Too Cool!
Where'dya get that?
I've got the limited edition AZBILLIARDS model- I dig it::thumbup:
Where'dya get that?
The DELTA-13 rack, is it good? too expensive or worth the cost?
- Thread starter nancewayne
- Start date
Majic,
I don't have any relationship with the DELTA-13 folks. You'll have to contact them directly on their 800# on their website. I assume that it does have a warantee.
I don't have any relationship with the DELTA-13 folks. You'll have to contact them directly on their 800# on their website. I assume that it does have a warantee.
I saw this rack when Samm Diep had it at an OB Cues tournament. It looked great, but I never tried it myself. I guess I couldn't get past the price tag, and I'm the kind of gal that likes the best of everything.
What I don't understand is, how well does this rack do when you take it to a poolhall that has different sized balls? Or how about if the table has some nasty divet on the spot?
What I don't understand is, how well does this rack do when you take it to a poolhall that has different sized balls? Or how about if the table has some nasty divet on the spot?
I used the Delta 13 rack and like it a lot and I "usually" like to play in a quiet condition. You don't have to throw the balls into the rack or rake the balls with it if you don't like the noise. You can adapt to the small amount of noise with a little change of of your behavior. I'm very short, so when I rack to the spot, I'm usually bent over and standing on my tip toes to check all the balls are touching. When balls don't touch because rack is not even (because the plastic frame is bent or wood is warped), it causes annoying back pains when I attempt to rack over and over trying to manipulate the conditions...
I will gladly trade the back pain to few second of noise every time.
Is the price too much? If you plan to be a student of the game forever, like I am it's a well worth investment of one time. As long as you don't loose it, it should be good forever... even longer than my game, lol.
S.
I will gladly trade the back pain to few second of noise every time.
Is the price too much? If you plan to be a student of the game forever, like I am it's a well worth investment of one time. As long as you don't loose it, it should be good forever... even longer than my game, lol.
S.
Here's one of the FAQ's from their site
Q: The balls don't seem to rack any tighter. Why is that?
A: The rack's job is to compact the balls into as near a perfect triangle (or diamond) as possible. Wooden and plastic racks have sides that flex under pressure. They can also warp and are not machined into a perfect triangle like the DELTA-13 ELITE. Therefore, the balls are never in perfect alignment with wooden and plastic racks. With many of them, you can't even get all the balls frozen together before removing the rack.
Also, unless you are using Super Pro Aramith balls, you cannot trust that the balls are all the same size. Here's the test: Rack 15 balls with the DELTA-13 ELITE. Place your hands in the back of the rack to tighten the rack. Now, roll the rack along the table with the balls still tight. Are any balls turning? If so, those balls are undersized and will negatively impact your ability to get a tight rack with any rack.
Another possible problem could be the cloth. Over time, the cloth gets worn and the slate underneath gets chipped, especially near the rack from breaking over time. The fabric also gets dented. The balls tend to fall into these hard-to-see dips when the rack is removed.
Lastly, humidity may also be a factor. In humid climates, the balls and cloth get moist and pick up dirt. They tend to cling more and it becomes extremely difficult to get the balls to stay in one place when you remove the rack.
Mike
I just cant get past the price tag. I rememer when sardo was THE rack out there and everyone swore it was the nuts. Now its the delta 13. I could go bankrupt just buying all the racks out there sardo,club rack,delta 13, chameleon.....etc etc.
People just need to learn how to rack. (me included) Alot of people dont care about racking properly becuase its not them breaking. Rack your own, would solve alot of this.
Since i started practicing my break at home, ive had to spend Alot of time racking and it seems like the more I rack the better I am at getting it to rack tight. Even when im out at the PH on those crappy table it aint hard to get em to stick. It just takes practice. and patience.( which most people dont have because, again, its not them breaking.)
People just need to learn how to rack. (me included) Alot of people dont care about racking properly becuase its not them breaking. Rack your own, would solve alot of this.
Since i started practicing my break at home, ive had to spend Alot of time racking and it seems like the more I rack the better I am at getting it to rack tight. Even when im out at the PH on those crappy table it aint hard to get em to stick. It just takes practice. and patience.( which most people dont have because, again, its not them breaking.)
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The noise problem of the racks can be greatly reduced by inserting (glueing) thick material into the contour of the outside. It minimizes the resonance (vibration). However, it does cover any engraving on the outside surface! F.Y.I.
WOW!
I liked the look of the rack when I saw it in Jacksonville, FL.
I purchased one of the Delta -13 Elite racks and got a few autographs on the rack and have just kept it in my bedroom (no table at home for JoeyA) but with all of the accolades about how well it racks, I am tempted to start bringing it to the pool hall, signatures and all.
JoeyA
I liked the look of the rack when I saw it in Jacksonville, FL.
I purchased one of the Delta -13 Elite racks and got a few autographs on the rack and have just kept it in my bedroom (no table at home for JoeyA) but with all of the accolades about how well it racks, I am tempted to start bringing it to the pool hall, signatures and all.
JoeyA
A nice point -- learn how to rack properly!
