Looking for some sub rail angle advice

MISteve

New member
Got a pool table, All American Recreation in Minnesota (probably some house brand). They have been no help. (No surprise) Need to change cushions, but it appears the cushions may be incorrect. The nose center height is 1 1/2 inches as it is now (the rails bow up about .04 near each pocket, but I've got an idea how to correct that). The cushion cut angle is 23.5 degrees. (Took one to work and used the CMM) The width of the cushion mounting flat on the rail is 1 3/16. The sub rail height is 1 11/16 (from table to top of rail nearest cushion). The cushions on it now are K66 profile. Before disassembly, I measured the playing surface, cushion to cushion, and it was 46 inches x 92 inches. I believe the K66 is correct, but before buying cushions, I'd like to make sure. (and find out if the 23.5 degrees is correct) Also if the 23.5 degrees is correct, what would the ideal nose centerline height be? The table was almost free, but I had to rebuild the frame, so now it's a project. LOL Gonna have some more questions later, I'm sure. BTW, it's gonna be a garage table, not trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
 
Got a pool table, All American Recreation in Minnesota (probably some house brand). They have been no help. (No surprise) Need to change cushions, but it appears the cushions may be incorrect. The nose center height is 1 1/2 inches as it is now (the rails bow up about .04 near each pocket, but I've got an idea how to correct that). The cushion cut angle is 23.5 degrees. (Took one to work and used the CMM) The width of the cushion mounting flat on the rail is 1 3/16. The sub rail height is 1 11/16 (from table to top of rail nearest cushion). The cushions on it now are K66 profile. Before disassembly, I measured the playing surface, cushion to cushion, and it was 46 inches x 92 inches. I believe the K66 is correct, but before buying cushions, I'd like to make sure. (and find out if the 23.5 degrees is correct) Also if the 23.5 degrees is correct, what would the ideal nose centerline height be? The table was almost free, but I had to rebuild the frame, so now it's a project. LOL Gonna have some more questions later, I'm sure. BTW, it's gonna be a garage table, not trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Install K55 cushions
 
Got a pool table, All American Recreation in Minnesota (probably some house brand). They have been no help. (No surprise) Need to change cushions, but it appears the cushions may be incorrect. The nose center height is 1 1/2 inches as it is now (the rails bow up about .04 near each pocket, but I've got an idea how to correct that). The cushion cut angle is 23.5 degrees. (Took one to work and used the CMM) The width of the cushion mounting flat on the rail is 1 3/16. The sub rail height is 1 11/16 (from table to top of rail nearest cushion). The cushions on it now are K66 profile. Before disassembly, I measured the playing surface, cushion to cushion, and it was 46 inches x 92 inches. I believe the K66 is correct, but before buying cushions, I'd like to make sure. (and find out if the 23.5 degrees is correct) Also if the 23.5 degrees is correct, what would the ideal nose centerline height be? The table was almost free, but I had to rebuild the frame, so now it's a project. LOL Gonna have some more questions later, I'm sure. BTW, it's gonna be a garage table, not trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Was that 46" x 92" cushion nose to cushion nose???
 
Install K55 cushions
Made a drawing of the rail plus cushion. (rail.png) Does it look like it will work? Used a piece of the old rubber and CMM'd it at work.
rail.png
Found out the reason nose height was too high. See picture attached (bad job.png).
bad job.png
 
Made a drawing of the rail plus cushion. (rail.png) Does it look like it will work? Used a piece of the old rubber and CMM'd it at work.View attachment 762640 Found out the reason nose height was too high. See picture attached (bad job.png).View attachment 762641
If you don't want to take my advice, that's fine with me. But if you think the reason the nose height is to high because of the threaded insert being pulled out a little, you're wrong! The insert was over tightened and because of that, it was pulled down INTO the rail bolt hole going through the slate, which is why the wood breakage us contained to right around the insert itself, and who ever installed the cloth on that rail overstretched it and left dimples in the nose of the cushions and stretch shadows in the cloth under the nose of the cushions. Each dimple in the nose of the cushion can be traced back to the staple holding the cloth to tight. You DON'T staple in line with the stretch of the cloth, you place the staples an inch away from the stretch.
 
If you don't want to take my advice, that's fine with me. But if you think the reason the nose height is to high because of the threaded insert being pulled out a little, you're wrong! The insert was over tightened and because of that, it was pulled down INTO the rail bolt hole going through the slate, which is why the wood breakage us contained to right around the insert itself, and who ever installed the cloth on that rail overstretched it and left dimples in the nose of the cushions and stretch shadows in the cloth under the nose of the cushions. Each dimple in the nose of the cushion can be traced back to the staple holding the cloth to tight. You DON'T staple in line with the stretch of the cloth, you place the staples an inch away from the stretch.
 
I should have specified that I was more looking at the cloth not being trimmed and it was underneath the rail mounting surface. I am aware that the rail mounting bolt was over tightened. I'm going to fix that issue. After removing the cloth, and bolting the rail back down, my nose center line came back down to within 1/64 of my drawing. Does the drawing look like it is correct for a K66 cushion on a 1-11/16 rail? If not, why? The table played okay, just not much rebound. Cushions were dry, and cracked when flexed.
 
