Need advice on Delta 13 racks.

[sfleinen]

I made it to the pool room tonight that has Delta 13 "Regular" racks on its tables. Below are two pictures. Now remember, this is in a commercial room where everyone just throws the balls in....


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Yup, you can see where the powder coat is chipped away where the balls contact the inside surface of the rack. If you run your finger over those areas, you should easily feel the depressions left where the powder coat is missing.

One thing, though. I imagine if all the contact points on the inside of the rack were chipped equally, the balls would be contacting raw metal at the same depth, thereby restoring the rack's accuracy.

Regardless, I'll stick with my Elite. (And I'm sure those that have the new Select model, also with anodized finish, would say the same.)

-Sean

 

[iusedtoberich]

Yes I could definitely feel the depth change with my fingers. It was at every ball location on the inside of the rack.

I think the outside wear on the rack was mainly from the hook on the GC table that could probably be avoided or minimized in a home setting. The wear on the inside of the rack seems to be from just pushing the rack tight, that would probably also happen at home, just not as quickly due to much less use.

 

[Bob 14:1]

Since I do mostly practice drills, I don't often use a rack. For now it's just your typical cheesy Chinese wooden junk rack found at most home pool table stores.

It seems to me that these racks are somewhat tight. They give me sufficient room for my knuckles, etc., but I don't seem to be able to easily remove the rack without inadvertently brushing a ball.

As a kid I could whip that wooden rack off nearly perfectly and quickly without tying up the game.

Am I remembering wrong, or is my lack of skill in removing the rack merely a linear function of my 66 years and less than stellar nerves and eyesight? :shrug:

 

[RiCHiE$RiCH]

You're probably over thinking it and it makes you nervous.

 

[jhanso18]

Since I do mostly practice drills, I don't often use a rack. For now it's just your typical cheesy Chinese wooden junk rack found at most home pool table stores.

It seems to me that these racks are somewhat tight. They give me sufficient room for my knuckles, etc., but I don't seem to be able to easily remove the rack without inadvertently brushing a ball.

As a kid I could whip that wooden rack off nearly perfectly and quickly without tying up the game.

Am I remembering wrong, or is my lack of skill in removing the rack merely a linear function of my 66 years and less than stellar nerves and eyesight? :shrug:

When you win all the time, you never rack. You're pry just out of practice!

 

[Delta-13Rack]

I'm curious, are the corners of the Elite and/or Select rack dowelled in place before assembly? I'm kind of wanting to take mine apart now, but I read the screws have loctite on them. Any chance of showing a picture of the unassembled parts?

A curious engineer here

Curious Engineer,

Due to the lactate, you should NOT take apart. This will ruin the dimensions and maybe not give you the "tight rack" after taken apart and then re-assembled. These are carefully inspected and assembled together. It is strongly advised for you to not take it apart. The warranty is also voided when done so: http://www.delta-13.com/warranty.

Thank you,
The Delta-13 Team

 

[Bob 14:1]

When you win all the time, you never rack. You're pry just out of practice!

Geeze, you're right! That never once dawned on me!!! :wink:

Seriously, is there a professional ID for racks used for serious competition? My rack also seems shallow compared to what I remember.

Without contemplating the geometry of the situation, it seems that a larger ID would still afford an equally tight rack, yet make it easier to cleanly remove...

 

[Sloppy Pockets]

Geeze, you're right! That never once dawned on me!!! :wink:

Seriously, is there a professional ID for racks used for serious competition? My rack also seems shallow compared to what I remember.

Without contemplating the geometry of the situation, it seems that a larger ID would still afford an equally tight rack, yet make it easier to cleanly remove...

A bigger rack might interfere with the break ball in some behind-the-rack breaks.

 

[Bob 14:1]

A bigger rack might interfere with the break ball in some behind-the-rack breaks.

I think I'll stay with what I have. I'll never be able to muster the guts to do the Sharpie outline again...:smile:

 

[fastone371]

Aren't the Centennials made by Aramith now? aren't they basically the same?

I am not sure if Aramith makes the Centennials or not, I just want the Aramith balls because they look different then I have a choie of which I want to use. Yeah, Im knda weird!!:embarrassed2:

 

[ChrisOnline]

I am not sure if Aramith makes the Centennials or not, I just want the Aramith balls because they look different then I have a choie of which I want to use. Yeah, Im knda weird!!:embarrassed2:

I was told the same thing, I believe it's true that the centennials are now made by aramith..

Chris

 

[jhanso18]

Well, I got my Delta 13 Select yesterday.

Initial impression is good. The packaging is very nice, and the rack even comes with a COA. Upon inspection, the rack is very well put together. It seems a more true triangle, and actually is quite aesthetically pleasing to look at by comparison to most racks. Function is perfect. Nice tight rack, less messing about to get it. The only down side I can see as of right now is the loud clanging with out the leather inserts. A friend of mind does some leather work, and I'm thinking of having him do some custom tooling to match the rest of my gear, which is why I skipped the inserts for the time being.