TXsouthpaw:
You have a great point -- learn how to rack properly, and not just "toss a pyramid / diamond of balls out there on the footspot."
However, one of the greatest advantages of the Delta-13 / Delta-13 Elite is its simplicity -- it's just a simple triangle. (But an extreme precision triangle milled to thousands-of-an-inch tolerances!)
The problem with the other racks you mentioned is that, although a nice idea at first, they tended to be too "gimmick-ey." (E.g. the Sardo was bulky [especially in Straight Pool where it forbids break balls close to the rack], and clumsy to use; the Chameleon is all plastic and [to me] looks like a Rube Goldberg design with lots of moving parts and therefore more things that can break; the Club Rack and MasterRack products are thick and bulky -- not conducive to Straight Pool for the same reason as the Sardo; etc.) The Delta-13, on the other hand, is just a simple triangle -- everyone knows how to use it, extremely well made and accurate, and it's thin in design -- I'm able to select break balls that are closer to the rack now, because of the Delta-13's design.
I think the poster that recommended adding some kind of vibration dampener to the outside of the rack has a great idea (nancewayne, post #30). I might investigate filling-in the milled-out recesses on the side of my Delta-13 Elite rack (i.e. where the custom engraving is located) with a clear rubber compound (so the engravings will still be visible) to absorb these vibrations. Hmm... got me thinking about what clear rubber filler compounds would be good for this purpose?
The only issue with the Delta-13 racks is that they will immediately reveal size imperfections in the balls on the table you're playing on. Just as the Delta-13's FAQ mentions, some balls will be smaller in size than the rest in the same set -- either imperfectly manufactured that way or else worn down from use -- and you'll immediately see this when you're racking. When you place the balls in the Delta-13, put pressure on the balls to force them up into the apex of the triangle and freeze them, and then slide the rack on the table with the pressure applied, you can visually see some of the imperfect balls rolling -- meaning they're slightly smaller than the rest. To get a perfectly tight rack, you have to relocate these undersized balls to the back, if the game you're playing will allow relocation of those balls. I was playing on a bar table at a local pub just last night, and I had to "memorize" which were the undersized balls, and make sure to locate these balls in the back row.
Hope this is helpful,
-Sean
TXsouthpaw:
You have a great point -- learn how to rack properly, and not just "toss a pyramid / diamond of balls out there on the footspot."
However, one of the greatest advantages of the Delta-13 / Delta-13 Elite is its simplicity -- it's just a simple triangle. (But an extreme precision triangle milled to thousands-of-an-inch tolerances!)
The problem with the other racks you mentioned is that, although a nice idea at first, they tended to be too "gimmick-ey." (E.g. the Sardo was bulky [especially in Straight Pool where it forbids break balls close to the rack], and clumsy to use; the Chameleon is all plastic and [to me] looks like a Rube Goldberg design with lots of moving parts and therefore more things that can break; the Club Rack and MasterRack products are thick and bulky -- not conducive to Straight Pool for the same reason as the Sardo; etc.) The Delta-13, on the other hand, is just a simple triangle -- everyone knows how to use it, extremely well made and accurate, and it's thin in design -- I'm able to select break balls that are closer to the rack now, because of the Delta-13's design.
I think the poster that recommended adding some kind of vibration dampener to the outside of the rack has a great idea (nancewayne, post #30). I might investigate filling-in the milled-out recesses on the side of my Delta-13 Elite rack (i.e. where the custom engraving is located) with a clear rubber compound (so the engravings will still be visible) to absorb these vibrations. Hmm... got me thinking about what clear rubber filler compounds would be good for this purpose?
The only issue with the Delta-13 racks is that they will immediately reveal size imperfections in the balls on the table you're playing on. Just as the Delta-13's FAQ mentions, some balls will be smaller in size than the rest in the same set -- either imperfectly manufactured that way or else worn down from use -- and you'll immediately see this when you're racking. When you place the balls in the Delta-13, put pressure on the balls to force them up into the apex of the triangle and freeze them, and then slide the rack on the table with the pressure applied, you can visually see some of the imperfect balls rolling -- meaning they're slightly smaller than the rest. To get a perfectly tight rack, you have to relocate these undersized balls to the back, if the game you're playing will allow relocation of those balls. I was playing on a bar table at a local pub just last night, and I had to "memorize" which were the undersized balls, and make sure to locate these balls in the back row.
Hope this is helpful,
-Sean
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Delta 13
I think it's one of the best racks out there. Tony Robles uses this rack for the Predator tour in NYC.......I luv it!!!!!
FRankie
I think it's one of the best racks out there. Tony Robles uses this rack for the Predator tour in NYC.......I luv it!!!!!
FRankie
I will admit it, I broke down and bought one. I was introduced to this device from the billiard coach (www.billiardcoach.com) Mike Fieldhammer himself. We used it for a few matches on some Valleys during a bar table tourney. It really helped speed things up as well as allow for good racks.
I couldn't justify spending the $134 or $139 or whatever the Elite model costs. I liked the look of the Elite model and didn't want the plain one.
