My review of Diamond Pro/Am table

CamposCues said:
Oh, don't worry Bigtruck...I'm still in the raffle!

LOL! If you win, you can always sell it or I can sell it for you!

Thanks!

Glad you finally got you a Diamond! Who's the lucky dog that got the Gabriels?

Ray
 
CamposCues said:
Oh, don't worry Bigtruck...I'm still in the raffle!


Good you can win it, make sure it has the pro cut pockets, then sell it to me for $3000. :thumbup:

-Kyle
 
Rocket354 said:
My only issue with diamonds is the same as a previous poster--the rails seem higher than other tables, making shooting off the rail extremely punishing. The slight curve to the wood too makes every shot from agains the rail at a slight jacked-up angle. Maybe I'm just too used to slightly friendlier tables, but those Diamonds seem almost prohibitive to me.

So here's the deal when the cue ball is on the rail. Jack up slightly and let the tip rest on the rail. Aim at the cloth directly behind the cue ball when shooting. You won't miscue, I promise you. But please don't tell anyone else this little secret. :)
 
jay helfert said:
So here's the deal when the cue ball is on the rail. Jack up slightly and let the tip rest on the rail. Aim at the cloth directly behind the cue ball when shooting. You won't miscue, I promise you. But please don't tell anyone else this little secret. :)
That's a great tip, Jay!! You should never have to buy your own coffee at the DCC again!

Doc
 
Usedtoberich....

Iusedtohavethesameopinion as Iusedtoberich. I played on gold crowns my entire pool career and noticed a significant difference when going to DCC. It took the first 3 days before I was comfortable on the table. The past few days I have been playing on a diamond at a poolroom in another town (where the action is) and wish that this were the universal table. I have played 9ball, 10ball, and one pocket on Diamonds and have noticed significant improvements over the gold crown. In one pocket, there are several banks that will go that do not on gold crowns. Also, you never run into the issue of the point or shims getting in the way of banks, as this is often the case on gold crowns that are shimmed up. I find that we are often critical of things we are not used to in the pool community like tables, cues, balls, cloth, etc. However, if you look at these things with an open mind and give them a fair trial period, you may just find that there are better options than what you settle for, such as Diamond billiard products. Side note, I talked to a fellow that went to Indiana University with Greg Sullivan back in the late 60s and he told me that Gregg was always talking about designing a pool table for the player and all would love to play on his table. Looks like his dream came true, congratulations to Gregg.
 
jay helfert said:
So here's the deal when the cue ball is on the rail. Jack up slightly and let the tip rest on the rail. Aim at the cloth directly behind the cue ball when shooting. You won't miscue, I promise you. But please don't tell anyone else this little secret. :)

Thanks for the tip, Jay. That's what I do and I keep my tip well chalked so I almost never miscue. However, I still find it harder to be as consistently accurate as I am compared to being against the rail on other tables. Maybe I should just get used to a game where being against the rail is a bigger disadvantage than I'm used to.
 
Jay's Secret Tip

jay helfert said:
So here's the deal when the cue ball is on the rail. Jack up slightly and let the tip rest on the rail. Aim at the cloth directly behind the cue ball when shooting. You won't miscue, I promise you. But please don't tell anyone else this little secret. :)

If I ever do any additional pool commentary, I will call this Jay's Secret Tip and will only share with the viewing audience. :thumbup:
JoeyA
 
Which is easier to level?

If i have to play any more 1pocket on an unleveled table and watch a long rail bank hit the side rail 2 times on the way down and still go in the pocket, or watch as a ball headed towards the hole at about a half diamond off, that makes a turn and goes right into the hole, i'm going to throw up.
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Which is easier to level?

If i have to play any more 1pocket on an unleveled table and watch a long rail bank hit the side rail 2 times on the way down and still go in the pocket, or watch as a ball headed towards the hole at about a half diamond off, that makes a turn and goes right into the hole, i'm going to throw up.


both sides will say theyres levels the easiest. no point in even askin
 
Facts

TXsouthpaw said:
both sides will say theyres levels the easiest. no point in even askin

The Diamond ProAm slate can be leveled with the table fully assembled. Both the Pro and the ProAm legs can be adjusted with NO lifting.

You decide which is easier.

Ray
 
Bigtruck said:
The Diamond ProAm slate can be leveled with the table fully assembled. Both the Pro and the ProAm legs can be adjusted with NO lifting.

Can someone who has worked on one comment on how this compares to the levelling system for the GCV?
 
I know the Diamond has 18 leveling points along the perimeter of the slate and 3 in the middle - PLUS the 4 legs. You can get the table more level than the tolerances of the cloth & slate!! The beauty of this is that you can make adjustments without tearing down the table and removing the cloth. You don't even have to remove the rails. This is the ONLY table that allows this. Tables sometimes change because of himidity or other factors and now can be corrected.

I am not sure of the GCV - but all the old Gold Crowns I ever worked on did not have ANY levelors - just use the legs on the frame and shims on the slates. This is the standard style - but does not allow slate adjustment after assembly.

The only innovative leveling I ever saw was on the old AMF Gran Prix - it had a 'floating bed' that was easy to level - but still had to use shims on the slates.

I am sure mechanics might have some additional comments. Basically, until you see the Diamond leveling system you don't really understand how much more advanced it is than ANYONE else!

