How can I make my table play faster

realkingcobra said:
I have a Saunier Wilhem 9ft in my shop in WA I was working on before I took off for a break in CA. Good luck changing out them cushions with the fir sub-rails, and installing K66 cushions on the 1 3/4" sub-rails. It's not a bad table, it's OK, but it's not even in the same ball park as a GC. But, if the right mechanic were to work on the rails and install the correct K55 cushions, the speed of the rails would be that of a GC or Diamond rebuilt. Contact Mark Gregory to see about doing you some rail work.
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So if the right mechanic can make rail speed on his Saunier-Williams table equal to that of a Gold Crown or a Diamond, and the cloth on his 1 inch slate is installed properly, and he's given pro-cut pockets, is his table now " in the same ballpark" as a Gold Crown or a Diamond.

What other playing characteristics, at this point, do the Diamomd the Gold Crown possess which
separate it from the Saunier-Williams. Are you saying that that the Gold Crowns and the Diamonds are superior to other tables if set up strictly according to their respective manuals, but the right mechanic can make a Suanier -Williams equal to that of Gold Crown or Diamond which is set up strictly by the manual?

Are you saying if the right mechanic set up both tables, both tables would be of the same quality; or are you saying that if the right mechanic set up both tables, the Saunier Williams would be a fine table, but still not in the same ballpark with the Gold Crown or the Diamond.

All I know is, I just purchased a used, mint condition Gold Crown IV with drop pockets for $2300. I've read in the mechanics forum who the best mechanic is in Chicago and I'm gonna hire him.
 
His Boy Elroy said:
So if the right mechanic can make rail speed on his Saunier-Williams table equal to that of a Gold Crown or a Diamond, and the cloth on his 1 inch slate is installed properly, and he's given pro-cut pockets, is his table now " in the same ballpark" as a Gold Crown or a Diamond.

What other playing characteristics, at this point, do the Diamomd the Gold Crown possess which
separate it from the Saunier-Williams. Are you saying that that the Gold Crowns and the Diamonds are superior to other tables if set up strictly according to their respective manuals, but the right mechanic can make a Suanier -Williams equal to that of Gold Crown or Diamond which is set up strictly by the manual?

Are you saying if the right mechanic set up both tables, both tables would be of the same quality; or are you saying that if the right mechanic set up both tables, the Saunier Williams would be a fine table, but still not in the same ballpark with the Gold Crown or the Diamond.

All I know is, I just purchased a used, mint condition Gold Crown IV with drop pockets for $2300. I've read in the mechanics forum who the best mechanic is in Chicago and I'm gonna hire him.
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There's such differences as the materials used to build the rails, Fir vs butcher block Oak for example. The GG frame to mount the slates to is about twice the material and size vs the Suanier -Williamham table. GC4's use a hardwood rail design which is way more stronger than the Fir rails used by the Suaneir-Williamhan table as well. So, yes there is differences in the build of the tables, but never-the-less...no matter what table a person buys, the playability can be either brought out to play great, or brought down to play like shit....that REALLY depends on who does the work on the table, and Jerimy Chambers is one of the mechanic's that can bring a table up to it's best play ability for sure. I've said before, there is no such thing as a bad GC, and today, the best tables on the market are the Diamond's and Gold Crowns, but either brand can have a horrible past before you buy one, it all depends on who's been working on them during their usage along the way.

Glen
 
Kevin,

How many rails can u make when u do a "bank round the table" test on ur table (use low running English and hit it hard - dont count the result if the ball Jumps or hops though) if u get at least 7 rails ur rubber is prolly fine ?

How many rails can u make when u do a "hit up and down the table" test ? If u get less than 4 rails then maybe u need new rubber. If u get 4 or 4.5 rails then new rubber prolly won't be any better ?

How fast does ur cloth measure ? (cloth speed test) 7 seconds for a 9 foot table ?

If u do get ur rails re-done - I hope they seem faster to you. (note down test data before & after for confirmation of improvement maybe ??)

edit: check if ur rail bolts are still tight ?

Cheers.
 
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realkingcobra said:
There's such differences as the materials used to build the rails, Fir vs butcher block Oak for example. The GG frame to mount the slates to is about twice the material and size vs the Suanier -Williamham table. GC4's use a hardwood rail design which is way more stronger than the Fir rails used by the Suaneir-Williamhan table as well. So, yes there is differences in the build of the tables, but never-the-less...no matter what table a person buys, the playability can be either brought out to play great, or brought down to play like shit....that REALLY depends on who does the work on the table, and Jerimy Chambers is one of the mechanic's that can bring a table up to it's best play ability for sure. I've said before, there is no such thing as a bad GC, and today, the best tables on the market are the Diamond's and Gold Crowns, but either brand can have a horrible past before you buy one, it all depends on who's been working on them during their usage along the way.

Glen
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Thanks; and Jerimy Chambers is the mechanic I'm referring to.
 
put a table heating system in it and or have the cloth restretched. , my table was in the garage inmoregon shere its cold. ustream name was horsetoothedjac. you can see it plays fast even tho its co
ld in oregon
 
00john said:
put a table heating system in it and or have the cloth restretched. , my table was in the garage inmoregon shere its cold. ustream name was horsetoothedjac. you can see it plays fast even tho its co
ld in oregon
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I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to figure out what you're trying to say...I'm a little lost on the spelling:confused:
 
realkingcobra said:
Billiard tables use heat to keep the cloth warmer than the air temprature to keep the humidity out of the cloth, which is friction against the billiard balls which can effect the game.
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Thanks Glen, didn't know they were talking about a 3C table when I heard them talking.--Smitty
 
My previous post was unintelligible. I built a table heating system which I installed in the cabinet of my Gold Crown 1. The system kept the table warm and dry. I had the table in my finished garage in Oregon. Perhaps your cloth needs to be re-stretched as well? I have video on ustream under the name horsetoothedjac if you want to check out how fast my table was? good luck
 
GC frame

I have a Saunier-Wilhelm also. I recently read a post about one of these tables and RKC commented that the frame was no where near what the Diamond and Gold Crown's were. I had heard they were pretty solid tables and I was bummed!

I found this site http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/billiards.htm#tables
(hopefully the link works) if not, it is "Wayne Schmidt's Billiard Page"
He bought a Gold Crown IV to replace his Olhausen.

It has some great pics of the Gold Crown frame and it is ridiculously more beefier! I assume the Diamond is at least similar.

The S/W table is better than the Olhausen furniture table with the particle board and staples, but again no where near the Gold Crown.

And for sure, without actually replacing things, clean balls and clean cloth should definitely speed things up.

Good Luck!

John
 
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My mechanic was here this morning to go over the table. Just as I thought the cloth is still as tight and clean as the day it was installed so that is not the problem.

He did feel as though the rail rubber was probably made by a company called Raybestos which he feels is the original gum rubber that was from when the table was built. He feels as if this original rubber is better than the modern day rubber that they now use. He said he could certainly put new rubber on but doesn't feel it would be worth the cost for the potentially insignificent difference in overall speed.

I think at this point I will leave the table as is and play on it often and try to wear out the cloth and then the next time around install 760 and then possible new rail rubber. Hard to spend another 600 to have new cloth put on now when my 860 is still like new.
 
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