Rails on furniture style tables

[219Dave]

I bought my first table last year, an 8 foot pro Olhausen Remington. It is Traditional Mahogany on Maple, with graphite rails.

Here's my question: I love my table, but am a bit surprised at how scuffed the rails are already with just normal, everyday use (3-7 hours/week, no rowdy drunks playing on it, etc).

Obviously the rails on furniture style tables are different than on a GC, Diamond or other commercial style table. But do some stains (particularly for my Olhausen) hide scuffs more than others? The Olhausen graphite stain is a distressed finish, so to an extent that hides the dings, but it also makes it look more roughed up looking.

Would the birdseye maple or curly maple rail scuff/ding less than regular maple?

Finally, for those of you guys that work on Olhausens, how much would it cost at some point to get new rails?

Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[barker]

Would the birdseye maple or curly maple rail scuff/ding less than regular maple?

I dont think so. I checked into this, I'll try to attach link. You need to get up above 2500 on the hardness ratings to make a substantial improvement. The various domestic maples are similar. But I'm open to being wrong, this is all theory...

Link attempt

http://www.christophersonwoodfloors.com/availability_hardness_ratings

 

[Donny Wessels]

Maple wood is soft, and will ding easy. Do you have kids playing on the table? they drop the butt of the cue at the end of the stroke hitting the rail. You can buy rails, your looking about $600 depending on your olhausen dealer. Many people, not necessarily you, don't realize that a home table is a fine piece of furniture and what people consider regular everyday use is a little rough for a home table.

 

[Club Billiards]

Olhausen does offer a Jatoba wood rail, which is a much denser wood rail. These I think run about $900, but I'd have to check on that. I know a couple years ago, they talked a lot about their UV finishes and some more durable finishes that they added to some of the tables. However, the distressed graphite finish is not one of these. Being a matte finish, you're right, it will sort of hide the blemishes since there are already some "factory installed" LOL. The glossy finishes seem to be a little more durable in my experience though. I've been installing for the Olhausen dealer in Cincinnati for about 8 years now. You might have to check my facts on which tables have the more durable UV finishes, but I know it's available.

 

[Club Billiards]

Olhausen does offer a Jatoba wood rail, which is a much denser wood rail. These I think run about $900, but I'd have to check on that. I know a couple years ago, they talked a lot about their UV finishes and some more durable finishes that they added to some of the tables. However, the distressed graphite finish is not one of these. Being a matte finish, you're right, it will sort of hide the blemishes since there are already some "factory installed" LOL. The glossy finishes seem to be a little more durable in my experience though. I've been installing for the Olhausen dealer in Cincinnati for about 8 years now. You might have to check my facts on which tables have the more durable UV finishes, but I know it's available.

 

[tsp&b]

Question... Answer

Are you talking about surface scratches in the finish? or dents into the wood itself? If you are concerned with scratches, gouges of marring of the finish, then you can have the table refinished with epoxy style automotive clearcoat, which consists of high solids base, activator (or hardner) and thinner (or reducer). It is extremely tough and resists scratches and dings! If you are speaking of actual dents in the wood itself I would not know what to tell you about that.

 

[219Dave]

Thank you all for your answers. I think they're more scratches than dings, but there may be some minor dings.

Maybe I'll look into the Jatoba in the future, but for now funds are a little tight to sink that kind of cash into new rails.

My four year old twins mess around with the table a bit, but I think it's me dropping the butt and scuffing the table when I'm breaking or trying to draw. So I take full blame.

Again, thank you all for your input.

 

[Donny Wessels]

Thank you all for your answers. I think they're more scratches than dings, but there may be some minor dings.

Maybe I'll look into the Jatoba in the future, but for now funds are a little tight to sink that kind of cash into new rails.

My four year old twins mess around with the table a bit, but I think it's me dropping the butt and scuffing the table when I'm breaking or trying to draw. So I take full blame.

Again, thank you all for your input.

Dave, I've noticed from personal experience when kids are rolling the balls they like to take them and tap the top rail, you might want to watch them also.