LF: Opinions on Olhausen Tables

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Gerry Williams

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am thinking of ditching my Black Crown for an Olhausen (Eclipse model). Just looking for some opinions on the product and the accu-fast rails.

All I have read is very positive. Ever heard they make the rails for Diamond tables that are used on tour.
 
Earl and John played on an olhausen champion pro in lincoln for their exhibition and said they loved the table. Earl told me he was surprised how well the balls came off the rails. They might know a little about table play, hope this helps.
 
Gerry Williams said:
I am thinking of ditching my Black Crown for an Olhausen (Eclipse model). Just looking for some opinions on the product and the accu-fast rails.

All I have read is very positive. Ever heard they make the rails for Diamond tables that are used on tour.
Click to expand...

One good thing about Olhausen's rails is that they have a lower overall height than other tables I've measured. The cushion nose is the same height (so they play the same in that respect), but the top surface of the cushion is more horizontal than on other tables, so it doesn't add as much height over the nose height (about 1/4" difference than other tables, I think), which means you can hit a cue ball that's frozen to the rail with your cue stick significantly more level - and that means less swerve with an offcenter hit.

I don't know if this is because the rubber has a different profile or because the facing of the wood backing it's glued onto is at a different angle (or both). I've wondered if the wood backing for any table could be modified so the facing that the rubber is glued to is at a different angle, but I don't know if this can be done and keep the nose at the same height, and anyway the top of the wide wooden part of the rail (where the diamonds are) would still be at the same height (higher than the cushion), which would negate the benefit. The top of the wooden part of Olhausen's rails are lower profile so you get the benefit of the lower cushion.

pj
chgo
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
One good thing about Olhausen's rails is that they have a lower overall height than other tables I've measured. The cushion nose is the same height (so they play the same in that respect), but the top surface of the cushion is more horizontal than on other tables, so it doesn't add as much height over the nose height (about 1/4" difference than other tables, I think), which means you can hit a cue ball that's frozen to the rail with your cue stick significantly more level - and that means less swerve with an offcenter hit.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Pat,
You are correct. Olhausen rails are 1 1/2" thick as opposed to the standard 1 3/4".
 
Gerry Williams said:
I am thinking of ditching my Black Crown for an Olhausen (Eclipse model). Just looking for some opinions on the product and the accu-fast rails.

All I have read is very positive. Ever heard they make the rails for Diamond tables that are used on tour.
Click to expand...

You maybe the only one I know that wants to go from a GC to and Olhausen table.
I could understand better if you were to go from a GC to a Diamond.

Keep what you have, but that's JMO.

Mark Gregory
 
PoolTable911 said:
Pat,
You are correct. Olhausen rails are 1 1/2" thick as opposed to the standard 1 3/4".
Click to expand...

I've always wondered why other manufacturers don't have lower rails - it seems like a clear playing advantage to me. Is there some disadvantage to lower rails (other than making "standard" rails more difficult for you because you're not used to them)?

pj
chgo
 
I have an Olhausen and it plays well. The rails play very well. If you get one make sure it is setup properly, that was my only complaint. The people doing the setup were not properly trained. The cut of the pockets can be a little frustrating too but over all I am pleased. While my next table will be either a GC or a Diamond in the garage. I will keep my Olhausen in the house.
 
I like my Olhausen Remington but I don't think I'd give up a Gold Crown for it.
 
Thanks for the feedback gang.

Black Crown's play ok - it is a commercial table so not much to look at but is just ok. I have read a lot of good things about Olhausen - they were the table of choice on tour I believe before Diamond.
 
I have an Olhausen oversize 8 foot table. It plays very nice. As mentioned the pocket cut is a little tough and set up is everything to the quality of play. My table was poorly installed by the people I purchased it from and had to be redone.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
I've always wondered why other manufacturers don't have lower rails - it seems like a clear playing advantage to me. Is there some disadvantage to lower rails (other than making "standard" rails more difficult for you because you're not used to them)?

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

I am currently in the process of replacing my 1 3/4" rails with 1 5/8" rails, for the reason that you describe. I will let you know if it actually makes a difference.

I believe that Real King Cobra has mentioned that 1 5/8 is as low as you can go with the k-66 profile. Any lower, and the ball will not rebound correctly. An exception is the Accufast cushion, which was designed with the intent of using a 1 1/2" rail core, but I don't think it is really a k-66 profile.

A thinner rail core will have lower mass. Does this make a difference? I don't really know. I have milled rails out of pine and poplar, and while I do detect a difference in the sound made, I can't say that the higher mass poplar actually plays any better, although certainly it is less likely to warp. If rail mass, as opposed to the solidness of it's attachment were a key factor, then I suppose highly dense synthetic materials like MDF would be preferable, a concept that would send pool table purists into a state of psychosis.

Number 6 on my list of things to this winter is to experiment with a flat-beveled cue tip for shooting off rails (wedge shaped). With a dime radius, the cue tip will strike the cue ball a few mm above the cushion, a situation that exists regardless of rail thickness. With a wedge, you could, in theory, impact the CB where it meets the cushion nose.

Finally, I believe some old-school shooters push down firmly with their bridge hand to compress the cushion to get a lower hit on the CB. I've tried this, but couldn't get it to work for me.
 
Gerry Williams said:
Thanks for the feedback gang.

Black Crown's play ok - it is a commercial table so not much to look at but is just ok. I have read a lot of good things about Olhausen - they were the table of choice on tour I believe before Diamond.
Click to expand...

I've never heard of Olhausen being the choice of tournament tables, certainly not over Gold Crowns. I don't understand why you want to switch unless you are looking for something "prettier". Your comment about the GC not being much to look at has me wondering.
 
Pushout said:
I've never heard of Olhausen being the choice of tournament tables, certainly not over Gold Crowns. I don't understand why you want to switch unless you are looking for something "prettier". Your comment about the GC not being much to look at has me wondering.
Click to expand...

PLease read the guys post. He said he has a black crown which is NOT
a GOLD crown!
 
What is the deal with how the pockets are cut on Olhausens? Particularly the Champion and Champion Pro?
 
Dead Money said:
What is the deal with how the pockets are cut on Olhausens? Particularly the Champion and Champion Pro?
Click to expand...

They will not allow a ball to rattle in. Quite the opposite, they seem to rattle out much more than any other table I have played on.

That said, I own an Olhausen and like the low profile rails. I just wish I had known about how the rail facings like to spit balls out. It makes it very frustrating to end a high run because a ball rattled knowing that it would have dropped just about anywhere else in Houston.
 
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