Cushion Problems

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Didn't know where exactly to post this, but this seemed like somewhere to start. Last year I bought a new Brunswick Gibson 9' pool table for my home. It is the one that looks like a replica of the old Anniversary. It is a beautiful table and it is set up with 4.5" pockets, so it plays tough.

The problem is in the cushions. I like to play Banks and so I like a table where you can shoot all kinds of banks with accuracy. This is no problem on this table as long as you are shooting anywhere mid cushion (or more than 2-3 inches from a pocket). When you attempt a bank shot close to any pocket (like banking the ball off the rail, within an inch or so of the side pocket), the ball reverses. Meaning it does not take a true path. So some interesting Banks cannot be made on this table.

What's going on here? If the object ball must hit the cushion close to any pocket, the shot just can't be made. I'm very disappointed in the play of this table and wish I had my old Sport King back now. Any suggestions out there? Is it just bad rubber and maybe replacing with Artemis will cure it? Or is it a design flaw in the table construct?

I had the table recovered recently and the table mechanic attempted to fix the problem to no avail. His explanation had to do with the rubber Brunswick uses on all its table presently.

I am at my wits end and ready to sell this table and buy a new Diamond. The table is a beauty to look and is actually heavier than a Gold Crown.
 
jay helfert said:
Didn't know where exactly to post this, but this seemed like somewhere to start. Last year I bought a new Brunswick Gibson 9' pool table for my home. It is the one that looks like a replica of the old Anniversary. It is a beautiful table and it is set up with 4.5" pockets, so it plays tough.

The problem is in the cushions. I like to play Banks and so I like a table where you can shoot all kinds of banks with accuracy. This is no problem on this table as long as you are shooting anywhere mid cushion (or more than 2-3 inches from a pocket). When you attempt a bank shot close to any pocket (like banking the ball off the rail, within an inch or so of the side pocket), the ball reverses. Meaning it does not take a true path. So some interesting Banks cannot be made on this table.

What's going on here? If the object ball must hit the cushion close to any pocket, the shot just can't be made. I'm very disappointed in the play of this table and wish I had my old Sport King back now. Any suggestions out there? Is it just bad rubber and maybe replacing with Artemis will cure it? Or is it a design flaw in the table construct?

I had the table recovered recently and the table mechanic attempted to fix the problem to no avail. His explanation had to do with the rubber Brunswick uses on all its table presently.

I am at my wits end and ready to sell this table and buy a new Diamond. The table is a beauty to look and is actually heavier than a Gold Crown.


It's probably due to the shimmed pockets. Pocket angles are designed for a table and the table is built to those specs. There usualy is some degree of adjustment in the rails but for tight pockets the rails need shimmed and when shimmed the corners are very stiff and don't rebound correctly. Greg Sullivan was talking about this to us at the DCC this year. According to him, tables should not be shimmed to make them tighter as it not only makes the pocket smaller but also changes the angle of the pocket and the rebound of the area around it. Said this causes balls to come out of the pocket and banked balls behaving wrong.
Dick
 
You can fix it

You have to have the rails "re-worked" - it is a little costly but worth the money. If you are going to shim pockets - the shim interfiers with the true pocket angle and you get a dead spot. I am not sure where you live but if you contact Ernesto Dominguez he knows your problem and can suggest a table mechanic who know how to fix it. They guy in my arean knows how to do it but I live in Fort Worth.

Chris
 
Jay if you look at the new GC IV's cushions, they're profile even looks different than the old GC's.
They appear to be more rounded to me. They look like the old Murrey tables' cushion profile.
 
Table Cushions

On this same topic what would you guys reccomend for cushions if a guy was going to replace the cushions
GD
 
Thanks for the input. The cushions played funny even before we shimmed the pockets.
I will try to get Ernesto to come down and take a look.
 
Hey Jay,

Get rid of it and get a Diamond. As you are well aware, Brunswick has lived off their reputation without delivering a high quality product for quite some time. Diamond tables are becoming the new standard for various reasons (well deserved IMO). Their lighting and blue cloth are tops.

Martin

jay helfert said:
Thanks for the input. The cushions played funny even before we shimmed the pockets.
I will try to get Ernesto to come down and take a look.
 
Diamond vs. Gold Crown

jazznpool said:
Hey Jay,

Get rid of it and get a Diamond. As you are well aware, Brunswick has lived off their reputation without delivering a high quality product for quite some time. Diamond tables are becoming the new standard for various reasons (well deserved IMO). Their lighting and blue cloth are tops.

Martin

Tang plays here frequently. Others who have played on this table include Cliff, Hemmah and the Lizard (he hated it).
Tang is also lobbying me to get a Diamond. I'll give Ernesto a shot at it and then it's gone. C'est la vie to 5K. I'll be lucky to get half my money back.
 
jay helfert said:
Tang plays here frequently. Others who have played on this table include Cliff, Hemmah and the Lizard (he hated it).
Tang is also lobbying me to get a Diamond. I'll give Ernesto a shot at it and then it's gone. C'est la vie to 5K. I'll be lucky to get half my money back.

I left out Potier and Medina. Danny liked it, with the new tighter pockets.
By the way Danny got jumped two days ago in Vegas. They broke his jaw and stole his money. I'm going to post this info for players going to Binions in Vegas.
 
Where was he when the was robbed and assaulted? Sorry to hear anyone having to fade that.

Martin


jay helfert said:
I left out Potier and Medina. Danny liked it, with the new tighter pockets.
By the way Danny got jumped two days ago in Vegas. They broke his jaw and stole his money. I'm going to post this info for players going to Binions in Vegas.
 
Back
Top