smoothness of table cloth

[Terry Davidson]

The experience I have with my table which has WOE 6811 Gold on it is as follows. I practice about 4-6 hours every day with some lin-up and then regular frames of snooker.

I will brush my table daily and then 'block' it right after to comb down the nap. I iron the table about once a week.

I've found this routine keeps my cloth looking good and playing fast and about the only problems I have is divots at the spots which I correct by changing the spots and the marks around the colour spots, especially black, pink and blue which I don't think I can do anything about as they're just normal wear and tear.

A cloth will last me easily 3 years or more. My basement is very dry as I keep an air exchanger running 24/7 and that removes some of the humidity although I live in a medium humidity area (less than the UK let's say)

Terry

[wannabenumb]

I might be wrong, but from playing at many clubs, balls will run faster on smooth and clean cloth. The Club I am playing now will clean and iron the cloth after each player/group has finished their playing. Or after some 5-6 games of 15-reds. Hourly charge is only US$4/hour day or night. Cleaning/Ironing takes about 10 minutes (quick one) and counts into the hourly rate. At night, when the club closes, all tables will be ironed again to ensure 'tournament' playing grade on the next day.

Hi unclevit, till date i've been working in a local club as a supervisor for think 5 weeks already. Previously tables' maintenance there ain't carry out regularly, as "looks" tells alot and ain't deciving at all in terms of cleanliness. Played a few shots and felt the speed of balls are quite slow. Now that they're being taken over by me and do you think i can remedied the situation ''halfway'' through? I don't wish to waste my time and effort if all these must be done since day one where table cloth are being replaced, only then it'll be effective. Im looking at 15 snooker tables and 20 pool tables, thanks!

It tells me that you're visiting a very professional club just by the cleaning/Ironing repetitions done each game and every night. There must be lots of staff working there if im not wrong.

[wannabenumb]

The experience I have with my table which has WOE 6811 Gold on it is as follows. I practice about 4-6 hours every day with some lin-up and then regular frames of snooker.

I will brush my table daily and then 'block' it right after to comb down the nap. I iron the table about once a week.

I've found this routine keeps my cloth looking good and playing fast and about the only problems I have is divots at the spots which I correct by changing the spots and the marks around the colour spots, especially black, pink and blue which I don't think I can do anything about as they're just normal wear and tear.

A cloth will last me easily 3 years or more. My basement is very dry as I keep an air exchanger running 24/7 and that removes some of the humidity although I live in a medium humidity area (less than the UK let's say)

Terry

Hi Terry Davidson, thanks for sharing with me your schdule on this and i appreciate it! I do brush the table every two days as i've got more than ten tables to maintain.

[Terry Davidson]

wannabenumb:

In a club environment the tables will get much more use than my private table at home. In order to decide what you should do you should first look and see if there's still a nap on the table and there is not bad wear around the pocket openings, especially the top pockets. If the nap is still good on these club tables I would recommend you brush the tables daily (if they're getting a lot of use) and also block them daily but only iron them once a week.

Also, if the club happens to have a high moisture environment (like cooking area open to the table area or else a 'fung shui' water fountain or something) then you should iron them more often.

Even though you have 10 tables, you can brush them and block them very quickly and with not a lot of effort. The main problem with brushing is people tend to apply too much pressure to the brush and take off more nap than chalk dust. The brushing should be done very lightly, with just enough pressure to remove the chalk marks and move the dust and dirt down to the top cushion and then brushed sideways underneath the top cushion to the top-yellow-side pocket. Remember to shake the dust out of the pocket net.

The same with blocking, do not use a lot of pressure and use the blocker just like an iron and it will comb down the nap very nicely. Each table would take less than 10 minutes to do like this and then add another 5 minutes per table when you iron them.

This routine will keep your tables in good shape and with a good speed as long as you are not in a high moisture environment. If the club has air conditioning then that is much better as it will remove the humidity in the air.

