Would having your balls cleaned by a machine be better than just using some Aramith ball polish/cleaner and scrubbing them by hand?
DCP
DCP
Machine vs Hand Cleaning
- Thread starter DrCue'sProtege
- Start date
then you need to do a googil search for that!
Might change your mind!:grin:cleaning balls by hand cannot achieve the same result as machine.
You can only rub, by hand...while a machine actually polishes.
Think about a linoleum floor and the difference one gets using a buffer vs. a mop.
blackwidow43
New member
More of a fan of washing them by hand.
then you need to do a googil search for that!
cleaning balls by hand cannot achieve the same result as machine.
You can only rub, by hand...while a machine actually polishes.
Think about a linoleum floor and the difference one gets using a buffer vs. a mop.
i'm pretty sure this was in jest.
I got that...
In Japan, pool balls are polished by hand 99% of the time with cleaner and elbow grease. Average Japanese pool rooms have much cleaner balls than even the best US pool rooms I have been to, most of which use a machine.
I would probably note, though, that Japanese pool rooms ten to clean the balls after every use, not just once a day or week.
I would probably note, though, that Japanese pool rooms ten to clean the balls after every use, not just once a day or week.
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If a machine makes it less work, then I figure it will also make it more likely to happen. I don't care if the machine does a 10% worse job than a hand cleaning. To me, the main goal is to just make sure regular cleanings occur.
If you make it easy on the pool hall employee (or yourself, if you're a table owner), then you're going to do it twice as often. And that's a good thing.
If you make it easy on the pool hall employee (or yourself, if you're a table owner), then you're going to do it twice as often. And that's a good thing.
Ever see the video of Corey running a couple hundred balls and cleaning roughly half of them after each rack?
http://vimeo.com/34132936
I've never seen anyone so afraid of skidding. But never the less, anyone would have a hard time keeping balls that clean while doing it by hand.
http://vimeo.com/34132936
I've never seen anyone so afraid of skidding. But never the less, anyone would have a hard time keeping balls that clean while doing it by hand.
I hadn't seen that one. Definitely skid is a concern when you shoot so straight that almost nothing except a dry break or a miss can stop you.
I've heard it suggested that cleaning balls too regularly (like every rack) shouldn't be allowed... because the cleaning residue actually helps balls slide down rails and makes some shots (like rail cuts) get accepted that were otherwise misses. It effectively enlarges the pockets a fraction. Not sure if I buy that.
I'd just like to see the equipment have a bare minimum of cleaning, and way too many pool halls fall below that minimum. They buy the tables and balls and then never spend another dime on them. Like buying a car and never ever changing the oil, washing it, or checking the fluids.
Just to clarify.....
When i talk about cleaning by hand i am talking about using some Aramith Ball Polish, putting a few drops on the ball, and rubbing the polish around on the ball to get it covered. If i am going to do my ten balls (1-9 plus CB) I will do that to all the balls first.
Then i will take a plain white towel and rub the polish off. And yes, my hands get tired. Anyway, after that, i take a microfiber cloth and rub the balls down again. And yes, my hands are really tired now.
DCP
When i talk about cleaning by hand i am talking about using some Aramith Ball Polish, putting a few drops on the ball, and rubbing the polish around on the ball to get it covered. If i am going to do my ten balls (1-9 plus CB) I will do that to all the balls first.
Then i will take a plain white towel and rub the polish off. And yes, my hands get tired. Anyway, after that, i take a microfiber cloth and rub the balls down again. And yes, my hands are really tired now.
DCP
I would expect the machine would be better because of its random and consistant polishing action.
I just finished making a bucket ball polisher with a random orbit buffer. I will try it out tomorrow where I volunteer at an assisted living center. It has an early 1980s Olhausen table that has Accu-Dead cushions, rough cloth, and is not level. I suspect the balls are the same age. They are dull and lifeless. I have tried cleaning and polishing them by hand with minimum effect. Looking forward to trying the bucket polisher tomorrow.
