flat spots on billiard balls

O

openminded

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Hi Mr. Smith, (Mr 3 Cushion)
I'm fairly new to posting on this forum or any other, but I thought that if any one would know an answer to this question, you would.
I've owned pro cup aramith billiard balls for some time and have noticed that as they have wore, they have not tracked as when new.
Is there any truth that these balls can get flat spots on themselves from impact hits and if so, can those flat spots be buffed out.
Also, what cleaner would you recommend for cleaning said balls.:smile:
 
I've heard it said that the earth, even with all its high mountain ranges and valleys is even more round proportionately than a billiard ball. Or so they say.
 
jimshovak said:
I've heard it said that the earth, even with all its high mountain ranges and valleys is even more round proportionately than a billiard ball. Or so they say.
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A new billiard ball is accurate in diameter to 0.001 inch and probably rounder than that. It has a diameter of about 2.420 inches for a roughness/diameter ratio of about 2400. Earth has a diameter of 8000 miles but it is out of round because it is flattened at the poles due to rotation. It is flattened by about 1 part in 300 or 8 parts in 2400, so it would tend to roll off a lot if used as a billiard ball -- kind of like ivories. As far as surface roughness, the earth has a lot of mountains about 4 miles high and some trenches in the oceans about 7 miles deep, for a total peak-to-trough variation of 11 in 8000 or about 1 in 800. Needs some time in the ball cleaner.
 
openminded said:
Hi Mr. Smith, (Mr 3 Cushion)
I'm fairly new to posting on this forum or any other, but I thought that if any one would know an answer to this question, you would.
I've owned pro cup aramith billiard balls for some time and have noticed that as they have wore, they have not tracked as when new.
Is there any truth that these balls can get flat spots on themselves from impact hits and if so, can those flat spots be buffed out.
Also, what cleaner would you recommend for cleaning said balls.:smile:
Click to expand...

Open; I'm not real sure about the flat spots with the measle balls; I can tell you this, I DON"T like them! The spotted balls are supposedly the same size and same weight as the previous balls, this may be TRUE, but, the material is different in that it is a denser, which makes the ball feel heavier when you strike it, this IMO!

The others who have replied would more knowledgeable about flat spots and how to eliminate this problem.

Regards;
Bill Smith "Mr3Cushion"
 
The owner of a place I play often showed me how he could place a ball on the table and it would settle onto a flat spot...on a measle.

We had a thread about it a few months ago...though nobody mentioned sanding 'em down in a polisher there.;)
 
Complicating the problem is the presence of counterfeit balls. At a BCA trade show a few years ago there was a vendor selling balls that looked just like Aramith spotted balls. They were $30/set.
 
mr3cushion said:
Open; I'm not real sure about the flat spots with the measle balls; I can tell you this, I DON"T like them! The spotted balls are supposedly the same size and same weight as the previous balls, this may be TRUE, but, the material is different in that it is a denser, which makes the ball feel heavier when you strike it, this IMO!

The others who have replied would more knowledgeable about flat spots and how to eliminate this problem.

Regards;
Bill Smith "Mr3Cushion"
Click to expand...

I have seen balls get deeply scratched or gouged after flying off of the table and hitting hard/abrasive surfaces. This is a time to get a new set of balls.
I have never heard about or experienced flat-spots on balls, measles or otherwise as a result of hitting each other and not being resilient enough.

It is impossible to be the same size and weight, but denser. I can see how two balls of the same size and weight might feel different if they were not both uniformly dense, however. I will note, that it does seem that the red spots on the cue balls are surface inlays - which I really want to assume have same material density as the rest of the ball. If they are not, then that might explain a few things.

The manufacturing tolerances of the Aramith balls is supposed to be within something like 1 or 2%. Other ball manufacturers like Vigma have comparable tolerances. Interestingly, I have noticed, in general, that the Aramith cue balls are slightly heavier than the red balls by about 1 gram.

Quality control aside, it is my personal belief that the advent of Aramith's spotted balls has contributed something to improve the general average of players. The positive value of having a visual indicator to reveal the intensity of spin on the ball can't be overstated. IMO, the benefit of this innovation alone eclipses many of the minor flaws of the modern ball.
 
Quality control aside, it is my personal belief that the advent of Aramith's spotted balls has contributed something to improve the general average of players. The positive value of having a visual indicator to reveal the intensity of spin on the ball can't be overstated. IMO, the benefit of this innovation alone eclipses many of the minor flaws of the modern ball.

I will agree with Ira about these balls being a better visual aid in applying effect to the cue ball and using the spots to make a more precise hit on the 1st object bal, eg... 1/4 ball, 1/3 ball. 3/4 ball and 1/8 ball hit. A 1/2 ball hit is the easiest to figure and purest form of a hit and carom!

If anyone is interested in learning, "The Half Ball Aiming System", here is a page from my boook/DVD set, View attachment The Half Ball Aiming System.pdf "The Consice Book of Position Play".

Bill Smith "Mr3Cushion"
 
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"Flat spots" on Aramith measle balls is a misnomer. Regarding the earth being round....well...let's just say the earth resembles my aging physique...bulging around the equator.
 
Bob Jewett said:
A new billiard ball is accurate in diameter to 0.001 inch and probably rounder than that. It has a diameter of about 2.420 inches for a roughness/diameter ratio of about 2400. Earth has a diameter of 8000 miles but it is out of round because it is flattened at the poles due to rotation. It is flattened by about 1 part in 300 or 8 parts in 2400, so it would tend to roll off a lot if used as a billiard ball -- kind of like ivories. As far as surface roughness, the earth has a lot of mountains about 4 miles high and some trenches in the oceans about 7 miles deep, for a total peak-to-trough variation of 11 in 8000 or about 1 in 800. Needs some time in the ball cleaner.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bob for dispelling this myth!!!
 
Thanks Bob

I don't know exactly what you said but I think the Earth aint as smooth as a baby's butt.

On another note. If Ira's observation is accurate then maybe there's a small difference in the red color than white and yellow. Red ball is same size but weighs a tiny bit less?
 
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