Mark Griffin
 
Mark Griffin said:
I know the Diamond has 18 leveling points along the perimeter of the slate and 3 in the middle - PLUS the 4 legs. You can get the table more level than the tolerances of the cloth & slate!! The beauty of this is that you can make adjustments without tearing down the table and removing the cloth. You don't even have to remove the rails. This is the ONLY table that allows this. Tables sometimes change because of himidity or other factors and now can be corrected.

I am not sure of the GCV - but all the old Gold Crowns I ever worked on did not have ANY levelors - just use the legs on the frame and shims on the slates. This is the standard style - but does not allow slate adjustment after assembly.

The only innovative leveling I ever saw was on the old AMF Gran Prix - it had a 'floating bed' that was easy to level - but still had to use shims on the slates.

I am sure mechanics might have some additional comments. Basically, until you see the Diamond leveling system you don't really understand how much more advanced it is than ANYONE else!

Mark Griffin


I deliver these tables, I find that it amazing that they can level these tables in the factory and have the table completely assembled. Take this 1200 lbs table and flip it on it side on to a dolly, put it in a truck, drop it off in vegas, I will put it in a trailer, haul it to CA, flip it right side up, and make adjustment with a wrench under the leg. and the slate will more often than not be dead nuts.
 
According to their sales blurb Brunswick added a built-in multi-point levelling system beginning with the GC IV. I assume the GC V has this system too, or possibly an improved version of it.

Not being a table mechanic myself I was interested in opinions on how this compares to Diamond's system.
 
sdbilliards said:
Take this 1200 lbs table and flip it on it side on to a dolly, put it in a truck, drop it off in vegas, I will put it in a trailer, haul it to CA, flip it right side up, and make adjustment with a wrench under the leg. and the slate will more often than not be dead nuts.

Very impressive! It shows the advantages a one-piece slate system can have if done right.
 
Bigtruck said:
The Diamond ProAm slate can be leveled with the table fully assembled. Both the Pro and the ProAm legs can be adjusted with NO lifting.

You decide which is easier.

Ray


Ive never leveled either I was just pointing out the obvious; that the responses will be divided along party lines.
 
The Table

TXsouthpaw said:
Ive never leveled either I was just pointing out the obvious; that the responses will be divided along party lines.

I have leveled a ProAm. It's so easy, even I can do it! LOL

Calling RealKingCobra, Calling RealKingcobra........

Maybe Glen can share some differences. he has leveled more tables than most. LOL

I was just saying that I didn't think it's something that can be an opinion.

I do know that whenever we ask Clicks to level a table they just look at us like we just asked for a miracle! The "felt applicators" that come in never even check the level. If you ask them to, they just say, "we'll try".

Clicks is all Brunswick. Medalists and Gold Crowns. If they had Diamonds anyone with a wrench and a level could do it in a couple of minutes.

If they were both setup and leveled perfect, I like both. The Diamond just gets there a LOT easier.:wink:

Ray
 
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Leveling

I had a GC IV. I'm no table mechanic but I set up all my own tables for lack of table mechanics in the area. The GC took a lot of shims and a lot of time to level. The three piece slate take some work. I just got a 7' proam and realize it is small but it took less than 15 minutes and zero shims to level. One piece slate...I just used the legs to level it. No problem.
 
Alright, back in Vegas again, so being off the road I can respond to this question about the differences in leveling. First of all, the GC4's & 5's both have a bolt head pin point leveling system in both. By this I mean that the slates can be adjusted for level between the frame and slate, eliminating the need for shims. The only problem with this system compared to a Diamond ProAm and some Professionals with the leveling system, is that this leveling of the 3 piece slate has to be done BEFORE the bed cloth is installed, NOT after! Now, with that said, in time due to settling or what ever, if the slates need to be corrected for frame settling, the first thing you're going to find out, is that you can't get to the slate screws that mount the slates to the frame to loosen them up to make room to adjust the slates...because they're covered by the bed cloth. The next problem is that because there's no one leveling bolt directly in the center of the seam...(they're located on both sides of the seam) even if you installed machine screws instead of wood screws to hold the slate to the frame...so you can loosen them up from under the frame...you have no way of raising both sides of the seam at the same time, so you're at risk of popping the seams apart from unequal pressure on one side or the other.

Then, even after you've gone through all the time it takes to level the 3 piece slates, dead nuts...once you bolt the rails on, and tighten them down, the rails alone can change the level of the slates...AFTER the fact, and you have no way of correcting that change in level....not on any table except the Diamonds.

When a Diamond one piece slate is leveled, it's leveled with the rails mounted down...bolted in place! That means you're doing the final level with the rails already in place, so there's nothing to change in the level of the slate.

One piece slates don't have any seam to put together, so you don't have to ever worry about a seam coming apart, and the Diamond 3 piece slate may be a pain in the ass to level using the Diamond leveling system, but in the end...it's worth it. On a Diamond Professional with a 3 piece slate, it has to be leveled twice. First, as a normal 3 piece slate, then once the seams are super glued together, the rails have to be bolted down on the slate, then once that's done...before the cloth is installed, then it gets leveled again like a one piece slate, tuning the rails, slate, and frame all together so to speak.

After the Professional is recovered and completely together, later in time if needed, the slates can be leveled without taking the rails off, or the cloth off, all you do is level it like it's a one piece slate...using the leveling points.

On a ProAm, there's 18 points around the outside edges, 4 in the centers, and 4 leg leveling points. On a Professional, there's 30 around the outside edges, plus the center 4 and legs.

Does this answer your question?

Glen
 

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