Vacuuming Cloth.

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
The guy who put the 860 cloth on my table told me the best way to preserve it is to vacuum it at least once a week. He went on to tell me that just brushing the cloth causes it to build up between the cloth and the slate.

I was wandering if anyone had an opinion on this practice. Is vacuuming your table good advice or no?
 
Not sure if it is good practice or not but we vacuum Shorty's table to get the cat hair off the felt. Haven't seen any probs with it.

skippy
 
mnorwood said:
The guy who put the 860 cloth on my table told me the best way to preserve it is to vacuum it at least once a week. He went on to tell me that just brushing the cloth causes it to build up between the cloth and the slate.

I was wandering if anyone had an opinion on this practice. Is vacuuming your table good advice or no?
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Most poolrooms vacuum their tables at least once a week. Carom Cafe in New York City vacuums their 3-cushion tables after each use. It is the ideal way to take care of the cloth.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Most poolrooms vacuum their tables at least once a week. Carom Cafe in New York City vacuums their 3-cushion tables after each use. It is the ideal way to take care of the cloth.
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I had been told that vacuuming was dangerous because it could suck out the filler used in the seams between the pieces of slate. Is that an old wives tale? Or, doesn't apply to today's table setup technology/materials? Thanks.
 
mnorwood said:
The guy who put the 860 cloth on my table told me the best way to preserve it is to vacuum it at least once a week. He went on to tell me that just brushing the cloth causes it to build up between the cloth and the slate.

I was wandering if anyone had an opinion on this practice. Is vacuuming your table good advice or no?
Click to expand...
Vacuum is preferred only if you know that the slate seams were filled with beeswax or epoxy.

If he used a plaster-based filler between the pieces of slate, it may crack and loosen, which will be sucked out when vacuuming and remain under the cloth.
 
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ScottR said:
I had been told that vacuuming was dangerous because it could suck out the filler used in the seams between the pieces of slate. Is that an old wives tale? Or, doesn't apply to today's table setup technology/materials? Thanks.
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That's an interesting question that I'm not entirely prepared to answer. In the poolroom I worked in, there were tables that hadn't been reclothed in years (the unfavorable ones usually used by non-serious players) yet we still vacuumed them as frequently as the others which was about twice a week. The seams always appeared to be in good shape. I'd have to say that the primary reason for exposed seams would be faulty craftsmanship and/or people sitting on the table.

For a home table, you really shouldn't need to vacuum it more than once a week which really isn't a whole lot. If you're reclothing once a year or two, I doubt it would cause any damage.
 
marissayi said:
Vacuum only if you know that the slate seams were filled with beeswax or epoxy.

If he used a plaster-based filler between the pieces of slate, it may crack and loosen, which will be sucked out when vacuuming and remain under the cloth.
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Ok, I know you're not a table mechanic but do you play one on tv?

(or did you just stay at a Quality Inn Hotel?)
 
Thanks, Marissa and Jude. My home table is being set up tomorrow. I'll see how they do it, get their opinion and post tomorrow.

Marissa, Steve DOES know what he's doing, right???? j/k :cool:
 
ScottR said:
Thanks, Marissa and Jude. My home table is being set up tomorrow. I'll see how they do it, get their opinion and post tomorrow.

Marissa, Steve DOES know what he's doing, right???? j/k :cool:
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Um, sure, Steve who? :p
 
My table was sealed with Beeswax, I watched him do it...so we should be able to vaccuum it with ease. I also gotta brand new vaccuum Skippy! Damn thing was 550 bucks, but can suck a golf ball thru fifty feet of garden hose. One of those new Dyson jobbers...called the Animal and is especially for pet hair. Also has a cool 17 foot hose and all kinds of attachments.

Looking forward to getting it uncovered and sucking off the pussy hair.

Shorty
 
mnorwood said:
The guy who put the 860 cloth on my table told me the best way to preserve it is to vacuum it at least once a week. He went on to tell me that just brushing the cloth causes it to build up between the cloth and the slate.

I was wandering if anyone had an opinion on this practice. Is vacuuming your table good advice or no?
Click to expand...

I vacuum my table. For sure you can lift up little pieces of filler from the seams if you are not careful. I use a furniture brush attachment, and take care NOT TO LIFT THE BRUSH OFF THE CLOTH. I learned this from dislodging little chunks of filler by lifting the brush :( I also learned how to get rid of the annoying gravel under the cloth .... gently pulverize (oxymoron alert) the spot with a small hammer or even a ball (thanks to my buddy Scott who showed me this trick).

Dave, who's not a table mechanic, does not play one on TV, and is awaiting abuse over the suggested method of reducing debris under the cloth ...
 
RichardCranium said:
No abuse...I am just curious how gravel would get under the cloth in the first place???? :confused: :confused:
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Chicken ! The 'gravel' is actually bits of body filler that got loose in the seams, then some idiot came along and vacuumed the table but lifted the vacuum brush off the table a bit too much, lifting the bits of filler underneath. They come into play when you don't want them to, so reducing them to dust is about the best one can do imo.

Dave, the (reformed) idiot
 
when I was in germany we vaccumed before each league match on Saturdays that helped speed the tables up and prevented chalk build up we had tables seams smoothed with bees wax and a man made epoxy as long as the table mechanic did a good job we never had any problems with our tables covered with simonis. also will help keep hands and in turn shaft clean.
 
RichardCranium said:
I guess this would be a point for using Beezwax instead of Bondo....

When the bits come out doesn't that leave a hole????
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Why would that be?
Ernesto is adamant about not using beeswax b/c he says they melt.
He uses Bondo and I don't see any reason why Bondo would chip from vaccuming.
 
RichardCranium said:
I guess this would be a point for using Beezwax instead of Bondo....

When the bits come out doesn't that leave a hole????
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No, I think a small bit of bondo becomes dust. The process does not leave a mark on the cloth, btw.

Maybe I'll try beeswax next time, I have many pounds of the stuff from my fathers farm :). It smells better than body fill too !

Dave
 
JoeyInCali said:
Why would that be?
Ernesto is adamant about not using beeswax b/c he says they melt.
He uses Bondo and I don't see any reason why Bondo would chip from vaccuming.
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It wasn't the vacuuming that chipped the bondo. My table has a 3 piece slate (duh). When it was installed in my new house 8 years ago the basement floor was perfect. Now it has heaved and cracked, and the table it not level anymore. My theory is that the seams have been moved a bit, cracking the bondo. Then, when Dave the idiot vacuumed the table one time and lifted the brush off the table, the thing sucked the cloth away from the slate, dislodging the bits of bondo. They landed where-ever, and resulted in a small bump under the cloth. They will move a slow-rolling ball, very annoying. Of course it's all that idiots fault for messing up the vacuum job.

Dave, who might not use beeswax anymore, I'll have to keep score.
 
Sorry bout that.
I figure if Bondo is good enough of a filler for car or motorcycle bodies, they're rigid enough for tables.
Heck, I know one very good cuemaker who used Bondo in his cues. lol
But, it worked.
 
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