New table, Guide to drawing on cloth?

[MacGyver]

Hello all, been awhile posting for me after about 7 months off of pool.

I just got myself a 9ft brunswick with 860HR simonis on it(tournament blue), and as a first time table owner, had a couple questions:

1. I wanted to draw both the triangle on it(for straight pool) and also the head string possibly with the "D"(as for snooker, even though its pool pockets).

One question I had was if I didn't mark it, could the cloth be re-used if I had to move the table in a year, or would I need to re-buy the cloth if moving it anyway(I'm assuming once the cloth is marked there would be no way to get it to line up again if recovering).

Second, does anyone have a guide for this? Things like:
-- Should I use a black sharpie?
-- Should I make some type of stencil or just use the rack, is it better to draw on the outside of a solid stencil or inside of a hollow stencil?
-- Any tips on not having an errant pen stroke ruin my cloth?
-- Material to use for stencil so it doesnt bleed into the stencil and ruin cloth?
-- What size should the triangle be, right inside the rack or are these generally expanded a bit for more leway?


2. I think my mechanic hadn't worked much with simonis before, because I noticed some of my rails have slight ripples in the cushions where the staples in the cloth are. I asked him to lighten up pressure and when he tried he was getting bubbles in the top part of the rail, so he increased pressure again. They aren't terrible but if you drop a ball from above the rail right on a stapled spot it will take off at an angle.

Is this something might work itself out over time, or could the constant compression of the cushions make them wear out sooner? not sure if this is something to worry about.

Thanks!!!

 

[oldzilla]

I used to do my own Gold Crown's in my room when i was open, but closed now. To strech the cloth the long way on each rail when putting in feathering strips is key. This helps the remainder of the process. You will not have to pull it around hard and create those dents in the rubber. By this time it only needs a little snugness.

And I just drew a line from the spot to the middle diamond on the foot rail. It is all I needed to keep the racking straight and made easier to spot balls in back of impeding ones in the way. Black sharpie is fine.

If you draw a pattern around the rack it may not line up to another rack if you need to switch products. The line is universal to any product.

Head string line and the racking area line from the spot all the way down to the foot rail in line with the middle diamond is all I put on my tables

 

[Bob Jewett]

... If you draw a pattern around the rack it may not line up to another rack if you need to switch products. ...

This could also be a problem if you have to stretch the cloth later. One solution is to use tailor's chalk. Your local sewing/crafts store has them. You will have to remark the lines each 40 hours of play or so, depending.

 

[MacGyver]

My understanding was simonis was pretty hard to stretch in the first place, and he really yanked on it hard when first putting it on, is it likely it'll need to be restretched?

Regardin the line from spot to rail, I want the triangle to judge whether a ball is in the rack, not for actually lining up the rack itself, therefore the size should be that of the balls themselves not any specific racking product.
Although given the balls will shrink over time... wonder if anyone has run into that issue heh.

 

[mullyman]

If you're going to mark the rack area for straight pool I would suggest outlining the outside of the rack, not the inside. I think anyone that has played a lot of straight pool has seen where the ball can be in or out by just a hair. If you mark the inside of the rack you're not accounting for the thickness of the rack. And you're not allowed to pick the ball up and spot it back down after racking. I highly doubt you're going to change racks and if you do, you can always keep the old one for racking straight pool.

As for moving it, I really don't know but I would imagine it would be a real challenge to get the cloth to line up exactly like you had it before.

You can use a sharpie but be careful. Ink can bleed into the cloth if you hold it in one spot for too long. Very unattractive. If it were me, I'd just use a pencil. It's dark enough, lasts long enough and it will eventually wear off to where you can hardly see it.......hinting that in a year if you decide to move the table the rack outline may wear off by then.
MULLY


If you mark the inside of the rack and get this ball (black circle) it will clearly be out of the rack.....until you go to rack the balls.

 

[realkingcobra]

Use a #2 pencial to mark the cloth, and if you move in a year or so...change the cloth...it's much easier to install new vs used...after someone else has already cut the cloth to fit.

Glen

 

[Bob Jewett]

If you're going to mark the rack area for straight pool I would suggest outlining the outside of the rack, not the inside. ...

This is what the rules require. A ball is judged to be in/out of the rack by whether it is overlapping any part of the area within the marked line. Here are the rules.

