To play with clean balls or not?!

M

mantis99

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just recently finished making my ball polisher (which I'll post pictures of when I get a chance), and polished up the balls tonight. The difference in the play of the balls is Dramatic! The CB looks like something from trick shot videos. It takes longer for the spin to take, then it bites noticeably harder than before. Straight back draw shots definitely come back farther, and draw shots hit from an angle slide further out as the draw prepares to take, then pull back harder. It is very fun to play with the balls like this, but I worry about the adjustment it will be when playing anywhere else. I used a turtle wax car wax, then wiped the balls with a towel afterwards. It may be one thing to play with clean balls, but these waxed balls seem to play a little different. I will say though, the balls look like they did the day I opened the box.

Thus the question for those who clean their POOL balls. Do you just use a cleaner of some kind, or do you use a wax based cleaner, and what do you think of the difference in playing with these vs league night pool balls etc...
 
if you wax or silicone the balls, they will play very different. it's also outlawed in various equipment specification rules. the best cleaner/polisher for balls that i've found is the white aramith liquid. that should be all you need and it doesn't leave a film on the balls that make them play wacky.
 
I've waxed my measles ball a few times but I found it to play too unrealistic. It's unrealistic to the extent where you shouldn't get used to it in normal gameplay, in my humble opinion. Aramith ball cleaner gives you that nice slickness, but still within reason.
 
I have a Diamond ball polisher and they recommend using either the Aramith ball polish or Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer.

I use the Ultimate Quik Detailer because it comes in a spray bottle and is not as thick/creamy as the Aramith polish. The spray bottle makes it much easier to squirt on the balls and get full coverage while they are moving and doesn't gum up the buffing pads nearly as much if at all as a cream polish. The balls come out like new and slick but with no residue.

I would avoid waxing the balls. Any residue on the balls will only end up in the bed cloth and ultimately slow down the table by attracting dirt, dust, and chalk as well as make it more difficult to vacuum out. Secondly, it is against the rules to have any foreign substance on the balls.
 
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I use the Ballstar Bravo "Billiard Ball Cleaning and Gloss Solvent" in a home-made ball cleaner...what a DRASTIC difference in playability right after I've cleaned the balls with this stuff.
 
I use Plexus in my homemade ball polisher. Great product, its a spray created for the aeronautics industry for use on all plastic parts. leaves zero residue
 
anyone try armor all on the felt and the balls? very fast, almost unrealistic though. but you can find it almost anywhere!
 
i have a bludworth ballcleaner and use his cleaner which you can buy for $25. you dilute it 3:1
ive had no complaints using it
you will see it below the description of the ball cleaner
 
cleaning pool balls

With a mixture of mild liquid dish soap and water, gently wash each ball individually using a cloth (not a scouring pad). Rinse the ball with clean water and allow it to air dry. Any kind of wax or polish will make the ball slide or skid more than normal
 
I guess it's just a matter of what you are used to. I frankly prefer the balls a little dirty, or perhaps "used" is a better word... Like used for a day in a non-smoking pool hall. The little bit of build up lets me throw the balls to my hearts content, which you can't do much of with freshly polished balls. But in a smoking pool hall, forget it, that film of tar might as well be sticky wax... makes the balls useless.

Also at the end of the day I prefer the balls to be wiped down with a damp cloth, vs polished or using a strong cleaner. I also prefer them not to be polished until they actually need it, and then I wouldn't want to play a match with them until they get "used" up a little.

We have one room here that keeps them slick and spotless using cleaner and frequent polishing (it's a high volume room so the polishing is probably a necessity). The balls are slick and clean, but they are starting to vary noticably in size where you can't even rack without gaps between multiple balls.

We have another room that just keeps the balls clean by wiping them with a towel and polishes with minimal frequency. The balls are clean, play well, are all the same size after years... And I can definitely keep better control of whitey at the latter room.
 
IMO balls should be polished without wax. The best plastics cleaners are very mildly abrasive. Aramiths Restorer has a little more abrasives in it than the Cleaner.

The problem with wax, first of all is that it wears off in about an hour of play and therefore the game changes as the wax wears down. Waxed balls on new cloth you'll be able to get some really wild action for a while. It can be fun but its not what you'll see at most pool halls. The masse artists slick up the CB with Silicone. Wax is a close second. Kerosene I'm told is the best for Masse.

I've used most of these and pluses and minuses on all.
Arimith Cleaner and Restorer My current choice.
McGuires Plastix ?
Brillianize is recommended by many folks here as the best. I haven't tried it.
Polishing compound by hand.
3M Finesse-It?
Plastic Buffing compound on a cotton wheel. This is the best although it wears down the balls faster than other methods.
 
I bought a ball cleaner but the only time I ever use it is if the tournament being held has polished balls.
 
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