Proper Iron Temperatures??

[Mike P]

Hello, I am from northern Canada and to say that snooker is scarce up here is putting it mildly. I am new to the group and have been lurking for a couple of weeks. I must say that there has been some interesting reading. Also I have been to a few other groups, and for the most part, this one is quite civil.

I am in the market for a new cue and sure I will have questions later.

I purchased an iron (common Chinese brand) for my table and have searched the net for proper ironing temperatures. I did read that if it burnt a piece of newspaper, it was too hot. I didn’t want to try this test because I figured I could get ink residue on my new iron. Also somewhere it stated that if the iron was too hot it would have a baking effect and cause premature wear. I know that it is not a precision tool as far as all irons reading the same temperature, but there must be some guide line as to the average setting to use. Can anyone be of help??

Mike

[cueman]

We recently had a brand new dowsings Iron for the club I play in as the old one had packed up. Interestingly it came with a few instructions and also a guide to the heat setting it should be used at.

Basically it depends on the cloth used on your tables. If its a bonafide Strachan cloth, i.e. very good quality then iron the table on 8-9, the highest setting. Then it had a list of the different grades of cloth and the recommended setting it should be used at. I don't know if the iron you purchased is actually for use on tables or whether its just a standard clothes iron so I can't really say.

In my opinion if the iron is leaving tram lines on the table, then its too hot. Basically try it on a low setting and work your way up until you are getting the table looking right.

[davipp]

I asked this same question to the bloke who set my table up and he told me that the cloth was wool so if you gauge the temp off your normal clothes iron when its on wool setting that should be sufficient. As Cueman said you don't want it to leave tram tracks & to overcome that, angle the iron and overlap the last ironed spot.

[bullseye]

Hi Mike

I am also from Canada, Kelowna B.C. What is the name of your Iron and where did you get it??? Bob

[Mike P]

Thank you for the advice on the temperature setting. If I understand correctly, the setting on the iron you speak of, is set at a temperature of 80-100% of its maximum heat. I think your guide line of tram marks is probably an accurate statement. I guess I’ve been using too high a setting because I do see lines.

I am a rookie at ironing a cloth, so I apologize for what possibly is a naive question. The first time my cloth was done, I had the iron turned at ninety degrees to the side cushions. This way fewer passes would be needed. On my last pass the iron was turned to run along the cushion. Afterwards I noticed that section of cloth seemed too ly flatter. I presume the reasoning is that more weight is applied to the fibres when making a 4 inch pass, as compared to a 9 inch pass?
Sorry for getting long winded... My question is should I be making a 4 inch pass, or does it matter and is each pass continuous from one end to the other?

Thanks for the help, I’ll turn my iron down.

Mike


[QUOTE=cueman;363330]We recently had a brand new dowsings Iron for the club I play in as the old one had packed up. Interestingly it came with a few instructions and also a guide to the heat setting it should be used at...

[Mike P]

Thanks for the advice. Before purchasing this iron I used a clothes iron. I used the same logic on the clothes iron and set it to wool. I will try your suggestion pertaining to gauging the temperature. I will check the temperature of both irons using a meat thermometer. At times I had the iron angled, but will do it on all passes from now on.

Thanks,
Mike

[QUOTE=davipp;363485]I asked this same question to the bloke who set my table up and he told me that...

[Mike P]

Hi Bob,

I am from a town in northern Ontario called Cochrane. We are the first rail stop south of James Bay. We had a mild spell last week, but have returned to normal. Last night it was a balmy -25 degrees, and the same is forecasted for this evening.

I purchased the iron on ebay from Welsh Pool Supplies. It cost me $280 Canadian to my door. I purchased a voltage converter on the net ($50) because of it being 220 volts. The iron works great, but in hindsight I should have just attached a male plug to the iron, plugged it in to see how hot it would get. A good indication as to how efficiently it is working, would be,(as suggested by Davipp) compare temperatures with a cloths iron set to wool. Out of curiosity, at some point I will plug it directly into an outlet. Also I should state that the seller did say that I could just throw a plug on it and it would be ready to use.

About a year ago I was told that it would cost me between $400-$500, due to the shipping. I think the difference ironing makes on the playing area is worth it.

Mike

Hi Mike

I am also from Canada, Kelowna B.C. What is the name of your Iron and where did you get it??? Bob

[poona]

Iron the table using the iron in a diagonal position. You need minimal overlap. And the highest setting you can use without feeling a drag from the cloth. After time you can tell the correct time with tapping your hand on it.

I hate the new dowsing irons with thermo settings. They don't go hot enough in my opinion and cut out too quickly. See if you can get one of the old dowsing irons with no temp gauge. They're the best to have with club cloths.

[ToBad4U]

I can't believe that I'm reading about ironing because I don't even iron my shirts or pants, my better half does that.

I don't own a table yet, but how often should it be ironed?

BTW...I pass the information on to my better half when needed.

[Mike P]

Bill,

I can only speak from my limited experience. I usually practice nightly and since my new iron is still a novelty, I have been ironing once a week. By no means am I saying that this is proper, I first vacuum, then wipe the cloth with a damp rag, followed by ironing.

Also make sure your wife irons your shirts going with the nap.

Mike

[noel]

Also make sure your wife irons your shirts going with the nap.

Mike

A Good Wife knows that regular, proper servicing makes the balls run much better!


=o)

Noel

[ToBad4U]

A Good Wife knows that regular, proper servicing makes the balls run much better!


=o)

Noel

Agreed.

However I will probably have to iron the table.