I used the Internet as my friend and found a pretty good deal on Ebay. I bought the Elite rack with two instructional DVD's for $81 shipped. Not too bad.
There was also a red Elite model on here that was sold pretty cheap.
If you can find a deal on these, I think they are well worth the money. I think I would have eventually broken down and bought one at full price if I had to.
Now I just need to continue on the checklist of pool items needed (ball return on my Diamond Pro, Diamond light, ball washer).
I couldn't justify spending the $134 or $139 or whatever the Elite model costs. I liked the look of the Elite model and didn't want the plain one.
I used the Internet as my friend and found a pretty good deal on Ebay. I bought the Elite rack with two instructional DVD's for $81 shipped. Not too bad.
There was also a red Elite model on here that was sold pretty cheap.
If you can find a deal on these, I think they are well worth the money. I think I would have eventually broken down and bought one at full price if I had to.
Now I just need to continue on the checklist of pool items needed (ball return on my Diamond Pro, Diamond light, ball washer).
instructional video on racking anywhere?
Good thread Wayne!
Hey, not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if there's a YouTube or something that teaches people how to rack?
It IS a skill that is learned. I wish more players would take the time to learn how to move the balls to get 'em tighter.
The Delta is truly good for the game! :thumbup: But every table, every set of balls, and every day's conditions are different you sluggers!
Good thread Wayne!
Hey, not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if there's a YouTube or something that teaches people how to rack?
It IS a skill that is learned. I wish more players would take the time to learn how to move the balls to get 'em tighter.
The Delta is truly good for the game! :thumbup: But every table, every set of balls, and every day's conditions are different you sluggers!
That probably won't happen to any significant degree until players are required rack the balls for their own breaks.
"How to rack ..." instructional videos on YouTube
KoolKat9Lives:
Try this selection of videos:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=expertvillage&view=videos&query=billiards+%22how+to+rack%22
Hope this is helpful!
-Sean
Good thread Wayne!
Hey, not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if there's a YouTube or something that teaches people how to rack?
It IS a skill that is learned. I wish more players would take the time to learn how to move the balls to get 'em tighter.
The Delta is truly good for the game! :thumbup: But every table, every set of balls, and every day's conditions are different you sluggers!
KoolKat9Lives:
Try this selection of videos:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=expertvillage&view=videos&query=billiards+%22how+to+rack%22
Hope this is helpful!
-Sean
you get what you pay for in this case
I just watched two of those. They were pretty bad! LOL.
One demonstrated to the viewer how the balls are supposed to be racked in numerical order. He also more-or-less slugged himself and left a dead 1-9 combo. :rotflmao:
The other guy implied that you should use the diamond-shaped 9-ball rack if it's available. LOL. Since he said theirs was broken, he demonstrated how you can improvise in a pinch and use the triangular-shaped racking device. Does that really work?
He also recommended that if you're giving a ball as a handicap, you may want to use that as the wing ball since it's less likely to be pocketed on the break. :killingme:
I just watched two of those. They were pretty bad! LOL.
One demonstrated to the viewer how the balls are supposed to be racked in numerical order. He also more-or-less slugged himself and left a dead 1-9 combo. :rotflmao:
The other guy implied that you should use the diamond-shaped 9-ball rack if it's available. LOL. Since he said theirs was broken, he demonstrated how you can improvise in a pinch and use the triangular-shaped racking device. Does that really work?
He also recommended that if you're giving a ball as a handicap, you may want to use that as the wing ball since it's less likely to be pocketed on the break. :killingme:
Improved knowledge to rack with a Delta
Thanks Sean. These videos are too elementary though. They don't address what to do when pushing up on balls in the rack doesn't get 'em tight.
Such as how to push the balls to spin them in hopes balls make better contact. When to take a problem ball and move it to the back of the rack, hoping the jigsaw puzzle fits better that way. When to push hard up on the rack, when not. When to spin just that one or two balls that are playing with your patience. Not to rub the frick outta the felt and prematurely wear it.
I see guys that have played for decades not employ any of these simple tips. It took me a long time to get proficient doing this, and it shouldn't have to take people 24,358 racks to finally "get it", only after someone wants to belt ya for leaving 'em a slug.
Tips like that, shown on a video might make life more pleasant for a lot of folk. And of course, shown using the Delta rack! :thumbup:
Thanks Sean. These videos are too elementary though. They don't address what to do when pushing up on balls in the rack doesn't get 'em tight.
Such as how to push the balls to spin them in hopes balls make better contact. When to take a problem ball and move it to the back of the rack, hoping the jigsaw puzzle fits better that way. When to push hard up on the rack, when not. When to spin just that one or two balls that are playing with your patience. Not to rub the frick outta the felt and prematurely wear it.
I see guys that have played for decades not employ any of these simple tips. It took me a long time to get proficient doing this, and it shouldn't have to take people 24,358 racks to finally "get it", only after someone wants to belt ya for leaving 'em a slug.
Tips like that, shown on a video might make life more pleasant for a lot of folk. And of course, shown using the Delta rack! :thumbup: