Pool Ball Shape Testing

cueball2010

cueball2010

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
I bought my first set of pool balls. They costed about $70 (on prime day) which is cheapest I could find any real Phenolic Resin balls. They are made by Konllen which is a semi-decent brand. I know that they make some pretty decent carbon fiber cues and dirt cheap prices. But I still question the quality. Is there anyway to test how round they are?
 
cueball2010 said:
I bought my first set of pool balls. They costed about $70 (on prime day) which is cheapest I could find any real Phenolic Resin balls. They are made by Konllen which is a semi-decent brand. I know that they make some pretty decent carbon fiber cues and dirt cheap prices. But I still question the quality. Is there anyway to test how round they are?
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You need a spherical micrometer….must stay within five one/thousandths off round to be world legal.
 
Seaspook said:
We have two sets of the Konllen in our condo game room. Being out of round is the least of your concerns. After a hundred racks or so, they will loose their glossy finish and the crisp sound of a good hit. They will also burn your felt,
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100 racks? That sounds like a lot. Don't you just clean them to get the gloss back? Burned felt... what kind of pool table does your condo game room have?
 
cueball2010 said:
All of the ball weights come in at 168-170 grams. I will assume that means all of the diameter sizes are consistent.
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2 grams is at premium tolerances. You should still check sphericity (new word). Plastic being what it is, there's still a chance a perfectly spherical ball may roll funny. Nightmare scenario but Halloween is coming up lol...
 
straightline said:
2 grams is at premium tolerances. You should still check sphericity (new word). Plastic being what it is, there's still a chance a perfectly spherical ball may roll funny. Nightmare scenario but Halloween is coming up lol...
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Yes, I think that's what I was getting at with my original question. Rolling funny would probably be due to inconsistent density and not roundness.

So, how best to check the roll? On a pool table or a solid marble dinning table?
 
cueball2010 said:
I bought my first set of pool balls. They costed about $70 (on prime day) which is cheapest I could find any real Phenolic Resin balls. They are made by Konllen which is a semi-decent brand. I know that they make some pretty decent carbon fiber cues and dirt cheap prices. But I still question the quality. Is there anyway to test how round they are?
Click to expand...
Pretty cheap for someone that has many expensive predator cues
 
cueball2010 said:
Yes, I think that's what I was getting at with my original question. Rolling funny would probably be due to inconsistent density and not roundness.

So, how best to check the roll? On a pool table or a solid marble dinning table?
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hmm, you roll it on the table
if it rolls

then you got yourself a roundy one
best surface to test roundyness is on a carpet or concrete
 
cueball2010 said:
... Is there anyway to test how round they are?
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You could just watch them in play, but if you really want to test them...

Place a ball on the head spot. Put the number on top and turned so you can read it from the end rail. Lag it down and back to try to leave it on the head spot. Watch for roll-off to the left or right.

Do the test again but with the number turned so you can read it from the side rail.

Do the test again but with the numbers on the sides as the ball rolls down the table.

Repeat for each ball.

Balls can be out of round or out of balance. Cyclop brand balls went out of business because a significant percentage of their balls -- 1in 200? -- were out of balance and might roll off six inches on the lag.

Few people have the patience to do the test above. It's easier to just watch the balls in play. Pay attention to what they do as they roll to a stop.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Cyclop brand balls went out of business because a significant percentage of their balls -- 1in 200? -- were out of balance and might roll off six inches on the lag.
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Not entirely true, Bob. Basically, Cyclop is now Dynaspheres as Dynaspheres are made by the same company (XinBiing Co.) as Cyclop and in the same factory. Dynaspheres even has the same story on their website about learning the process and technology from Bob Simpson, former Chairman of Hyatt as Cyclop did.
 
rexus31 said:
... Basically, Cyclop is now Dynaspheres as Dynaspheres are made by the same company (XinBiing Co.) as Cyclop and in the same factory. Dynaspheres even has the same story on their website about learning the process and technology from Bob Simpson, former Chairman of Hyatt as Cyclop did.
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All true, but the brand is gone. And the owner of the Dynaspheres brand is careful to do quality control.
 
Bob Jewett said:
All true, but the brand is gone. And the owner of the Dynaspheres brand is careful to do quality control.
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My point was the brand wasn't dissolved because of poor quality. The brand was dissolved due to the evolution of the Dynaspheres brand. I have several Cyclop sets that are excellent in terms of quality. Only some of the early sets had issues.
 
rexus31 said:
My point was the brand wasn't dissolved because of poor quality. The brand was dissolved due to the evolution of the Dynaspheres brand. I have several Cyclop sets that are excellent in terms of quality. Only some of the early sets had issues.
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My understanding of the timing of the problems is different from yours.
 
No comment on the cyclop dissolution, but I have a set that is perfectish.

I like them better than the centennials, super pros and tournament sets I've got.

Would buy again, if ..
 
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