Olhausen Cushions Playing Slow

G

GolfProPoolAmateur

Member
Hey guys, new member here and I definitely appreciate the wealth of information. We bought a house and the previous owners left their 8’ Olhausen Innsbruck table for us. I always wanted a table and we were going to have it moved out of the room it was in to the basement, so I called the local pool table store and got a quote on moving it, releveling it, and replacing the cloth with Simonis 760. Picked up some Aramith Super Pro balls and I’ve been trying to learn the game. As you would expect the table runs true and fast, but to my uneducated eye the cushions don’t react the way they should. If I HAMMER a center ball hit from the spot, at best it comes to rest against the fourth rail. Is there a relatively simple solution (ie: rail height or angle) to this or is it just “it’s an Olhausen furniture table” and it is what it is?

I’m currently building out a man cave type situation in our detached carriage house/garage, and long term if pool is going to be a hobby I might just throw a nice 9’ Diamond out there. I’d like to have the current Olhausen as long as I can, so I’m not opposed to having the rails replaced or whatever needs to be done. But if I just have to suck it up until I get the man cave going, that’s what I’ll do. Thanks in advance!
 
GolfProPoolAmateur said:
Hey guys, new member here and I definitely appreciate the wealth of information. We bought a house and the previous owners left their 8’ Olhausen Innsbruck table for us. I always wanted a table and we were going to have it moved out of the room it was in to the basement, so I called the local pool table store and got a quote on moving it, releveling it, and replacing the cloth with Simonis 760. Picked up some Aramith Super Pro balls and I’ve been trying to learn the game. As you would expect the table runs true and fast, but to my uneducated eye the cushions don’t react the way they should. If I HAMMER a center ball hit from the spot, at best it comes to rest against the fourth rail. Is there a relatively simple solution (ie: rail height or angle) to this or is it just “it’s an Olhausen furniture table” and it is what it is?

I’m currently building out a man cave type situation in our detached carriage house/garage, and long term if pool is going to be a hobby I might just throw a nice 9’ Diamond out there. I’d like to have the current Olhausen as long as I can, so I’m not opposed to having the rails replaced or whatever needs to be done. But if I just have to suck it up until I get the man cave going, that’s what I’ll do. Thanks in advance!
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Welcome! First, I would avoid the local pool table store and try to find a qualified mechanic in your area to assess and setup your table. The directory in this section would be a good start. If you have no luck there, let us know where you live so people can provide recommendations and references. Shoddy work and horror stories are usually the result of using the local pool table vendor. If all else fails, ask the local pool hall owner who does his/her tables. I'd also consider Simonis 860 or 860HR over 760 as this is the cloth you will most likely play outside the house. Keep us posted on the progress!
 
GolfProPoolAmateur said:
Hey guys, new member here and I definitely appreciate the wealth of information. We bought a house and the previous owners left their 8’ Olhausen Innsbruck table for us. I always wanted a table and we were going to have it moved out of the room it was in to the basement, so I called the local pool table store and got a quote on moving it, releveling it, and replacing the cloth with Simonis 760. Picked up some Aramith Super Pro balls and I’ve been trying to learn the game. As you would expect the table runs true and fast, but to my uneducated eye the cushions don’t react the way they should. If I HAMMER a center ball hit from the spot, at best it comes to rest against the fourth rail. Is there a relatively simple solution (ie: rail height or angle) to this or is it just “it’s an Olhausen furniture table” and it is what it is?

I’m currently building out a man cave type situation in our detached carriage house/garage, and long term if pool is going to be a hobby I might just throw a nice 9’ Diamond out there. I’d like to have the current Olhausen as long as I can, so I’m not opposed to having the rails replaced or whatever needs to be done. But if I just have to suck it up until I get the man cave going, that’s what I’ll do. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I believe that any Olhausen newer than 1993 should have Accu-Fast cushions. That said, it's not likely that the cushions are the problem.
First thing that I would check are the rail bolts. Reach under each rail with a 1/2" socket and ratchet, and ensure that they are all tight.

No reason you should be getting any less than 5 table lengths on your table, with 760 cloth and Accu-Fast cushions.
If the rail bolts are tight, and the table is still slow, your cloth could be installed upside-down. 760 is lightning quick.. Does the surface feel smooth, or is it a bit fuzzy?

You may also want to check the nose height of the cushions. It should be around 1 7/16" from the bed of the table... There are some low-level installers who will not remove all of the previous cloth/staples from the bottom side of the rails. That will raise the nose height.

Additionally, listen to the sound when the ball hits the rail. It should be crisp. If you hear a thud or a vibration, that will indicate a bigger issue. Could be bad/loose cushions. Could be loose rail bolts, pocket bolts, or leg fasteners.
 
bradsh98 said:
I believe that any Olhausen newer than 1993 should have Accu-Fast cushions. That said, it's not likely that the cushions are the problem.
First thing that I would check are the rail bolts. Reach under each rail with a 1/2" socket and ratchet, and ensure that they are all tight.

No reason you should be getting any less than 5 table lengths on your table, with 760 cloth and Accu-Fast cushions.
If the rail bolts are tight, and the table is still slow, your cloth could be installed upside-down. 760 is lightning quick.. Does the surface feel smooth, or is it a bit fuzzy?

You may also want to check the nose height of the cushions. It should be around 1 7/16" from the bed of the table... There are some low-level installers who will not remove all of the previous cloth/staples from the bottom side of the rails. That will raise the nose height.

Additionally, listen to the sound when the ball hits the rail. It should be crisp. If you hear a thud or a vibration, that will indicate a bigger issue. Could be bad/loose cushions. Could be loose rail bolts, pocket bolts, or leg fasteners.
Click to expand...
Yea the cloth seems perfect and shots that don’t hit the rail are REALLY quick. Just measured the rail height and it looks like 1 7/16” all the way around. Every one of the bolts needed to be tightened. Just tried again and I maybe got another 6” of roll out.
 
It's an easy job. 1/2" socket. If you hold by the head of the ratchet, you can tighten them as much as you possibly can. If you hold by the end of the handle, you have to be a little more careful how much force you apply. But, you can still use quite a bit of force.

Additionally, two things have come to mind, which should be checked before tightening the rail bolts
  • It's possible that your cushions are loose. Grab ahold of your cushions, and see if they move up and down. It shouldn't take much force at all, if they are loose.
  • It's possible that someone replaced the threaded studs with bolts that are too long to secure the rails. Take a look under the rails to ensure that the rail "bolts" are actually threaded studs with a nut and domed washer. If they are hex head bolts, grab ahold of a rail and see if you can move it back and forth. This shouldn't require a lot of force either.
 
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