Over all, for $60, there is definitely no better alternative!!!

 

[sfleinen]

A bigger rack might interfere with the break ball in some behind-the-rack breaks.

I think I'll stay with what I have. I'll never be able to muster the guts to do the Sharpie outline again...:smile:

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Not to hijack a thread about the Delta-13 rack products (as folks know I love mine), but when it comes to 14.1, I've actually warmed to another rack product that:

1. Subscribes to the notion of "make the rack fit the balls," not "make the balls fit the rack." In other words, a rack product that even works with undersized balls.

2. Allows for complete access to the back of the rack, for behind-the-rack breakshots in 14.1 where the break ball is very close to the back row of balls.

This is the TrueRack, offered by "elvicash" here on AZB (not my pics, btw -- they are from the TrueRack website gallery):

http://thetruerack.com/gallery.html

Notice how the back of the rack is completely open, allowing for very close break balls in 14.1. And yes, I've tested this, and you can have a break ball as close as half a ball away from the back row, and it's still a good break ball (as long as the cue ball "fits in there" between that break ball and the back row to cut the break ball into the corner pocket). Obviously, break balls this close are not optimum, because it's hard to predict the precise path the cue ball will take, and whether or not you'll get stuck in that back row. But at least it's possible.

It does take a bit of getting used to using the TrueRack, in that it's a hinged product, and you use your hands -- all your fingers on the sides of the rack and your thumbs and palms on the back row of balls -- to squeeze the rack down upon the balls. It's definitely NOT as easy to use as the Delta-13 products. But it's a good product that's EXTREMELY well-made, folds up and fits into your case's long pocket (pictured above), and works great for this specific point-purpose.

Yeah yeah, I know, I'm a rack junkie. But when you play 14.1, a good rack product that doesn't interfere with the balls or the position of break balls is key.

-Sean

 

[jhanso18]

Not to hijack a thread about the Delta-13 rack products (as folks know I love mine), but when it comes to 14.1, I've actually warmed to another rack product that:

1. Subscribes to the notion of "make the rack fit the balls," not "make the balls fit the rack." In other words, a rack product that even works with undersized balls.

2. Allows for complete access to the back of the rack, for behind-the-rack breakshots in 14.1 where the break ball is very close to the back row of balls.

This is the TrueRack, offered by "elvicash" here on AZB (not my pics, btw -- they are from the TrueRack website gallery):

http://thetruerack.com/gallery.html

Notice how the back of the rack is completely open, allowing for very close break balls in 14.1. And yes, I've tested this, and you can have a break ball as close as half a ball away from the back row, and it's still a good break ball (as long as the cue ball "fits in there" between that break ball and the back row to cut the break ball into the corner pocket). Obviously, break balls this close are not optimum, because it's hard to predict the precise path the cue ball will take, and whether or not you'll get stuck in that back row. But at least it's possible.

It does take a bit of getting used to using the TrueRack, in that it's a hinged product, and you use your hands -- all your fingers on the sides of the rack and your thumbs and palms on the back row of balls -- to squeeze the rack down upon the balls. It's definitely NOT as easy to use as the Delta-13 products. But it's a good product that's EXTREMELY well-made, folds up and fits into your case's long pocket (pictured above), and works great for this specific point-purpose.

Yeah yeah, I know, I'm a rack junkie. But when you play 14.1, a good rack product that doesn't interfere with the balls or the position of break balls is key.

-Sean

Seems like a decent product, but for $100, I'll pass. that's pretty steep for a hinged piece of aluminum. I'd think about trying it out for $40-60. It looks nice, but that price is WAY off. My rack was less than $60 to my door. ($56.68 I think)

 

[Bob 14:1]

Maybe I just got a good one, but it seems that all we can ask of a rack is that it forms a perfect, ball frozen to ball, pattern.

I outlined my personal rack with a perfect spot ball placement. By looking down at my last ball, I can clearly tell if it's in my rack.

If it's even as much as touching the outline, then it's in the rack since I outlined the outer perimeter of the wooden rack loaded with fifteen balls.

I suppose I'd like to say I've got an expensive and perfectly machined rack, but for my needs my old wooden dinosaur of a rack gives a perfectly ball touching ball rack regardless of which apex is facing forward. If the last ball is uber close I can just drop the wooden rack straight down so just the rear outline of the marker shows. I knuckle the balls forward and it's amazingly efficient for its intended purpose. When the back of the rack shows an even marker line, I peer between to first and second ball, and bisect the intersection with my spot line.

Just don't know what more could be asked of any product. Only problem is probably my nerves that sometimes make me clip a ball as the rack is removed.

Or am I, as usual, totally misinformed, and should upgrade to a more costly alternative when I replace my cloth???