arguement about balls

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

What should I use to clean a set of old SC balls I bought off eBay, Vmax? They were quite dirty, so I started with fairy liquid and warm water, but the began going patch and discoloured so I stopped. Thanks!

[Neil2726]

Are you sure that these are Super Crystalate and not the older Crystalate? Supers have a solid colour throughout so the colour shouldnt discolour if they are treated correctly. Ive had my set since 78 and only the cue ball has lost it brightess, but a polish on a buffing machine will restore this. I just wipe mine over with a damp cloth!

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

Thanks, Neil - it was these (pic taken before I put them in a bowl of soapy water) :

[itsnoteasy]

What should I use to clean a set of old SC balls I bought off eBay, Vmax? They were quite dirty, so I started with fairy liquid and warm water, but the began going patch and discoloured so I stopped. Thanks!

I've had a couple of sets if these, aramith ball cleaner does a good job. A little bit on, rub it around the ball, wipe it off, use a dry cloth to buff. I did one ball at a time so it didn't dry onto the ball.

[fkhan]

Looking for a SC cue ball as mine is too light at 145 gms. All other balls in the set are in the 149 to 152 gms range. I would prefer a SC cue ball that weighs 152 gms. Please contact me if anyone has one to sell. Thanks.

[vmax]

Thanks, Neil - it was these (pic taken before I put them in a bowl of soapy water) :

Same box as mine so if they're genuine SC's this shouldn't happen. Now it could be that some old Aramith balls have been put in old SC boxes and sold as SC's either through ignorance or because there's a genuine movement to find these balls for players that are pretty annoyed with the way the Aramith's play on basic club tables and cloths. Maybe I'm to blame for that but it certainly might be something to look out for.

I went on the Aramith website and they say that their balls have a hardened coating on the outside that makes them polish up nice and shiny, if that's the case then this 'coating' might contain the colour and be easily damaged through heat and detergents. They can't be recognised simply by sight, weight or size, you have to play with them to notice the difference, the sound on contact is the give away, a sharper click but what might be a sign is a light blue colour rather than the aramith dark blue which is what yours seem to have so I'm somewhat flummoxed.

[itsnoteasy]

Looking for a SC cue ball as mine is too light at 145 gms. All other balls in the set are in the 149 to 152 gms range. I would prefer a SC cue ball that weighs 152 gms. Please contact me if anyone has one to sell. Thanks.

I'll weigh mine, although I'm pretty sure none are anywhere near that weight, iirc all my sets were pretty much the same weight as aramith balls, around the 142g mark. I did get a set in the black box which was around 145,but I'll be check and if there is one you can have it.

[fkhan]

I'll weigh mine, although I'm pretty sure none are anywhere near that weight, iirc all my sets were pretty much the same weight as aramith balls, around the 142g mark. I did get a set in the black box which was around 145,but I'll be check and if there is one you can have it.

Thank you INE.

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

Same box as mine so if they're genuine SC's this shouldn't happen. Now it could be that some old Aramith balls have been put in old SC boxes and sold as SC's either through ignorance or because there's a genuine movement to find these balls for players that are pretty annoyed with the way the Aramith's play on basic club tables and cloths. Maybe I'm to blame for that but it certainly might be something to look out for.

I went on the Aramith website and they say that their balls have a hardened coating on the outside that makes them polish up nice and shiny, if that's the case then this 'coating' might contain the colour and be easily damaged through heat and detergents. They can't be recognised simply by sight, weight or size, you have to play with them to notice the difference, the sound on contact is the give away, a sharper click but what might be a sign is a light blue colour rather than the aramith dark blue which is what yours seem to have so I'm somewhat flummoxed.

Thanks, VMax (and thanks Itsnoteasy) - I'll get some Aramith cleaner, give it a go and report back, although it might not be for a few months, as the SC balls are in storage at my parents at the moment. But will clean them, see how the colour comes back (or doesn't) and then take the to the club for a side by side demo for that click/sound.

[Cue crafty]

Thanks, VMax (and thanks Itsnoteasy) - I'll get some Aramith cleaner, give it a go and report back, although it might not be for a few months, as the SC balls are in storage at my parents at the moment. But will clean them, see how the colour comes back (or doesn't) and then take the to the club for a side by side demo for that click/sound.

We will all be interested in the results. Thanks. 🙏

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

It probably won't be until the end of April - but I won't forget and I'll let you know on here. In fact, I'll take some before/after pics of the discolouration/cleaning as well as an amateur verdict on the sound difference. I really hope they are SC, and that they are cleanable/restorable.

[itsnoteasy]

It probably won't be until the end of April - but I won't forget and I'll let you know on here. In fact, I'll take some before/after pics of the discolouration/cleaning as well as an amateur verdict on the sound difference. I really hope they are SC, and that they are cleanable/restorable.

I gave a pal a red SC to try in the dishwasher (he was going to do his 1gs, so I gave him it as a tester ball) and it came out whitey/pink but that would have been much hotter.

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

Yeah - this was just warm water and a bit of fairy liquid, so I was a bit shocked when they all started discolouring and going blotchy, but it was too late by then - I'd dumped them all in, in one go, rather than one at a time. Stupid of me, but it seemed pretty innocuous.

[itsnoteasy]

Yeah - this was just warm water and a bit of fairy liquid, so I was a bit shocked when they all started discolouring and going blotchy, but it was too late by then - I'd dumped them all in, in one go, rather than one at a time. Stupid of me, but it seemed pretty innocuous.

That is weird, hand hot water shouldn't discolour balls.

[vmax]

Thanks, VMax (and thanks Itsnoteasy) - I'll get some Aramith cleaner, give it a go and report back, although it might not be for a few months, as the SC balls are in storage at my parents at the moment. But will clean them, see how the colour comes back (or doesn't) and then take the to the club for a side by side demo for that click/sound.

Don't use aramith cleaner, it's abrasive and will make the surface of the balls rougher. As bikers we're told to never use Autosol on our chrome for the same reason, I use Peek metal polish because it's not abrasive. Soap and water should have been fine for your SC's, I cleaned mine only recently and my aramith spotted cue ball did go pink on the spots and the white colour was yellowy marbled after just a few minutes in the bowl along with my SC's which were untouched as per usual.