Sub-Rail extensions on an old Brunswick, done.

[angluse]

Sub-rail extensions are done, rails covered and table is back together. When setup by a mechanic before, the cushions were installed too high. Now that cushion noses are at the correct height, it plays much better overall. It still banks short compared to GCs of course, but it is better. I installed Superspeeds, but I don't know if in themselves they are necessarily that much better than the MBS K55s the mechanic installed; the problem with rebound angles / banking short (and that it's a T-Rail table) seemed to have been worsened by the high cushions. It's better now than it was. That needed to be fixed, so while I was at it...

A rewarding project, but time consuming. I have come away from it with a ton of respect for the work you guys do every day.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to help us folks here.

Before: 4 5/8" corners, with 1/4" neoprene facings.
After: 3 7/8" corners and 4.5" sides, with 1/2" extensions and 1/8" facings.

 

[SlateMate]

how did you get such a clean cut on those cushions?

 

[angluse]

I used a serrated knife, then an angle air grinder with 120 roloc disc, and finished with a sanding block. Soapy water on that knife definitely helps.

I tested first on old cushions, a sharp razor blade works great for the initial cut - I could have saved a bunch of time - but I didn't feel confident enough to do it like that.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Great work but 3 7/8 is not going to be fun .

 

[angluse]

Unfortunately the GCs I play on all the time are small. One of them is 4 1/4", one other is 3 7/8", and the rest are all 4". Yes, it hasn't been fun and I had to do something to improve my accuracy.
Previously my table at 4 5/8, played larger because of the shorter shelves. And, also that it's 8.5'. Now it seems to play about like 4 or 4 1/4". Good for my game :/
Downside is that with pockets like these, I'm probably stuck with this thing forever, unless I could find a buyer that craves this kind of 'fun'

 

[SlateMate]

thanks for that 'soapy water' tip. cutting those cushions is difficult.

 

[Ralph Kramden]

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What are the angles on the side pockets?

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[jtompilot]

Great work but 3 7/8 is not going to be fun .

Sandcastle Billiards has a 3 7/8 table and a 3 3/4 table.
Clifton Billiards has a 3 7/8 table.

Personally I think 4 1/8 for 1P is plenty tight.

Nice work

 

[Lawnboy77]

Good work! Those side pocket angles on the old T-rail Brunswicks seem to be about 10 degrees wider than the post WWII commercial Brunswick’s. I suppose you could recut the new subrail extensions on the side pockets to make it a closer match to the modern day side pocket angle of around 102 degrees. Nothing wrong with sticking to original specs though. Do you mechanics know if the BCA spec changed over the years?

 

[forabeer]

Nice rail extensions, just did something similar on an old antique 8'. Just not that thick. Anything with pockets that tight I think of as a "practice" table. My buddy Gary (hpbygd here on AZ) has a 10' National with 3-7/8" corners and its no picnic.

 

[angluse]

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What are the angles on the side pockets?

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Good question. I would have to measure them again, carefully this time.

Those side pocket angles ..seem to be about 10 degrees wider..

Maybe one reason is that in the foldover of cloth, I didn't trim a triangle out, so there's extra cloth thickness at the throat. I just copied the folds the mechanic had done previously. All the documentation I found everywhere weren't specific about the cut, and as long as the front fold was tight, it seemed okay, so I didn't bother. Funny, you'd think it was the corners that gave me fits, but they're not so bad. It's that any steep angles to side pockets, even with the slightly shallower shelf, are next to impossible. So the side throat hasn't even been a problem yet, I can barely get in there to begin with.
My table has evidence of many recoverings, and the subrail ends were pretty chewed up in places. With my little plastic Harbor Freight folding angle checker, angles looked mostly okay, but that was in the initial restoration; for some reason this time I was looking mostly at the down angles :/
Photo 1 is my side pocket from when the mechanic setup a couple years ago. But he may have trimmed the 1/4" neoprene facings to correct angles - some I pulled off were cut and sanded on glue and/or outer faces.
Photos 2 and 3 are from a friend's 1940 Brunswick, similar design. His table was passed down in the family, cushions replaced but standard facings, so that has to be pretty close to original.