Protect top rail?

J

JimGill

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We've got a new Olhausen table with a satin black finish. I have a couple of friends over each week and one tends to break with his cue rubbing on the top rail. He's a very nice person and I'm learning a lot about playing pool from him, plus I'm too nice to tell him to be more careful, so I want to try and find a way to protect that one section of the rail. I was thinking about just putting a strip of 2" clear packing tape but it's going to look too funky (shiny vs satin) and I'm also afraid of what might happen to the finish when I have to remove the tape.

Anyone have any better suggestions?
 
Well I'm not a mechanic but you said he is a nice guy and you said you are a nice guy. If you just mention it to him I dont think it would be an issue.........Ron
 
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Rails:

I have a friend that does the same thing. He uses a piece of extra bed cloth to lay over the rail and then another to go under the break ball.
 
Ron, you're right, he'd probably take it just fine but I feel like I'd be embarrassing him so I'm trying to work around the problem. Just my passive personality fault, I guess.

Rob, I had to search around to figure out where the feather strip is. :grin: No, it looks ok to me as the felt on the cushions does stick up slightly above the hardwood railing. I should add that his cue does leave marks on the cushion felt too, but those come off easily when I clean the table. I've watched his break and it appears as though most of the contact with the wood happens pre-shot, because he tends to set up with the cue tip very high on the ball initially. But when he finally pulls the trigger the back of the cue is higher so thankfully the most powerful and potentially damaging part of his break doesn't involve touching the wood.

dstone, thanks for that but I was looking for something less, umm, obvious. ;)

Anyone remember "Colorforms", the kids toy that had thin vinyl shapes that stuck to things with static cling? Something like that would be ideal, since they would be thicker than tape and, most importantly, could easily be removed since there's no adhesive involved.
 
The packing tape will leave a bit of adhesive when you finally remove it, and may or may not take some stain with it. I would suggest a piece of cloth, doesn't need to be felt, but something that is portable that you could use to protect the wood.
 
I have seen clear vinyl that is held on with static cling, no glue. Unfortunately I don’t have a source for you. If you can find it you could try to find some of that, and put it in more places than where your friend brakes from so it is not obvious you are trying to protect that spot on the table from him. I know 3M makes clear vinyl that is available at sign shops, I have friends who have put that on motorcycle fairings to protect from rock dings, it is held on with adhesive though. So you might try a local sign or banner shop.
 
Buy Zagg invisible sheild

Try out one of the Zagg products http://www.zagg.com for cell phones or ipad. Adhere the product to the table where the cue rests from breaking. No adhesive, and product can be removed and reused.
 
Tell him to learn how to break right!;) he's dropping the butt of his cue on his follow through stroke....not correct!!

Glen
 
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Tony_in_MD said:
Try out one of the Zagg products http://www.zagg.com for cell phones or ipad. Adhere the product to the table where the cue rests from breaking. No adhesive, and product can be removed and reused.
Click to expand...

Great idea, thanks! But it turns out that the solution was right under my nose the whole time. I told my wife about this and when I said colorforms, she told me she had 9x12 sheets of the stuff at work in many colors including black! So she's bringing home a sheet on Monday. I may try to "dull" it a bit with something like rubbing compound so it's more satin than glossy, but I think it's a good start. Otherwise, I think the cell phone sheets sound like the next best bet.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, it's much appreciated.
 
I would try...

I would try blue painters masking tape. Whenever you have someone over who does that, just put a strip on and take it off when they leave. I have 2 friends who stop by and singly each leave more chalk on my cloth in a couple of hours than I do in 2 weeks. I make them chalk away from the cloth and yell at them each time. I clean the table just before they come over and have to clean it again right after they leave. One used to take the balls out of the ball tray under the table and throw them a couple of feet out on the table, pool hall style. I at least stopped him from that. I gave up on the chalk. Thirty years of habit is too tough to break.
 
I'm no expert by any means, but I don't think he's dropping the butt on the break ... from what the OP said, he's only touching the wood on the practice/alignment strokes for whatever reason. When he pulls the trigger he isn't actually hitting the wood.

Anyways, I think the easiest solution would be to just ask him to put a piece of cloth on the rail when he breaks. I know I would have no problem if someone asked me to do that and I would hope nobody would have an issue if I asked them to do that on my table. Any "clear" product is still going to be noticed, don't try to avoid the issue, just say that you are trying to protect your table and you are sure he'll understand. Heck, if you are so afraid of insulting the guy, tell him that you think that when you break you have been putting marks on the rail so you just want everyone to get used to breaking with a piece of protective cloth on the head rail. I can't imagine the guy would ever get upset by it.
 
In my earlier post I tried to figure a good way to protect the table, but after re-reading the OP's post, and other replies, I have to agree that you might just want to say somethign to the guy. You say he is your friend. My friends and I call each other names while we are joking around, and all have a pretty thick skin, that is why we are friends. If I was at a friends house and he told me to be careful because I was dorking up his table, I would respect him for that, and do my best to protect and take care of his investment. I would expect the same out of any of my friends. Some folks don't always recognice the difference between a bar table, and the table in somene's home.

hope all goes well.
 
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