Terry

[Fisherboi]

Good playing table are hard to find in Singapore...
Most of the table I encounter, the spots where you place the colour ball, sink down. Example getting the black to the corner pockets and cannon up the pack, you will find the black pick off by jumping~! Kinda annoying...

wannabenumb, may I ask which club you're working in?
Or maybe you can introduce any nice snooker saloon in Singapore?

[Geoff Large]

Good playing table are hard to find in Singapore...
Most of the table I encounter, the spots where you place the colour ball, sink down. Example getting the black to the corner pockets and cannon up the pack, you will find the black pick off by jumping~! Kinda annoying...

wannabenumb, may I ask which club you're working in?
Or maybe you can introduce any nice snooker saloon in Singapore?

A table with sinking spot problem is caused by no spot on the cloth and also banging of ball on top of spot .or very heavy use i.e open 12 to 24 hours and in constant use .
spots should be replaced say every month . Black and pink spots tend to wear out quicker .
stretching of bed cloth will move the black spot by about 12mm back and also move the corner pocket track wear , by moveing the spot back 12 mm the new spot is a new base for a ball to sit on , but it still requires a spot to protect the cloth from wear by constant placeing of ball in one place, stretching prolongs the life of the cloth , but its all down to use , if a cloth has had extremly busy life in a short time then a recover every year is the answer ( even every 6 months on say no 10 or hainsworth match ), and if that is the case they can hardly say they have not had the money in revinue to pay for it .

many tables have no spots on them at all just a small x marked on the cloth , this is because they see a table on TV without spots , this makes them copy this , what they forget is the TV table has a new cloth every 3 days , where a club table has to last at least 1 year , but normaly 2 years .

[inevermissblue]

I do the tables at our local club once a week only. I used to do it twice a week but i don't get the time nowadays. When i did them twice a week i would omit vacuuming for 1 week as this is too excessive!
As for the soapy water advise, i would stick to it as its the best thing you can do to prolong the lifespan of the cloth. Only the other day, i went to a club where it was more than evident that they dont do it. They confirmed as much when i asked them (politely of course). As the spin i applied was quickly being taken away by the greasy surface of the cloth gripping the white, and the tell tail signs on the cushions were there to be seen(black, ground in dirt and grime from peoples hands etc).
So to summarise, brush,vacuum,pad,then damp pad(ever so slighly soapy water) and iron! I also use the damp towel to clean the cushions and wookwork too!

[Geoff Large]

I do the tables at our local club once a week only. I used to do it twice a week but i don't get the time nowadays. When i did them twice a week i would omit vacuuming for 1 week as this is too excessive!
As for the soapy water advise, i would stick to it as its the best thing you can do to prolong the lifespan of the cloth. Only the other day, i went to a club where it was more than evident that they dont do it. They confirmed as much when i asked them (politely of course). As the spin i applied was quickly being taken away by the greasy surface of the cloth gripping the white, and the tell tail signs on the cushions were there to be seen(black, ground in dirt and grime from peoples hands etc).
So to summarise, brush,vacuum,pad,then damp pad(ever so slighly soapy water) and iron! I also use the damp towel to clean the cushions and wookwork too!

Vaccum on a table at youre risk , unless you know the filler in the joints are sound it is an expensive mistake , the vaccum will lift the filler out on a slack cloth ( cloths lose tension after a few months }, it only takes a small grit sized piece to come out and be pulled along by vacum and dropped onto slate surface further along under the cloth , then you have a lump under the cloth .
most billiard fitters are trained to give that advice out because of the experience of haveing to take a cloth off that someone has vacumed ,just to sort the lump out .

I agree that soapy water will remove grease from any sort of cloth ( washing up liquid takes grease off plates ), but water shrinks wool when a iron is used on it ,water = shrinkage in 100% wool , damping billiard cloth will cause it to shrink ,when a stretch is required it will not stretch the required distance for area's of wear to be replaced like in the corner ball runs and slate fall or spots . so waste of time having it stretched halfway through a cloths life .

because you have vaccumed the table it will not have much chalk dust in its weave , this is good because the soapy water you used would have binded chalk dust like wallpaper paste and send the cloth like cardboard if chalk dust is plentyfull .

so I think you have been lucky that either the slate joints are perfect which is unusual , and no filler has been used , of you have been lucky so far .
plus the club do not stretch their cloths .

By all means wipe the grease off the cushions as this will not effect any of the above . but its best not to damp or vaccum a bed cloth .

[wannabenumb]

The experience I have with my table which has WOE 6811 Gold on it is as follows. I practice about 4-6 hours every day with some lin-up and then regular frames of snooker.

I will brush my table daily and then 'block' it right after to comb down the nap. I iron the table about once a week.

I've found this routine keeps my cloth looking good and playing fast and about the only problems I have is divots at the spots which I correct by changing the spots and the marks around the colour spots, especially black, pink and blue which I don't think I can do anything about as they're just normal wear and tear.

A cloth will last me easily 3 years or more. My basement is very dry as I keep an air exchanger running 24/7 and that removes some of the humidity although I live in a medium humidity area (less than the UK let's say)

Terry

Hi Terry Davidson, i can see the improvement in terms of speed from the table. What i did was nearly like yours except for the changing the spots and marks around the colour spots! Thanks for sharing.

[wannabenumb]

wannabenumb:

In a club environment the tables will get much more use than my private table at home. In order to decide what you should do you should first look and see if there's still a nap on the table and there is not bad wear around the pocket openings, especially the top pockets. If the nap is still good on these club tables I would recommend you brush the tables daily (if they're getting a lot of use) and also block them daily but only iron them once a week.

Also, if the club happens to have a high moisture environment (like cooking area open to the table area or else a 'fung shui' water fountain or something) then you should iron them more often.

Even though you have 10 tables, you can brush them and block them very quickly and with not a lot of effort. The main problem with brushing is people tend to apply too much pressure to the brush and take off more nap than chalk dust. The brushing should be done very lightly, with just enough pressure to remove the chalk marks and move the dust and dirt down to the top cushion and then brushed sideways underneath the top cushion to the top-yellow-side pocket. Remember to shake the dust out of the pocket net.

The same with blocking, do not use a lot of pressure and use the blocker just like an iron and it will comb down the nap very nicely. Each table would take less than 10 minutes to do like this and then add another 5 minutes per table when you iron them.

This routine will keep your tables in good shape and with a good speed as long as you are not in a high moisture environment. If the club has air conditioning then that is much better as it will remove the humidity in the air.

Terry

Hi Terry, i really appreciate what you've just taught/recommended me and i will heed your advises. Two things for sure Terry... 1.>There'res no 'Feng Shui' fountain and 2.>My club has got several strong cooling units!! :snooker:

[philip in china]

I think Terry is on the ball here. Even a home table where you spend say 3 hours a day, every day of the week, (and that is a LOT of snooker) gets only a small fraction of the use of a club table.

I probably average between 90 minutes and 2 hours a day on my table BUT it is mine so I take a lot of care with it. I always clean the balls as I take them out of the box, I make sure my hands are clean when I am playing, I don't allow food in the room with the table. A gin and tonic has been known to find its way into the room but NEVER onto the table edge! Same rules with cigarettes and cigars. Such routine care, I hope, will ensure that the cloth will last a long time. How many clubs care for their tables like that?

[wannabenumb]

Hi philip in china.... i dun really get you when you say terry is on the ball here?!?

[philip in china]

He had posted to say that these questions are largely a matter of how much use a table gets. A home table gets only a small fraction of the use of one in a club. Also if it is your own table it is likely to get better care and maintenance.

By "on the ball" we mean he is correct. Nothing to do with snooker balls! Sorry for my slang.

[RCMIGil]

Quick question.

How best to remove the old spots. Just carefully peel away? Also, how best to install new ones?

[wannabenumb]

He had posted to say that these questions are largely a matter of how much use a table gets. A home table gets only a small fraction of the use of one in a club. Also if it is your own table it is likely to get better care and maintenance.

By "on the ball" we mean he is correct. Nothing to do with snooker balls! Sorry for my slang.

It's alright philip in china, yup he's on the ball ya... i'll follow his on the ball way to make sure my customers enjoy their game to the fullest! :snooker: