New cushions Installed. Don't like the color, but that's what his wife wanted.
When recovering the ends of your rails, you need to pull the cloth back to the pocket iron mounting hole, and staple near there, that way, no wood or staples are visible to the customer. I can see the staples showing at the corner pockets in those pictures, not a good look, sorry, but that's just my opinion, you do what ever you want. Otherwise, your rail work looks real good.New cushions Installed. Don't like the color, but that's what his wife wanted.
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When recovering the ends of your rails, you need to pull the cloth back to the pocket iron mounting hole, and staple near there, that way, no wood or staples are visible to the customer. I can see the staples showing at the corner pockets in those pictures, not a good look, sorry, but that's just my opinion, you do what ever you want. Otherwise, your rail work looks real good.View attachment 688957
Count me in. I went from had no idea what/how a table should play, pocket sizes, etc to seek the experienced better known mechanics. Finding one is a separate issue but at least I have standard of what I want to own and to play on.If there's one thing I've noticed over the last 17 years posting on AZB, the members and lurkers here have learned to look for, and request references for better table mechanics, because they've all learned a lot right here, and KNOW the difference between a hack, and a real table mechanic!!
In the previous picture of the rail you would think one would ask themselves why the staples are so haphazardly laid out, why no pattern and why does the cloth look torn instead of cut with a sharp object?? I am not a house builder but if I walk into a house under construction and studs are not evenly spaced and parallel and drywall screws are not spaced evenly and straight I would certainly question the quality of the work being done. In almost every trade if the work looks nice it usually means the worker at least cares about the product he completes.There are still tons of people buying tables that wouldn't know hack work from excellent work. They put their trust in the "professional" they hired to do a professional job. It doesn't always work out though.
Laziness or the cost of retooling makes the endeavor undesirable.Here's something to think about. Take a look at how the pocket irons are bolted to the rails. If I can design that bolt up method better than the factory can, what's wrong with them doing the same thing I've done? My way allows the mechanic to get the pocket ear bolt started much easier, and allows for pushing, and holding the pocket in place before tightening the pocket bolt, that way it insures the pocket will fit with no gaps between the pocket and rail, and accounts for thicker leather being used on the pockets. My design makes the pockets adjustable, the factory design just gives you one way to get the bolts started, and they don't always line up with the threads in the pocket ears, making it almost impossible to get the bolt started, or causes the threads of the bolts to not line up with the threads in the pocket ear. Why don't table manufacturers think about improving their designs, instead of just producing the same thing year after year?
IMO it's because they don't need to do so to sell tables. They should, and they should care about making better products. They don't because the average Joe who is buying a pool table with a tax return, or the guy buying one with cloth matching the wife's taste in decor, which will hold nothing but laundry after the first 6 months, table tennis topper... they just don't care.Why don't table manufacturers think about improving their designs, instead of just producing the same thing year after year?
But selling points, vs the competition always win out, that's how tables are sold.IMO it's because they don't need to do so to sell tables. They should, and they should care about making better products. They don't because the average Joe who is buying a pool table with a tax return, or the guy buying one with cloth matching the wife's taste in decor, which will hold nothing but laundry after the first 6 months, table tennis topper... they just don't care.
Businesses say, "let's make a pretty cabinet that fits interior design taste. We'll use nice looking wood and carve the feet up real pretty." They tear apart a few tables (most likely furniture ones) and think they are pool table designers.
A business who makes pool tables for pool players or commercial usually seems to care and likes to innovate if they have the wherewithal to innovate. Most don't. They need people in the industry who brainstorm pool and have new ideas pop into their head in the middle of the night or while in the shower or on the john. I'm guessing you could count the number of folks in the entire US like that on one hand.
Most people don't run like this. You either do or you don't.
Business people run businesses. Some run them quite well, but unless they are for some reason passionate about pool and pool table design, they are just going to re-hash tired old designs and make stuff as cheaply as they can. There is a reason Diamond has close to a year waiting list and other manufacturers don't. They innovate. They are smart enough to hire someone with passion and experience to explain how to build a table properly. They came from nowhere and now easily dominate the upscale commercial environment, because of innovation and actually giving a damn.
Not entirely related:
How many years has Olhausen had wonky pockets? How on earth do they not see they are being laughed at in most of the pool world. I know a couple great players, gamblers too, who will not play a money match on an Olhausen. This is bad for business. They are built well for what they are, but my goodness, a couple degree different pocket cut and some nicer facing material would make them as good as any table in their demographic. Add fricking $10 to the cost and they go from junk to nice furniture/residential table. Why oh why would you care enough to produce a table in the USA and have garbage pocket geometry? How can they go for decades with such a glaring flaw? Change the frickin angle on the chop saw dummys!![]()
Must be the motto at Olhausen and their corner pockets.Laziness or the cost of retooling makes the endeavor undesirable.
Sorry i haven't got back sooner. Ton of cue work. The bottom pic shows a difference where it's bare, and the top pic shows felt stapled all the way around. So the rails in the bottom pic would sit lower?Ok
Ok, Valley rails can change the way they play from one mechanic to the next, depending on a lot of outside factors that have nothing to so with the design build of the Valley table. But if we just take a look at the cushions, and the right, and WRONG way to recover them, that's a good starting point.
What's the difference in how the cloth is installed on these 2 different sets of Valley rails?
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I'll look again. Maybe i misread the ruler. Sorry for the late reply, and thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.Unless your Diamond has had the cushions changed, all Diamond rails are made in the same molder, so all share the same nose height, meaning if your nose height is at 1 3/8", then ALL Diamonds would have a nose height the same, but they're set at 1 7/16" and rail nose heights are not something you can adjust, without first changing the bevel the cushions are glued to.
Wont it sit uneven because the staples are not in?Would you hire this table mechanic, if he showed you these pictures of his work??View attachment 688868View attachment 688869View attachment 688868View attachment 688869
Can you cut away most of the folds to make it lay better, or should you start over?The cloth at the bottom of the rail is trimmed on the bottom instead of the back. This will drop the nose height.
I just recently came across the opposite on a slate mounted rail...
The cloth wasn't trimmed into the cloth relief. The folds made it worse. Raised the nose too high.
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The problem with not wrapping the rail cloth around the back side under the rail block, is that it makes the nose height sit lower. The cloth needs to be equally spacing the rail block to the rail cap. I come across so many Valley style rails recovered like the ones in the bottom picture it's a joke. A lot of installers like to claim they do the no fold side pockets, because that's how the rails come from the factory, will, ok, to each their own, BUT if they paid a little bit MORE attention, they would have also noticed, the rail cloth from the factory was also wrapped around the back of the rail block behind the TOP and BOTTOM of the rails too!!! NOT cut off flush with the bottom of the rails causing the nose to tilt down, and balls to hopp!!!Can you cut away most of the folds to make it lay better, or should you start over?
The red cloth was not my work. If you trim the folds, there might not be enough cloth left to properly hold.Can you cut away most of the folds to make it lay better, or should you start over?
That makes so much sense, but wouldn't they know it was off when they measured the rail height?The problem with not wrapping the rail cloth around the back side under the rail block, is that it makes the nose height sit lower. The cloth needs to be equally spacing the rail block to the rail cap. I come across so many Valley style rails recovered like the ones in the bottom picture it's a joke. A lot of installers like to claim they do the no fold side pockets, because that's how the rails come from the factory, will, ok, to each their own, BUT if they paid a little bit MORE attention, they would have also noticed, the rail cloth from the factory was also wrapped around the back of the rail block behind the TOP and BOTTOM of the rails too!!! NOT cut off flush with the bottom of the rails causing the nose to tilt down, and balls to hopp!!!
My fault, hard to see with the measure i had, and these old eyes. 1 7/16. Thanks!Unless your Diamond has had the cushions changed, all Diamond rails are made in the same molder, so all share the same nose height, meaning if your nose height is at 1 3/8", then ALL Diamonds would have a nose height the same, but they're set at 1 7/16" and rail nose heights are not something you can adjust, without first changing the bevel the cushions are glued to.
My fault, hard to see with the measure i had, and these old eyes. 1 7/16. Thanks!