I call it durometer, don't give a shit about the "A" and nether does anyone i buy it from.SORRY!!! it is 60a!! I was using the "D" as short for durometer!
Hope this helps, 60a from ZORO is it!
TFT
Pocket Facing Thickness Question
- Thread starter ChrisinNC
- Start date
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
Yes, I'll be fixing that in a few months, thanks!
That's the trick. If you know who to deal with in the first place it isn't an issue. If you hunting for 60'D' material blind, you don't get the results you're hoping for.
I had that thought in my mind, but it was completely uneducated and unfounded. Thank you for commenting on it.
Any place that sells hoses and gaskets also sells the neoprene in rolls, sold by the running foot, you don't have the purchase the entire roll.
I do have a public vendor that sells such items and does have neoprene by the roll. Unforunately when I asked about the unlisted durometer rating, all I got was blank stares...lol. I'm sure someone such as yourself that's very familar with the physical properties of the correct 60A neoprene could simply handle it for a moment and know it's the correct stuff. I fortunately don't have the experience with neoprene for such identification.
Moments ago I pulled the trigger on a sheet from McMasterCarr. It's expected at my office by tomorrow afternoon. Probably not the cheapest alternative, but I should receive exactly what I was aiming for, and I don't need to drive all over hell's half acre.
Thank you for your help
Figured I may as well continue to ride this particular thread for the facing discussion.
So I received my McMasterCarr 60A rubber sheet, and yes, it is indeed a piece of rubber. Even came with a piece of paper stating it's characteristics, (nominal thickness, 60A, etc).
My local supplier also was kind enough to provide me with the billiard supply house version of their 5.5mm facings. See pic.
So difference in nominal thickness between the precut supplier facings and my McMaster purchase is small. 0.230" vs 0.200" respectively. The big take away was the large difference in density. I don't have a durometer rating for the supplier facings, but they are quite notably more stiff than the 60A rating sheet I bought. The 60A is much closer to the replacement rail cushions I also bought
I'll will always lean towards the experience of the mechanics on this forum, but it does strike me as odd that the vendor facings are so much stiffer. Will stiffer facings make the pockets play more friendly...? I'm surprised at the difference. There must be a reason, or is it simply a better margin for the vendor...?
Thanks as always
So I received my McMasterCarr 60A rubber sheet, and yes, it is indeed a piece of rubber. Even came with a piece of paper stating it's characteristics, (nominal thickness, 60A, etc).
My local supplier also was kind enough to provide me with the billiard supply house version of their 5.5mm facings. See pic.
So difference in nominal thickness between the precut supplier facings and my McMaster purchase is small. 0.230" vs 0.200" respectively. The big take away was the large difference in density. I don't have a durometer rating for the supplier facings, but they are quite notably more stiff than the 60A rating sheet I bought. The 60A is much closer to the replacement rail cushions I also bought
I'll will always lean towards the experience of the mechanics on this forum, but it does strike me as odd that the vendor facings are so much stiffer. Will stiffer facings make the pockets play more friendly...? I'm surprised at the difference. There must be a reason, or is it simply a better margin for the vendor...?
Thanks as always
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I've heard the harder facings reject fewer balls but I've never had the opportunity to compare.
That would stand to reason. I mean an angled face that resists flexing would be more likely funnel a hard hit ball into the throat of the pocket. ...As compared to a face that is softer and more malleable.
Of course then that begs the question as to why a top notch table mechanic would opt to use the softer 60A material, if it means the resulting pocket could reject a well struck shot...? Maybe the 60A material is a trade off for using the friendlier pocket angle of <142 degrees...?
I'm sure someone on the forum knows the real story
Because the harder the facing, the more dead the points of the pocket openings.
Right on... Classic example of how the inexperienced (me) miss the otherwise obvious answer.
Simply can't replace experience. Thanks for the reply.
Man, that would be a brave venture. I don't know if I'd take that on without resigning myself to idea that I may have to do without until I had new cloth for the rails.
I can say that my old facings peeled off easily enough, but they were very old. Cleaning off the old rubber cement would be the most annoying part.
I have to think the whole process would live or die on not damaging the cloth.
Please measure my concerns against the fact that I am not a table mechanic on any level. Just a guy that has torn apart his table and has yet to reassemble it...lol.
I assume that you mean replace the existing facings..
It can be done, provided that you use the same thickness facing (or thinner).
Additionally, you'll want to be sure not to remove the featherstrip, as that will make the job MUCH more difficult, though still not impossible.
If you wish to simply remove a second layer of facings, you could absolutely do that, quite easily.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I appreciate it very much.
I want the facings gone, in the corner pockets. I didn't contract for them but they put them on anyway because smoking weed and doing rails is not a good combination. Ruined my table for causal play. My buds don't come over anymore.
I don't even know what a featherstrip is.
I'm thinking of removing the rails, pulling off the cloth over the facings then using a hacksaw to cut them off, then rewrap the cloth over the rail. It can't be any worse than it is now.
Jeff Livingston
Any chance that you could post photos? I'm wondering if there may be a better alternative.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
The factory ones on my olhausen just peeled off. I just cleaned the glue off by rubbing it. Cleaned the rubber with alcohol afterwards to prevent any skin oils from messing up adhesion. I cut the new facing rubbers a bit oversized, trimmed them carefully, leaving maybe 1/8" oversized. I used barge cement to attach the facings. I then flushed them up with a razor blade, then finished them with I think 120 grit sandpaper wrapped around a metal file. The sandpaper wrapped around the metal file works great, I think it was an older post by RKC that mentioned that.
I don't know if you would be able to re-use the cloth. I replaced the rail cloth. A lot of places will sell rail cloth only. My bed cloth was only like 6 months to a year old so I just kept the same cloth on the bed. I think rail cloth was around $60, but I may be a bit off on that. It's doable, but the most annoying part of the whole job is putting rail cloth on. IMO it's tedious but not hard to do, more annoying than anything.