My home-made ball polisher.

Zims Rack said:
I've seen the Diamond Ball Polisher (commercial) in use and the balls before and after polishing... it DOES work great! To me, it's only worth the money if you're going to be polishing 10+ racks of balls on a weekly or even monthly basis. I don't know many that would spend $400, let alone $800 on a ball polisher for 1 set of balls for their home use.

Personally, I run Zim's Rack 8-Ball League, which is not held at pool rooms, but at bars, taverns, bowling alleys, etc, with no more than 2 tables. Most of them only have 1 table. I would like to have a ball polisher that is portable (1 person w/out a dolley) that I could take to each bar once a month and polish the balls. The players will notice a difference, most likely not the bar owner/manager. The players will talk about the "new" balls, and say something to the owner/manager. Who knows, word gets out I might have people or bars that participate in my league buying/making their own affordable ball polisher.

Realkingcobra- I don't remember if you work at Diamond or are an authorized dealer, but either way... you shouldn't be proud of burning bridges. You should treat everyone as if they were in the market for Diamond Products and could afford them. You never know who or how many customers you could lose by burning one bridge. A bridge is a pathway to everywhere!

Zim
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I don't work at or for Diamond, and I'm not a dealer, I'm a billiards technician, independent contractor if you want to title me. If loosing a customer means not pricing the product low enough so the customer can afford it means picking up a new customer, I look at it as begging for sales, and screwing the customer that DID pay the going price! I agree, not everyone can afford a Diamond ball polisher, nor a Diamond pool table, but I guess that's the difference between who gets them, and who don't. But when people complain about the price of something as in their mind being to high, but would spend ridiculous amounts of money on other things, to me...that makes them hypocrites!

The headline should read "Save money, build your own ball polisher, it don't work as good as the best, but does shine the balls somewhat" instead of "Build your own ball polisher at home, it's just as good as all the others, because all balll polishers are the same"

If I could have designed the Diamond ball polisher cheapier I would have, but not at the expence of it wearing out or breaking down over time, to me that was very important, so I designed the ball polisher to last for as long as possible!

I designed it to give you an area to clean the balls, and another area to shine the balls, reason being..you can't keep shining the balls where you clean them, over time, that don't work.

I designed the ball polisher to rotate the balls while spining them, and the sprokets to keep the balls from crashing into each other as to eliminate the marks on the balls in the finished shine.

I designed it to be quiet when in operation. I slowed down the motor so it wouldn't spin the balls to fast as to build up heat in them, or over heat the drive motor.

I don't burn bridges, I built bridges!!!!!! Like it or not!!!! What have YOU done, or ANY of you done lately?

Glen, the "Realkingcobra"
 
thermal said:
So you say the balls can't touch each other during cleaning for a markless ball?

When will the Diamond home version be available? I have a Diamond table and I like their products but $700 + ship is just too much for me.

My home built ball cleaner doesn't do a 100% job.
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The Diamond home version of the commercial ball polisher is about finished and ready for distribution, I'll be taking a look at it when I'm at the factory for final annalists shortly. I don't know what Diamond has in mind for pricing, but I know it's going to be less expensive than the commercial model. I've known all along that we need to come up with a home version of the commercial model, but I'm still not going to downgrade the design of the single platter to get it into the price range of home made ball polishers, not today...or tomorrow!

Glen
 
realkingcobra said:
No, he bought his Diamond polisher, I delivered it on one of my delivery's.

Got anything else to say know it all?

Glen
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Nope, I do believe that explains it all.
 
thermal said:
So you say the balls can't touch each other during cleaning for a markless ball?

When will the Diamond home version be available? I have a Diamond table and I like their products but $700 + ship is just too much for me.

My home built ball cleaner doesn't do a 100% job.
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Like I said, I need to see the home version Diamond has designed before it's ready for distribution, but if everything goes well, they should be ready soon.

Glen
 
JoeW said:
Someone could make a few bucks here I get a total cost of $70.00 + shipping of maybe $25.00 so if sold for $150.00 the person is making about $25.00 per hr for total time not including advertising etc. If I made one for sale I would probably charge $200.00 becasue I am retired and don't need to make money anymore.


7" Chicago Polisher / Sander $55.00
(Their ad) Strong 9.8 amp, soft-start motor and electronic variable speed give you the power and control that you need for professional polishing and sanding. 1,000 to 3000 RPM for optimum polishing All ball and needle bearing construction for long life Side handle.


http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=buffer+polisher

Blue bucket in my prior post $6.00

1 3/4" 2' X 4' plywood $6.00

Contact cement $1.00

Scrap rug pieces $2.00

Time to make after making the first one is about one hour

Packing and shipping about on hour.

