Faster cloth on 7 footer

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westcoast

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a 7 footer in my garage that needs new cloth (I’ve had it for 9 years and it gets a lot of play).

I want somewhat faster cloth. I think I had simonis 860 put on originally- plays slower than a lot of tables I play outside of my house.

Is Simonis 760 advised for faster cloth?

Also, the cushions seem to be in good shape still. Is it common practice to get new cushions when getting new cloth? I’ve never had a table redone before so I have no previous experience
 
I have a 7 footer with 760 on it. It plays very fast and I constantly overshoot position. I don't hate it, but I'll be the first to admit that a bit slower cloth would probably be preferred for most people.
 
tomatoshooter said:
I believe 860HR is is faster than 860, but not as fast as 760.
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Ok. Thanks for the advice. I want to know what to ask for before I talk to the mechanic and this helps.

It is standard practice to get the cushions replaced when getting new cloth?
 
You might try Andy Cloth, pretty sure he's in the WY area/Saratoga?
Use this every yr for their Saratoga 8 ball event.
Keep in mind, some cloth/cushion set ups creates this.
Example, ball is rolling at 2mph, hits the cushion and comes off at 2mph +.
 
westcoast said:
Ok. Thanks for the advice. I want to know what to ask for before I talk to the mechanic and this helps.

It is standard practice to get the cushions replaced when getting new cloth?
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No, cushion rubber is generally good for 15-20 years, but in a non climate controlled room they could go bad sooner, and would certainly slow down your table speed.

You should be able to press your index fingertip into the cushion point every few inches around your entire table to check your cushions. If you can consistently press in the cushion 1/8 inch, they should still be good. If you find harder spots or softer mushy spots in the cushions, they need replacing.

You can also bounce a ball in to the cushion every few inches all the way around the table and listen to the sound consistency. A dead spot in the cushion will result in a completely different sound.

This can be a result of loose rail bolts, the cushion backing becoming unglued from the subrail in certain areas, or bad cushion rubber that needs replacing. A competent installer / mechanic should be able to let you know if you need new cushions, which will add significantly to your $ cost, but having it done when you are replacing the cloth is the best time to do it.

As far as cloth, I would choose Simonis 860 or 860HR.
 
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westcoast said:
I have a 7 footer in my garage that needs new cloth (I’ve had it for 9 years and it gets a lot of play).

I want somewhat faster cloth. I think I had simonis 860 put on originally- plays slower than a lot of tables I play outside of my house.

Is Simonis 760 advised for faster cloth?

Also, the cushions seem to be in good shape still. Is it common practice to get new cushions when getting new cloth? I’ve never had a table redone before so I have no previous experience
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760 is cloth for Carom Billiards. As another poster said above, it's too fast for pool, especially on a smaller table.
 
kling&allen said:
860HR is probably the most common cloth for bar boxes.

Unless there is damage to your table you shouldn’t need new rail cushions when replacing cloth.
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You must play in nicer bars than I do :)

I played a bit on a 7' Diamond with Predator cloth, this certainly seemed to be the faster grade, it was certainly playing very fast. I actually enjoyed it, even though I typically enjoy a little slower cloth. It wasn't too hard to hold back on my stroke and dial back the spin. It was fun seeing how a small stroke and one tip of English could move the cue ball effectively.On a 9' table, there's a part of me that thinks I need to blast the ball and load up with spin if I want it to last all the way to the other end of the table. It was easier for me to maintain a more delicate mindset on the small table.
 
Island Drive said:
You might try Andy Cloth, pretty sure he's in the WY area/Saratoga?
Use this every yr for their Saratoga 8 ball event.
Keep in mind, some cloth/cushion set ups creates this.
Example, ball is rolling at 2mph, hits the cushion and comes off at 2mph +.
Click to expand...
The ball cant rebound faster than it hits the rail, if it did you could hit the cue ball slightly harder than a lag and it would just bounce back and forth across the table without ever stopping. Imagine a 5 rail shot around the table, the cue ball would turn into a missle. 😲😲
 
I don't know, Bob Jewett may have feedback on this.
I know I've played enough that it's felt like some did NOT slow it down.
Dr. Dave also may have some info on cushion mixture/rebound.
 
MitchAlsup said:
Consider a ball rolling slowly but with lots of <outside> side spin, hee it very well might accelerate as it bounces off the rail by converting side spin into linear velocity.
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Yeah, I suppose that happens but that isn't really affected by the speed of the cloth or condition of the cushions, instead it is caused by the spin on the ball. I may be wrong but I didnt see that as being part of the discussion. :)
 
MitchAlsup said:
Consider a ball rolling slowly but with lots of <outside> side spin, hee it very well might accelerate as it bounces off the rail by converting side spin into linear velocity.
Click to expand...
That's a good point. I was thinking of a lot of backspin that catches when the ball contacts the rail. Your scenario is something that happens pretty regularly, mine is pretty unlikely except maybe a masse shot.

I think we are accustomed to seeing a ball rebound off a rail with a bit less speed than it came in with. If a rail is extra bouncy, the ball may come off faster than expected, appearing to gain speed.
 
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