APA 6". In my view, anyone who is an APA 6 after playing for ten years hasn't really played seriously.
 
Bob Jewett said:
It wasn't some random guy. The site mentioned above -- Supreme Billiards -- was created by a guy who has been playing for over 10 years and his APA team went to Nationals. He's a 6. (Yeah, too much curiosity.)
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Anyone who recommends water and detergent to clean pool balls is less than some random guy. You end up pretty far down the totem pole to reach that level of awareness.
 
1 okay the guy gives bad advice
2 its dumb to listen to internet advice from strangers
3 bob was joking and hard to tell from the post
 
maha said:
1 okay the guy gives bad advice
2 its dumb to listen to internet advice from strangers
3 bob was joking and hard to tell from the post
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Wait a minute, so everything I read on the interwebs is not true?????? Next your going to tell me that we live on a globe. I don't see no fricken curve, my 8" spirit level tells me the ground is level. I guess I will have to take an airline flight with my spirit level, if we live on a spinning ball the pilot will need to continuously dip the nose of the plane so we don't sail off to outer space. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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