I think I will add a cardboard top or something to keep the dust out. This would also make it easier to ship


BallWash006.jpg
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With this type of crowd and the idea of a home made ball polisher..... I was expecting a picture of a dog, a jar of peanut butter and a pic of.... well you get the idea !!!

Pretty ingenious contraption.....

Great Job !!!!!


- Eddie Wheat
 
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I'd like to see the inside of the diamond polisher before i spend any money on it. Does someone have a picture? What motor is in it?
 
Solartje said:
I'd like to see the inside of the diamond polisher before i spend any money on it. Does someone have a picture? What motor is in it?
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Solartje, for 800 bucks I would think it's at least a 65 horse Evinrude outboard. :smile:
 
Here is the latest revision of the JoKay Ball Cleaner Polisher. I have replaced the drive shaft with a welded system and have re-designed the supports. It is finished in Mahogony stain (others are available) and is constructed of heavier materials for durability. A drill, an 11/32 wrench or a socket wrench can be used to turn the drive shaft. Unfastening four screws allows access to the platen for cleaning or replacement of the ribbed terrycloth towel. A brush is included for cleaning.

To remove the balls the user lifts the ball holder by lifting on the holder near the drill head and all balls are sitting on the platen

The construction process is now more involved and requires welding and use of a jig saw so I am not sure if anyone would want the plans.


The first ten will be sold for $95.50 plus shipping (does not include drill or socket wrench). I now have to cut and assemble several more pieces and make the drive shaft. I will have a description with video on my web site in a few days.


Tonight I will take it to a friend?s tavern and clean the balls for three tables for him. Maybe he will buy this one.


BCP1.jpg


BCP2.jpg


Comments and suggested revisions are requested.

What do you think of the price? Should it be higher or lower?
 
JoeW said:
Here is the latest revision of the JoKay Ball Cleaner Polisher. I have replaced the drive shaft with a welded system and have re-designed the supports. It is finished in Mahogony stain (others are available) and is constructed of heavier materials for durability. A drill, an 11/32 wrench or a socket wrench can be used to turn the drive shaft. Unfastening four screws allows access to the platen for cleaning or replacement of the ribbed terrycloth towel. A brush is included for cleaning.

To remove the balls the user lifts the ball holder by lifting on the holder near the drill head and all balls are sitting on the platen

The construction process is now more involved and requires welding and use of a jig saw so I am not sure if anyone would want the plans.


The first ten will be sold for $95.50 plus shipping (does not include drill or socket wrench). I now have to cut and assemble several more pieces and make the drive shaft. I will have a description with video on my web site in a few days.


Tonight I will take it to a friend?s tavern and clean the balls for three tables for him. Maybe he will buy this one.

Comments and suggested revisions are requested.

What do you think of the price? Should it be higher or lower?
Click to expand...


Wow!!!...you are really going all out here... That looks like a nice mouse trap.

I wonder how much room that takes up???

I do admire the dedication to perfection.

I made mine based on skins and strokers posts in like 20 minutes.

I already had everything except the polisher from harbor freight.

I did mine different than the "double bucket" method.... I stole a tuppaware bowl from my wife and cut the bottom off of it and flipped it upside down. stuck the polisher in there and cut some air vents on the bottom of the outer bucket under the "bowl elevator support"

I forget how long I have been using it but it has been quite a while.

$99 is probably the magic number for price point...Anything more than that for a home ball polisher and unless it is someone that just has money to burn they will likely just look to make one themselves for $30 total......and have a car polisher to boot...
 
Solartje said:
how about this for the top.

to maximise the area used to polish (and so speading up the polishing time).

how about this.

use 3 pieces of 1" plywooth , so u the total thickness is bigger then the size of a poolball. then cut the plate round = the innerdiameter of the bucket.

with a ***** (dont know the word) u cut the round holes in the wood.

put carpet around the inside of the freshly cut out tubes from the plywood.

put the balls in the wholes and turn the machine on.

something like this.


ps maybe the balls will spin less quick as there is more friction :s
no idea really. at least your balls will never tough eachother, its a easy spacing system to make..
what u think will work best?

u could even add a round top with carpet that once the balls put in place, u cover it with.
like that u have polishing effects beneath, above and 360? around.

easy to make , stable as u can use as much screws as u want to fix the circel.

my 0.2c. ill be making one this week :D sounds like a fun and cheap project.
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I have been reading this thread with interest and I can't see why we end up discussing and fighting about commercial versions (Diamond) VS any of these home made ones?
For those who would like to go for the $800 version, please do but don't BS those who want to save some bucks making their own stuff which might perform good enough for home use.
To be honest, the Diamond do not look to be that impressive looking at Cobras pictures.