I've heard of people who, when the ball is as Mullyman showed, will mark the ball, rack the 14 and then put the break ball back in place. Amusing but wrong.

If the table has been "tapped" for racking, the marked outline of the triangle is still required. I suppose it should be at some specific distance from the balls, such as a 1/2-inch triangle would produce, if a physical triangle is not available.

 

[mullyman]

This is what the rules require. A ball is judged to be in/out of the rack by whether it is overlapping any part of the area within the marked line. Here are the rules.

I've heard of people who, when the ball is as Mullyman showed, will mark the ball, rack the 14 and then put the break ball back in place. Amusing but wrong.

If the table has been "tapped" for racking, the marked outline of the triangle is still required. I suppose it should be at some specific distance from the balls, such as a 1/2-inch triangle would produce, if a physical triangle is not available.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the "mark the inside of the rack" train of thought. Like I said before, anyone that has played large amounts of straight pool knows that a lot of times that break ball being in or out can be the width of a dick hair. hehe!! Sure, you may be able to eyeball it on the sides, but if you leave a behind the rack break ball you have almost a full inch from where the balls are to where the outside of the rack is.....assuming you're using a standard wood rack that allows you to fit your fingers inside behind the balls.

Bob, do you know if anyone has ever entertained the idea of making the break area standardized? Like nothing within 2-3 inches of the rack area for example.
MULLY

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

I used to do my own Gold Crown's in my room when i was open, but closed now. To strech the cloth the long way on each rail when putting in feathering strips is key. This helps the remainder of the process. You will not have to pull it around hard and create those dents in the rubber. By this time it only needs a little snugness.

And I just drew a line from the spot to the middle diamond on the foot rail. It is all I needed to keep the racking straight and made easier to spot balls in back of impeding ones in the way. Black sharpie is fine.

If you draw a pattern around the rack it may not line up to another rack if you need to switch products. The line is universal to any product.

Head string line and the racking area line from the spot all the way down to the foot rail in line with the middle diamond is all I put on my tables

OldZ, the spot line is always a good idea, especially in straight pool or 1P where a spotted ball may have to be placed well behind the foot spot.

But I'm not sure how this alone replaces the need for the rack outline - specifically to tell you if a potential break ball is in/out of the rack.

 

[mullyman]

OldZ, the spot line is always a good idea, especially in straight pool or 1P where a spotted ball may have to be placed well behind the foot spot.

But I'm not sure how this alone replaces the need for the rack outline - specifically to tell you if a potential break ball is in/out of the rack.

I was wondering the same thing.
MULLY

 

[oldzilla]

OldZ, the spot line is always a good idea, especially in straight pool or 1P where a spotted ball may have to be placed well behind the foot spot.

But I'm not sure how this alone replaces the need for the rack outline - specifically to tell you if a potential break ball is in/out of the rack.

well if there are no balls in the way you can use the rack itself. i don't think it is a foul but not sure. why would it be? if balls are in the way i guess you have to hover the rack and guess,lol. there was not many playing 14.1 in my room when i had it. most of the bangers in that ghost town were a bunch of 8-ballers. lmao

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

well if there are no balls in the way you can use the rack itself. i don't think it is a foul but not sure. why would it be? if balls are in the way i guess you have to hover the rack and guess,lol. there was not many playing 14.1 in my room when i had it. most of the bangers in that ghost town were a bunch of 8-ballers. lmao

For the bangers didn't you also need to draw that line all the way around the table 2" inside the cushions to signify the free re-spot of the cue ball when it ends up against a rail? :grin-square:

 

[oldzilla]

For the bangers didn't you also need to draw that line all the way around the table 2" inside the cushions to signify the free re-spot of the cue ball when it ends up against a rail? :grin-square:

i guess they could call it the mulligan line !

btw, i have your avatar picture in a nice frame right on the wall in front of me as i type this. lol

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Bob, do you know if anyone has ever entertained the idea of making the break area standardized? Like nothing within 2-3 inches of the rack area for example.
MULLY

There's nothing I've heard of. I believe that for tapped-rack tournaments in Europe, they use a triangle for the outline and nothing else.

 

[pulzcul]

For what its worth, If you draw a line through the spot all you need to do is make a mark on the rack and it lines up without tracing it.