In production you're always going to have a + or - in the final playing surface of the tables. Sometimes they'll turn out perfect, other times they're within 1/8" either way, that's production, but it's within standards.
Glen
T Rail vs Vertical bolt rails
- Thread starter larryt
- Start date
In production you're always going to have a + or - in the final playing surface of the tables. Sometimes they'll turn out perfect, other times they're within 1/8" either way, that's production, but it's within standards.
Glen
otlb...
you are just the most argumentative ********* [imo] i have ever encountered on azb...
there may be some close to you in this regard - but none can compare!
at this point i see no alternative but to put you on "ignore"
you are the 1st - i had enough.
rkc, G-d bless you!
all the best even to you otlb,
smokey
you are just the most argumentative ********* [imo] i have ever encountered on azb...
there may be some close to you in this regard - but none can compare!
at this point i see no alternative but to put you on "ignore"
you are the 1st - i had enough.
rkc, G-d bless you!
all the best even to you otlb,
smokey
rails
my antique brunswick oversize 8 (t-rails, jumbo frame) plays great. the cushions are at least 40 years old and still rebound fairly true. but i do get the side bolts into the slate loosening up. about every three months i take off the side panels and re tighten the old original bolts. ive tried plumbers silicon pipe tape to try and keep them from loosening but still they loosen up.
as for the thumping sound of a bank shot, its not really existent after i tighten the bolts. but when the rails are loose i can tell the difference in the sound even though the rebound remains about the same.
now im no table mechanic but ive played on cheap to expensive tables in the last 50 years and for the most part i can tell no significant difference btween a t-rail top quality table and/or well built GC's or Diamonds of today. thats not to say they all play equally, they do play differently, but they all play dependably when one considers the speed, rebound, and levelness.
IMHO which usually isnt so humble as one might be able to tell. gerald
my antique brunswick oversize 8 (t-rails, jumbo frame) plays great. the cushions are at least 40 years old and still rebound fairly true. but i do get the side bolts into the slate loosening up. about every three months i take off the side panels and re tighten the old original bolts. ive tried plumbers silicon pipe tape to try and keep them from loosening but still they loosen up.
as for the thumping sound of a bank shot, its not really existent after i tighten the bolts. but when the rails are loose i can tell the difference in the sound even though the rebound remains about the same.
now im no table mechanic but ive played on cheap to expensive tables in the last 50 years and for the most part i can tell no significant difference btween a t-rail top quality table and/or well built GC's or Diamonds of today. thats not to say they all play equally, they do play differently, but they all play dependably when one considers the speed, rebound, and levelness.
IMHO which usually isnt so humble as one might be able to tell. gerald
First, I'm not a table mechanic, I am a woodworker(4th generation). I DONT want to get in the middle of the "arguments" here, but thought I would throw my two cents in.....
Ive often wondered about the t-rail setup myself. I acquired a Brunswick Regina, obviously t-rail, and I got to admit, it does seem to play a little different. 1.5 slate, jumbo frame, needs restoration, but I just put it together to have something to play on(had it assembled by someone who knows the "antique" tables VERY well). I also have a friend that sets up tables for dave and buster's.....from what he says they are some of the nicer tables out there. Needless to say, they each had their own opinions on the "right way" to set up my table. I went with experience, couldnt be happier. I have not had the side bolts loosen up.....yet....
FWIW......I will keep this table til i die, might get a newer one and have both, but there is just something to a table that is nearly 100 years old that still plays as well as it does. Will present day tables have the same longevity?
Ive often wondered about the t-rail setup myself. I acquired a Brunswick Regina, obviously t-rail, and I got to admit, it does seem to play a little different. 1.5 slate, jumbo frame, needs restoration, but I just put it together to have something to play on(had it assembled by someone who knows the "antique" tables VERY well). I also have a friend that sets up tables for dave and buster's.....from what he says they are some of the nicer tables out there. Needless to say, they each had their own opinions on the "right way" to set up my table. I went with experience, couldnt be happier. I have not had the side bolts loosen up.....yet....
FWIW......I will keep this table til i die, might get a newer one and have both, but there is just something to a table that is nearly 100 years old that still plays as well as it does. Will present day tables have the same longevity?
I'm not a table mechanic but try Loctite. Silicon (Teflon) plumbers tape is good for sealing leaks.
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Rail banger
Registered
I'm not table mech either, but I was thinking the same thing, or maybe even self locking nuts.
and make sure it's the blue loctite, not the red stuff. Blue is for fasteners that will need to be removed at some point in the future.
So, if I add a 2x4 to the back side of my T rails (opposite from the cushion) it will play better?Let me try and explain it this way for you T-rail guysA 2x6 bolted flat is going to be much stronger than a 2x4 mounted upright. It's all about the amount of wood behind the cushion which is what makes all the difference. When you think about it, both styles of rails are contacting almost the same amount of slate when bolted down, yet the sound effects are greater on a T-railed table when compared to a flat-down bolt designed rail. And, it also has a lot to do with just exactly how the flat-down rails are bolted as well, we're not talking Sears best here
Thicker slates were also required for T-rails, which also translated to heavier slates, which translated to much heavier frames, all of which didn't mean better playing tables. And just for everyone's info, the playing surface on a T-railed table is dictated by the nose of the cushion to the finish of the rail, not just the slate
Glen
Maybe?? I doubt it. It will likely look like there are 2 x 4's attached to all six rails around your table!
TFT
Ya and good luck finding bolts long enough. I forget the thread size 3/8-14?
I,m not a Professional but I uses to have a 1920's Brunswick Regal Carom table. Worked on it several times alone and with a few knowledgeable people.
As a novice, here's simply my 2c and just my opinion on the differences. The old T-Rails, even with the Compound Design are usually warped. Sometimes in 2 directions. Particularly noticeable with a 10 rail. It's not terribly hard to bring the rail straight and parallel to the edge of the slate since that's the direction of the clamping force. Getting them parallel/flat to the playing surface can sometimes be a challenge. Need clamps for this. With my table I only needed to clamp across the corners then tighten the bolts.
As far as the rails loosening? My opinion is the bolts lose their load from the heads sinking into the wood over time. Since wood doesn't have a consistent hardness over the entire length, you might find some bolts are fine and some loose. This means that a thread locker won't help at all. I don't believe the bolts are loosening from vibration. There's not enough of that IMO to cause this.
As far as noise when a ball hit the rail? T-Rails are simply noisier than the common modern design. I have noticed that the noise is more pronounced when the balls are dull and the cloth hasn't been cleaned.
With the GC and Diamond bolting design there's a different problem and was kind of mentioned earlier. That being getting the rails parallel to each other and again the problem is exaggerated with 10' carom rails. I've done a few hip checks on those to straighten a bowed rail. Of course this design makes it easier to get the cushion nose height consistent since the clamp force is vertical to the slate.
I still prefer T-Rails but wish the old ones were made like Verhoeven does it. Pretty Strong I think.
