Improving home table quality & specs

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sorin

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Last year I was finally able to put an 8ft table at home in my man cave. Didn't have the space for a 9ft unfortunately. I bought a new table from a local supplier (I live in London) and I like it but it is a standard table, none of the big names. It also has standard size pockets 4.5 inch. I go to a club once in a while and play in a torunament but recently they changed all the american tables with Diamonds, very beautiful and top quality tables and the pockets are smaller, they said 4.25 but I swear they felt smaller. When I first played on the club table I had some trouble adjusting and conceded at least 3 racks because of this, rattled some balls trying to cheat the pocket a little.

I was wondering if it is possible to modify the pocket size retroactively on a table but was wondering if it would make a difference if I would replace the rails with whatever rails the Diamond tables use? The cloth would be an obvious improvement as it seems the one I have by default is quite slower than the Simonis at the club.

Thank you!
 
sorin said:
Last year I was finally able to put an 8ft table at home in my man cave. Didn't have the space for a 9ft unfortunately. I bought a new table from a local supplier (I live in London) and I like it but it is a standard table, none of the big names. It also has standard size pockets 4.5 inch. I go to a club once in a while and play in a torunament but recently they changed all the american tables with Diamonds, very beautiful and top quality tables and the pockets are smaller, they said 4.25 but I swear they felt smaller. When I first played on the club table I had some trouble adjusting and conceded at least 3 racks because of this, rattled some balls trying to cheat the pocket a little.

I was wondering if it is possible to modify the pocket size retroactively on a table but was wondering if it would make a difference if I would replace the rails with whatever rails the Diamond tables use? The cloth would be an obvious improvement as it seems the one I have by default is quite slower than the Simonis at the club.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Two ways, one cheap/easy the other probably not doable in your area. You can stack shims to tighten pockets(cheap) or lengthen the subrails(expensive). You can shim from 5" to 4.5" pretty easily. Would not go any smaller.
 
sorin said:
Last year I was finally able to put an 8ft table at home in my man cave. Didn't have the space for a 9ft unfortunately. I bought a new table from a local supplier (I live in London) and I like it but it is a standard table, none of the big names. It also has standard size pockets 4.5 inch. I go to a club once in a while and play in a torunament but recently they changed all the american tables with Diamonds, very beautiful and top quality tables and the pockets are smaller, they said 4.25 but I swear they felt smaller. When I first played on the club table I had some trouble adjusting and conceded at least 3 racks because of this, rattled some balls trying to cheat the pocket a little.

I was wondering if it is possible to modify the pocket size retroactively on a table but was wondering if it would make a difference if I would replace the rails with whatever rails the Diamond tables use? The cloth would be an obvious improvement as it seems the one I have by default is quite slower than the Simonis at the club.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Just don’t try to cheat the pockets when you go out and play on the tighter pockets! Shoot for center pocket on all shots. Also, if your home table is a standard home table and not a diamond, it’s very likely it has 5 inch pockets, not 4 1/2 inch pockets. I assume you know how to properly measure the mouth of a Corner Pocket?
 
garczar said:
Two ways, one cheap/easy the other probably not doable in your area. You can stack shims to tighten pockets(cheap) or lengthen the subrails(expensive). You can shim from 5" to 4.5" pretty easily. Would not go any smaller.
Click to expand...
Thanks. table already has 4.5inch pockets but wanted to go to 4.25 to be exactly like the ones at the club I am playing at.
 
sorin said:
Thanks. table already has 4.5inch pockets but wanted to go to 4.25 to be exactly like the ones at the club I am playing at.
Click to expand...
Have you measured? Standard corner pocket on home tables is almost always 5". If yours are 4.5 they may have already been shimmed. Won't know til cloth is off. If they've been shimmed already i would not shim further. Table will play like shit.
 
sorin said:
Last year I was finally able to put an 8ft table at home in my man cave. Didn't have the space for a 9ft unfortunately. I bought a new table from a local supplier (I live in London) and I like it but it is a standard table, none of the big names. It also has standard size pockets 4.5 inch. I go to a club once in a while and play in a torunament but recently they changed all the american tables with Diamonds, very beautiful and top quality tables and the pockets are smaller, they said 4.25 but I swear they felt smaller. When I first played on the club table I had some trouble adjusting and conceded at least 3 racks because of this, rattled some balls trying to cheat the pocket a little.

I was wondering if it is possible to modify the pocket size retroactively on a table but was wondering if it would make a difference if I would replace the rails with whatever rails the Diamond tables use? The cloth would be an obvious improvement as it seems the one I have by default is quite slower than the Simonis at the club.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Find a good local table mechanic. Most likely your table can’t be retrofitted with the cushions or rails used by Diamond. But a good mechanic can certainly shim your pockets to reduce them to 4.25 and put on faster cloth.

You might post this question in the ask a table mechanic forum along with the brand of your table for more accurate answers.

For what it’s worth I had a mechanic do this to my home table and it was the best money I ever spent.
 
I measured the mouth size (term used in Dr Dave's video for determining table difficulty) and it is 4.5inch. I don't think any new tables have 5inch pockets anymore, I never seen one in clubs where I am from but might be.
 
You can't make your pockets play like Diamond's, even if you made them 4" at the mouth. The reason is the slate cut on the Diamond is significantly deeper than other tables. That's one reason the balls rattle more on Diamonds. The second reason is the angle of the pocket facings. It's more of a wedge on Diamonds, yet more parallel on home tables. Valley bar table actually go in the other direction are are obtuse angles. They are the easiest pockets.

My "2 cent" advice is it does not matter, and you can train to be a very good player on any table. The key is to hit the pocket facing clean. Do not rub the rail on the way in. If you rub the rail, consider it a miss, and replay the shot. If you can consistently do this, you will run racks on a Diamond.
 
The OP lives in London so i doubt there many if any mechanics that do pool table rail mods. If the table is already 4.5 i would mess with it. Not that much diff. in 4.5 and 4.25 as far as playing goes. You'll never re-create a Diamond so why worry about it. If you pocket balls well on it a 4.25 Diamond won't be a big deal.
 
If they make pool tables cheaper, more engineers can modify it.

Do it in stages, for the engineers to know what the focus on to give feedback.

Providing information and specs can help. Its a table not obfuscation device.
 
justnum said:
If they make pool tables cheaper, more engineers can modify it.

Do it in stages, for the engineers to know what the focus on to give feedback.

Providing information and specs can help. Its a table not obfuscation device.
Click to expand...
What?? English, do you speak it??
 
fastone371 said:
What?? English, do you speak it??
Click to expand...

Its called the Antiques market.

There are many old tables.

Start the junkyard walls. Start a whole table modifications community like they do with online gaming mods.

Most people have tools to cut their table and frankenstein it. Table restorers and Table modders. Send magazines and post on social media.

I could only afford one table. That is why I never took it apart. all my electronics I took apart including soft, mid and hard, down to the processor and battery supply.

If you want gadgets on the table it could create for some interesting situations to watch in a casino floor. Analytics is always interested in selling more info.

Find ways to include electronics and store data for future tech. Then tech can support you because of the supply trade.

What did you do in 101?

Call the high end tech people and say this is what we want, can you do this?

Then they say pay us some money for an estimate. Then you say sure here is what we want after the first estimate.
 
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