Table maintenance

[inevermissblue]

Hi Geoff! Well this is a good starting point. As since i started to use this product on our match table, we have'nt looked back! Its totally transformed the table, bringing it close to near new conditions. Coupled with the use of cleaned/polished match balls.
We were unaware of the implications for table fitters when needing to stretch the cloth. Fortunately this didn't apply to us as this cloth is fairly old anyway, hence our recent research to try to revive it!
So...We have got a winning formula here by the looks of it! Basically if you have a worn cloth(post stretch), then it will greatly benefit the use of starching, once a month.
We played a league match last night on an untreated, worn clothed table and we instantly noticed the difference. Very greasy, lots of kicks, uncleaned match balls. Was the most unpleasant experience ive had since doing what weve done!
So i would urge any clubs out there who maybe considering a recover, to try what we have done and see how long their new lease of life actually lasts for!!!

[Geoff Large]

The use of starch when fitting cloth is for american pool cloth which slackens off very easy . I use it all the time on tables at Butlins on the american pool tables when fitting new cloth .

The use of starch on napped pure wool cloth will send it hard like cardboard , while you have good results on your worn out cloth and I have no objection to anyone using it on worn cloth after the 1st re-stretch of bed cloth ,

NEVER use it on new cloth that has to have a re-stretch at some point in it's life as trying to stretch cloth that is as stiff as cardboard is not going to happen .
The use of a little water spray around the middle pocket on the TV no 10 cloth is to shrink any wrinkles out of this hard to stretch and form around the middle falls , as you iron it the cloth shrinks because it is wool and it has been damp , look on TV and you will see the water marks around the middle falls , this is just a damp spray or damp fingers to put the water into the cloth around the fall .
I have never seen anyone use starch on Pure new wool cloths and would not recommend it as it sends it like cardboard .

So if you are never going to have your bed cloth's re-stretched by all means use the starch , but if you expect to re stretch the cloth at some point half way through the cloths life span then do not use it .

I have to look at it from a fitters point of view and not a players , and I would be cursing if someone had sprayed starch on a cloth I had to re-stretch .

American pool cloth is much different to pure new wool napped snooker cloth , I think what has happened is a cross over of someone trying starch they normally use on the speed cloth fitting of american pool tables to the middle pocket falls of a full size snooker table in place of the damp water and shrinking with the heat of the iron to form perfect around the falls , then thought what would happen if I sprayed the whole cloth .

I think someone should write to Strachan and hear their views of using starch on their product .

[inevermissblue]

Hi folks! PLEASE READ THIS AND PASS IT ON! This is probably the most valuable and exciting advice i have ever been given. Furthermore... the more i read on this forum about peoples concerns regarding conditions, wear and tear etc. just makes this all the more necessary to share!
I like so many others who clean tables, have done the usual brush, pad and iron. Again and again and again. Over time we just accept that the slide from newly fitted cloth will disappear and just become yet another ordinary table. Despite varying cleaning regimes, the table will look clean and play to a tolerable level...Until now!!!!!
I was advised by fellow player, who has been playing for well over 30 years, and cleaning tables for just as long. I noticed that the club he cleans tables for has the best playing characteristics i have ever seen, apart from the effect of newly fitted cloth or televised tournaments. So i asked him what 'else' he does to the table??? Now i know that the table fitters use Starch on the middle pockets to aid the fitting off the cloth as the starch hardens the cloth to protect the cut needed for the curvature of the slate! or words to that effect. Well... we did try this Spray Starch on our table at our club. Bearing in mind that it has a bed cloth, long overdue to be replaced!!! So thought, why not! Well i have to say that the results were staggering!!!
What we did was to remove the dust, of which there was lots due to the cover not being used for some considerable time. i Ligthtly vacuumed the table. Then i brushed the table to get the stubborn dust out. Then Slightly vacuumed again with our handheld vac ( Draper Handheld) Absolutely made for Snooker Tables!!! Then i padded the table. Now for the magic!!!
Spray Starch costs about a quid from most places. I used the aerosol type.
So...with the iron switched on, i gave the bed cloth a light covering of the Spray Starch holding it quite high so that it covers the entire playing surface with a mist. Then we got an unused/new table brush(soley for the starch). I then brushed the starch into the bed cloth as you would with the iron, in one motion. Then finally ironed the table.
The results were incredible!!! We proceeded to play with cleaned TC balls and it changed the conditions like you would not believe!!! The slide from off the cushions had returned as if it was a new cloth. No more square bounces and believe me or not we played for 3 hours, and had 1 kick!!! Remember! this was a well past its used by date cloth that we had no more time for. This i must guess has given it at least another 12 months playability. I mean real playing conditions!!! I was told to only use the starch once a month to just help to restore the slide from the bed cloth!!! Well you know what they say...Seeing is believing.... I for one am a big believer!!!! My love for the game has reached new heights! However...Its very frustrating to now play elsewhere on 'ordinary' 'cleaned' tables!
Can't wait til i next see the guy, as he had a drink coming his way!!! I salute you sir!

TSFers! Don't deprive yourselves of infinite enjoyment! DIY!!!!!!!!!! You will not regret it!

I know that there maybe differing opinions to this advice, but the results speak for themselves and if this restores a table back to new playing conditions them i'm 100% behind it, as the benefits far outway any negatives!

PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES!!!

[philip in china]

One of the historians will correct me if I am wrong but I think I heard that some early balls for snooker were made from some form of nitrocellulose.

Of course all you trinitrates are "interesting", Trinitro glycerine is what puts the bang in dynamite and gelignite and trinitrotoluene is our old friend TNT. Better stop now or special branch will be closing the site!

[bricktip]

Sounds a bit 'DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!'

[philip in china]

Nitrocellulose I don't know. