Ok, I've read about diamondizing a table in another thread to a small degree. But since i've already got one of the ultimate tables - that being a Gold Crown IV - it got me to thinking about some things. So, i thought i'd start a discussion of this topic. here goes......
1) Why would i want to change a Gold Crown when tons and tons of major championships were played on it for 30+ years and its still considered either the best or 2nd best table out there?
Diamond tables have been taking over the tournaments here in the US for many years now, just look at every major tournament held here and ask yourself which tables are being played on. I'm not knocking Brunswick...but Brunswick has failed to evolve with the stricter demands of the pool players today, so much so that they didn't even come out with a tighter pocket by extending the sub-rails until the GC5...and even then it's set at 4 9/16" openings. The GC4 tournament edition used thicker facings in an attempt to tighten the pockets. My buddy Mark Gregory is the table mechanic that designed the GC5 pockets for Brunswick...so I know what I'm talking about here. What somebody did in the past, has nothing to do with what they're doing today. Brunswick LET Diamond get into business 25 years ago...by doing nothing to make their tables play better, in order to stop Diamond from trying to make a better playing table, that's Brunswick's bad business decisions...not Diamond's. This is the very reason Brunswick's resale value is so low, and why Diamond's is so high...it's called customer demand, the more something is wanted...the more it's going to cost. Ever tried looking for a used Diamond 9ft ProAm?...you'll come across 1,000 GC's before one ProAm, and if you FIND that ProAm....it's not going to be priced cheap like a GC.
2) What would be done to a Gold Crown IV if it were diamondized?
First of all, the rails would have to be calibrated to have the exact same thickness at the top edge of the sub-rail where the cushions line up at the down angle bevel, as different thickness rails are going to give you different nose heights of the cushions. I'm not going to give exact numbers, but there is an exact sub-rail thickness that is needed in order to align body of the cushion in proportion to the nose of the cushion when the nose height is set at 1 7/16"...and Brunswick rails are missing the sub-rail thickness mark by a mile, which effects the play of the cushions and the alignment of the nose of the cushions.
Then the cushions would have to be replaced with the Artemis Intercontinental K55 cushions, because these are the only cushions made that'll cross breed the table with the banking of a billiards table...with pockets. I can not describe how a table plays when this is done right....other than to call it a billiards table with pockets....it's something you have to see for yourself.
Then the pocket miters have to be corrected to 141 degrees, because with the 4 1/2" pockets, you want the pocket angles to deflect the balls being pocketed at pocket speed a little deeper in the jaws of the pocket instead of rattling the balls out if they're hit good. Some people would believe that making the pocket angles parallel to each other then tightening the pockets to 4" makes them play harder...wrong answer, as all that does is make the target smaller...but have a straight hallway so to speak for the balls to shoot right through, meaning either you're in...or your out....because there is no rattle of the pocket...so in that case, you have to focus all your attention on the smaller target if you don't want to miss the shot...and shoot your next shot basically from where you land the cue ball....because to combine position play with 4" pockets...is a stroke of luck in most cases.
3) What are the costs? how long does it take? can it be done at my home?
Depending on the rails and the condition they're in, plus cushions, cloth, leveling the slates...and fixing any thing else that can be fixed...like the frame rails on your GC4 from sagging...in the neighbor hood of about $1,500 to $2,000. It can take anywhere from 2 days...to a week, and yes...I always do my work at the customers home.
4) Does diamondizing a Gold Crown IV actually make it play better? or just play different?
Better and different....wouldn't that be about the same, because if the table played better than any table you've ever played on...wouldn't that be different?
Glen
