Yellowed balls- Is there a fix?

I don't know where this sunshine thing came from, but I sure wouldn't do it. If it bleached the whites to be lighter, then it will have the same effect on the nice colors that you don't want to bleach. Just get them out of the box and play them. I've done that numerous times with old cue balls and it works fine.
 
WildWing said:
I don't know where this sunshine thing came from, but I sure wouldn't do it. If it bleached the whites to be lighter, then it will have the same effect on the nice colors that you don't want to bleach. Just get them out of the box and play them. I've done that numerous times with old cue balls and it works fine.
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It doesnt bleach the color. The science behind it, is that the phenolic is photosensitive, and a lack of light is what causes discoloration. Its a known fact about some plastics, but I was looking for people who have actually tried and can report it working on pool balls before I wasted any significant time on it.

As to playing with them, Ive read that one before too. If I had to guess at it, I would guess its the lighting again, as "playing" and colliding with each other wont do anything chemically to the plastic to affect the color.

I use full spectrum lighting in my shop, so thats where Im starting. ;)
 
Johnnyt said:
I don't need one. The ball companies have them, but don't want pool balls to last forever. They need repeat sales. Johnnyt
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If Aramith came out with "Aramith: Everlast" series tomorrow, claiming to use a new formula that never discolored, you don't think they'd sell so many sets it would be worth their while?

Balls wear out plenty from everyday use, and occasionally chip or get thrown at people... basically they need to be replaced often enough for other reasons. I don't think a master conspiracy across all manufacturers to let them yellow intentionally would benefit them as much as you imply.
 
shinobi said:
If Aramith came out with "Aramith: Everlast" series tomorrow, claiming to use a new formula that never discolored, you don't think they'd sell so many sets it would be worth their while?

Balls wear out plenty from everyday use, and occasionally chip or get thrown at people... basically they need to be replaced often enough for other reasons. I don't think a master conspiracy across all manufacturers to let them yellow intentionally would benefit them as much as you imply.
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Don't waste your breath, Johnny is only happy when he is griping or whining. :thumbup:
 
I have a theory.....
If you start practicing with a yellow cue ball....
....and you keep at it till it turns white..
.....you'll be in dead stroke.
:dance:
 
Johnnyt said:
I don't need one. The ball companies have them, but don't want pool balls to last forever. They need repeat sales. Johnnyt
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Yeah, and it would cost $2000 and need replacing every 2 years because of nicks and chips just like now.

If they were made of material to withstand the pounding they take forever, they would be unplayable.
 
I change pool ball sets every 15-18 minths........I always play with the Centennial series by Saluc, i.e. Aramith. During this period of time, I keep a brand new, back-up set of Centennials sitting on my closet shelf in the dark the entire time I play with my other set of Centennials. It stays that way until I sell the set of Centennials in use, and then the new set gets rotated into play and I buy another new set as back-up.....just like now which I've done for the past 5-6 years.......none of the stored sets of Centennial pool ball sets has ever faded or changed color in my experience.

Nonetheless, there is a point at which color does become effected and sometimes the color never entirely comes back after a certain point of discoloration has occurred and I suppose it;s the severity of the color change. Personally, I like the look of the aged pool balls which reminds me of a Patina that eventually starts to build up with older age metal weapons, like guns as an example.

I am not certain how long the pool balls would have to remain in the dark but I know it does happen just like pool balls gradually become smaller over the years from the wear & tear of being played a lot. I guess it's just the nature of the beast but all in all, pool balls sets with inconsistent object ball and cue ball specs, i.e., size and weight, is a lot more important to me than the faded look issue of a set of pool balls.

Matt B.
 
Chuck Fields said:
It doesnt bleach the color. The science behind it, is that the phenolic is photosensitive, and a lack of light is what causes discoloration. Its a known fact about some plastics, but I was looking for people who have actually tried and can report it working on pool balls before I wasted any significant time on it.

As to playing with them, Ive read that one before too. If I had to guess at it, I would guess its the lighting again, as "playing" and colliding with each other wont do anything chemically to the plastic to affect the color.

I use full spectrum lighting in my shop, so thats where Im starting. ;)
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A cue maker here posted pics of a yellowed CB that he had power buffered, and it was definitely a lot whiter in the area that he buffed. He also said that people who use old 9-balls as stick shift knobs have them bleach (or chemically change) whiter in the sun inside the car. Window glass filters out most UV light, so I think maybe it's not the spectrum so much as the light intensity.

Direct sunlight is hundreds of times more powerful than any sort of consumer light source. When I had my violin shop I once put a crappy old fiddle in the window as a display piece. Within a few weeks one half of it that got direct sun shining on it had turned from deep red varnish to a disgusting light brown. The side that was shaded by the window frame was unchanged.

BTW I have full spectrum lighting over my table and the balls are out in it 24/7 (I usually leave the lights on all the time since they are low-power CFLs), and there is only a very small change in the color after a couple years. I suspect the change is more due to wear than to the table lighting.
 
Here's a pic of my Centennials when I first got them. They were the first issue from Aramith (it just says "Made in Belgium" on the box) after Albany Billiard Ball lost the Brunswick account, so they were at least 20 years old when I got them. They came in a pristine box from a guy who had a few new sets leftover from a room he closed many years ago. Personally, I think they look kinda nice this way, like an old yellowed ivory piano keyboard. :wink:

As you can see in the photo, though, they aren't all uniformly yellowed. The 10-ball is lighter than the rest, and the 15-ball is the darkest. They still look different from each other after two years in play with me hitting a couple thousand balls a week on the average.
 
Use them, enjoy them ....they have character. Perfectly white looks a little bland and kind of sterile. Have fun.
 
xplor said:
Soak your balls in Hydrogen Peroxide*also see retr0bright.
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Ive seen that method posted for ABS type plastics. Wasnt sure if it would have a bad reaction to phenolic or not.
Ive seen 12% peroxide (hair bleach from a beauty parlor)
Peroxide, oxiclean, glycerin, and a 4th ingredient painted on the plastic and put under UV light etc.

Like I say, I did some research..... LOL

Basically I was looking for a tried and true method on pool balls vs experimenting. I'll try the peroxide on a couple of other old balls though and see how it goes.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions! :thumbup:
 
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Vintage phonlic

We can professionally restore yellowed phenolic pool balls.

It's expensive tho and the practice is not commonly known in this country...not that I know of or found..



Rob.M
 
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