I should have specified that I was more looking at the cloth not being trimmed and it was underneath the rail mounting surface. I am aware that the rail mounting bolt was over tightened. I'm going to fix that issue. After removing the cloth, and bolting the rail back down, my nose center line came back down to within 1/64 of my drawing. Does the drawing look like it is correct for a K66 cushion on a 1-11/16 rail? If not, why? The table played okay, just not much rebound. Cushions were dry, and cracked when flexed.
23.5 bevel is what's required on rails 1 11/16" thick to set the nose height of K55 cushions at 1 27/64ths. K66 cushions mounted on those dimensions sets the nose height higher, because they don't share the same nose height on a 23.5 subrail bevel.
 
I should have specified that I was more looking at the cloth not being trimmed and it was underneath the rail mounting surface. I am aware that the rail mounting bolt was over tightened. I'm going to fix that issue. After removing the cloth, and bolting the rail back down, my nose center line came back down to within 1/64 of my drawing. Does the drawing look like it is correct for a K66 cushion on a 1-11/16 rail? If not, why? The table played okay, just not much rebound. Cushions were dry, and cracked when flexed.
Brunswick GC sub rails are 1 11/16" thick, the bevel is 23.5 degrees, the cushions are K55, nose height is 1 27/64"s. If replaced with K66, the nose height is almost an 1/8" higher, causing the balls to get pinched under the nose, making them play very slow, effects the banks as well.
 
23.5 bevel is what's required on rails 1 11/16" thick to set the nose height of K55 cushions at 1 27/64ths. K66 cushions mounted on those dimensions sets the nose height higher, because they don't share the same nose height on a 23.5 subrail bevel.
Thank you. Will the K55 overhang at the bottom of my existing 1-3/16 width rail be too much, or should I extend it? I can glue on a 2.5mm (.100
') thick strip on the underside, and plane it to match the rail angle.
K55 mod.png


I don't have the equipment to cut the rails back to widen the mounting surface.
 
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Looks like proper specs for K55 cushions. Why are you hell bent on K66?
Not hell bent. As I believe this cheap table's rails have never been modified, the 1-3/16 mounting width matches K66, and it had K66 cushions on it. From what I could find, K55 rails have a mounting surface width of 1-9/32 to 1-5/16, depending on the internet source. So just wondering why the rails are cut for K55 at 23.5 degrees, but the mounting width is too narrow for K55.
 
Thank you. Will the K55 overhang at the bottom of my existing 1-3/16 width rail be too much, or should I extend it? I can glue on a 1/8 thick strip on the underside, and plane it to match the rail angle. I don't have the equipment to cut the rails back to widen the mounting surface. Or as a hack, can I trim the bottom of the cushion after mounting on the existing 1-3/16 surface.
Are the cushions on your rails original? Because if they are, the manufacturer built the rails wrong in the first place if they have K66 cushions on them. What is leading you to believe the cushions are K66.
 
Are the cushions on your rails original? Because if they are, the manufacturer built the rails wrong in the first place if they have K66 cushions on them. What is leading you to believe the cushions are K66.
Not sure if they are original. The mounting surface width of the cushion is 1-3/16 which pretty much matches K66 width.
width.jpg


And the cushion to cushion dimensions at 46" x 92" exactly match an 8 ft. oversize table. Any thing I could find on K55 cushions shows their mounting surface width to be much wider. "the manufacturer built the rails wrong in the first place" I am starting to believe this. I believe my only option to make it right (within my budget and tooling means) is to extend the mounting surface to use K55 cushions. I have some 2.5 mm thick panelboard I could use to get the width correct for K55 cushions. See drawing. It'll probably change my playing area slightly, but at this point, I'm willing to accept it just to get this done. Sure would be nice if it was possible to find factory dimensioned cross section drawings of the different profiles. Thankfully this forum exists to ask questions and get help.

K55 mod.png
 
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Easier said than done in my neck of the woods. You got a chunk you are willing to send me? I'll prepay postage to you with PayPal.
A lot of table manufacturers don't actually know how to build pool tables to play right, because they're more cabinet makers than pool table manufacturers. Kind of like monkey see, monkey do manufacturers. They copy some of the dimensions from other tables and just accept that's how tables are supposed to be built, but then they change or add things that didn't come from the examples they copied, like the cushions for example.
 
Not sure if they are original. The mounting surface width of the cushion is 1-3/16 which pretty much matches K66 width.View attachment 762754

And the cushion to cushion dimensions at 46" x 92" exactly match an 8 ft. oversize table. Any thing I could find on K55 cushions shows their mounting surface width to be much wider. "the manufacturer built the rails wrong in the first place" I am starting to believe this. I believe my only option to make it right (within my budget and tooling means) is to extend the mounting surface to use K55 cushions. I have some 2.5 mm thick panelboard I could use to get the width correct for K55 cushions. See drawing. It'll probably change my playing area slightly, but at this point, I'm willing to accept it just to get this done.

View attachment 762755
Go ahead with your idea then, that will work too. The Monarch Superspeed K55 cushions had the same measurements as the K66, which is why so many people install the K66 cushions on GC's, what they FAIL to realize is that K55 and K66 cushions don't share the same nose height, because the triangle of the cushions are different!!!
 
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