For those who have the time (I don't at the moment) here is some ideas on how to improve the design :

1:The quoted idea is good (go back to page 3 for the render Solartje made) . We have a commercial ball cleaner in our club which works this way - stationary holes and spinning cushion. The top lid (stationary) is spring loaded with wing nuts to adjust the holes position on the balls. With the computer rendered image you don't need springs since the heigh of the holes fitting the balls is larger than the balls it self.
The balls do spin in our machine and it goes fast. I'm not sure how a car polish machine mentioned here would perform in this respect, but I would be surprised if it don't manage to pull it. Our machine costed $700 and I 100% sure I could make the same design for much less...

2: Make two stations as the Diamond version, where you use one for polishing "wet" and one for drying. It might be that this would improve the result a lot.

3: A cheap trick could be to cut some "star looking" separator which could be glued or parked loose on top of the spinning disk. This separates the balls and should increase the effect. Make it in some kind of foam lookalike stuff (don't know the English name for it) cover it with carpet/felt or something and try to make it in a way who makes it possible to throw it in to the clothes washing machine or similar. You have a easy clean and when it's worn out just make a new one. In case you have the time, make two bucket versions using the separators and dedicate one for polish and one for cleaning.

I would for sure start thinking on these issues, but at the moment I simply don't have the time.

Keep up the good work and I'll post mine when ever I manage to get there.

N
 
Great work Joe. After this thread coming back to life, it's made me consider a newer version of my polisher...similar to yours. I have about 5 or 6 old motors, large and small, laying around doing nothing. I am guessing they are all high-geared motors, so I need to figure how to gear them down slower. Right now I have a lot going on, but in a few months I might mess with it.

Anywho....great job and keep up the good work.

Matt
 
lol i totally forgot about the picture i posted before. thinking about it now, realises me it aint something special. The hight doesnt matter. The contact with the ball will be one circel anyway...

This is probably why it takes alot of time to clean the balls. Increasing the contact surface between the carpet and the ball would increase the cleaning speed

SO

I've been thinking of making the holes not cilindrical (sp?) but like a ball..
so that the contactsurface would be much bigger.
but then there is the problem how? and how are you going to put the balls in int..

my idea:
how to make the ball holes:
use the cilinder holes in wood + Use some kind of material that can be added so to get the ball shape. It must be something that gets harder over time but weak in the beginning so we can mold the shape. concrete? plaster? and use a old ball to get the shape.

how can you take of the balls?
devide the plate in two. So you have two halve balls.

mmm ill make a drawing, easyer to explain.

brb
 
something like this.

make a box, make two places, one for cleaning one for polishing.
fixed 2-part devider with each half ball-form holes (with screws put together)
 

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The JoKay BCP got quite a bit of use last night. It cleaned and polished the balls very well. The shine is truly outstanding. However, seems there is always a however, the drill system does work too well.

First the hex head bolt I welded to the bearing was ground down and left metal flakes on the platten. Starting and stopping is difficult and may be putting too much strain on the drill. Currently the drill has not been damaged but there is quite a bit of strain. Either I need to go back to the 3/4" shaft or I need a way to stabalize the drill. Then too, the drill may not be needed.

1. I will try a 9" bolt, bent into the shape of a crank and will simply spin by hand. The platen moves fast enough and hand cranking is sufficient.

2. The ribbed terrycloth does not cause the balls to rotate off the virtical axis. Jogging each of the balls does throw them off their rotational pattern. I tried setting the machine off horizontal and thought that gravity would pull them off center. It does not do this when the drill is used but they do wobble when a crank is used.

3. I will try to devise some sort of stationary top that will create an additional cleaning / polishing surface. This will get the job done faster and may help with throwing the balls off axis. I think that one upper surface could be for cleaning and a second one would be for polishing.

I am trying to come up with a way to make this a very reliable machine, easy to use, and inexpensive to construct. Suggestions are appreciated.

In reply to someone's query the machine is 21" X 23" X 6" and weighs about 25 pounds.
 
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Solartje said:
something like this.

make a box, make two places, one for cleaning one for polishing.
fixed 2-part devider with each half ball-form holes (with screws put together)
Click to expand...

I like this idea. I would try to make something usable on my CNC next month and I'll see how it works out. One problem would however be that the contact surface on the ball is large in this design, so you might find it hard to get the balls spinning.

A loose separator on the spinning disk would be a easy solution as well, which I think I would make as a "starter".
Also a larger disk increases the surface speed so it might be worth to experiment with different disk sizes and optimizing the effect for a given car Polishers motor size.
I always wanted a good ball cleaner but the $700-$800 for a new one has put me off in respect of buying a new one. Specially the one we have in our club which do look like a rip off...

N
 
Although I've had a table for many years, I've never cleaned the balls. Don't ask. Anyway, although I know nothing about cleaning pool balls, I was wondering if there's a much simpler way of cleaning the balls. What about a tube sock. Stick some cleaner on a ball, put it in the tube sock, grab the ends, twist and spin like you're jumping rope. And try not to knock yourself out.
 
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