Rick
Rick
It absolutely makes the pocket "larger" if that's how you want to phrase it. My table plays extremely tough if the balls are getting dirty. Try slamming a ball down my rail to pick up shape to the next ball (yes I know if I played better position ALL the time I shouldn't have to)
and it will surely rattle on my shimmed pockets. As soon as I run them through my washer you would be amazed at how much easier balls are pocketed running them down the rail. JMO
I took my balls to a billiards store today and had them cleaned. Good thing it was free. I think it was the Star machine with Aramith polish. Didnt seem to do any cleaning or polishing to the balls, they look like they did when i took them in there.
Guess i'll just scrub by hand anymore...:frown:
DCP
Guess i'll just scrub by hand anymore...:frown:
DCP
So yesterday I took my newly-made bucket pool ball random orbit buffer cleaner/polisher to the assisted living center where I volunteer to play and teach pool.
I put the first eight balls and a light sprinkling of TR-3 Resin Glaze Auto Polish on the balls and turned on the buffer. It was noisy, and the balls really got agitated. For about three minutes. Then the orbiting stopped, and the rpms dropped. I turned off the buffer and removed four balls. Turned on the buffer, and the pad spun slowly for maybe another two minutes and then stopped.
I saw smoke and smelled the nasty, acrid aroma of something electrical burning. I immediately hit the off switch, unplugged the buffer, and was really disappointed.
I wiped off the balls with a dry towel. If 10 is new, and 1 is old and beat-up, the first eight balls went from a 3-4 to maybe a 6-7 in just the short time. You can really see the difference.
When I got home, I disassembled the buffer. The buffing pad is secured to the foam pad by a string. I had cinched up the string, tied a bow knot with a second bow knot leaving maybe an inch of free tags on each end.
Sometime during the first two minutes, I think the eccentric weight that creates the orbiting motion snagged one of the bows. A free tag about 6" long was wrapped around the weight and the motor shaft. This stopped the orbiting and eventually the spinning, and the motor burned up before I shut it off. What a dumb sh#t move on my part to not tie a square knot and cut the free tag ends short.
So now I get to buy another buffer and try again. Aside from being upset with myself, I am impressed with the results so far and looking forward to making all the balls look almost like new.
Rick
I put the first eight balls and a light sprinkling of TR-3 Resin Glaze Auto Polish on the balls and turned on the buffer. It was noisy, and the balls really got agitated. For about three minutes. Then the orbiting stopped, and the rpms dropped. I turned off the buffer and removed four balls. Turned on the buffer, and the pad spun slowly for maybe another two minutes and then stopped.
I saw smoke and smelled the nasty, acrid aroma of something electrical burning. I immediately hit the off switch, unplugged the buffer, and was really disappointed.
I wiped off the balls with a dry towel. If 10 is new, and 1 is old and beat-up, the first eight balls went from a 3-4 to maybe a 6-7 in just the short time. You can really see the difference.
When I got home, I disassembled the buffer. The buffing pad is secured to the foam pad by a string. I had cinched up the string, tied a bow knot with a second bow knot leaving maybe an inch of free tags on each end.
Sometime during the first two minutes, I think the eccentric weight that creates the orbiting motion snagged one of the bows. A free tag about 6" long was wrapped around the weight and the motor shaft. This stopped the orbiting and eventually the spinning, and the motor burned up before I shut it off. What a dumb sh#t move on my part to not tie a square knot and cut the free tag ends short.
So now I get to buy another buffer and try again. Aside from being upset with myself, I am impressed with the results so far and looking forward to making all the balls look almost like new.
Rick
Guys -
A few days ago, I wrote, "...the motor burned up before I shut it off...So now I get to buy another buffer and try again."
Since then I bought a Harbor Freight buffer on sale for $16 with a 90 day warranty. It was too big for the five gallon bucket, so I had to modify the bucket.
It works great with "Protect All" cleaner/polish. The 30+ year old balls came out looking about an 8 out 10, and they roll faster.
Thank you all for your info on ball polishers. I am a happy camper.
Rick
A few days ago, I wrote, "...the motor burned up before I shut it off...So now I get to buy another buffer and try again."
Since then I bought a Harbor Freight buffer on sale for $16 with a 90 day warranty. It was too big for the five gallon bucket, so I had to modify the bucket.
It works great with "Protect All" cleaner/polish. The 30+ year old balls came out looking about an 8 out 10, and they roll faster.
Thank you all for your info on ball polishers. I am a happy camper.
Rick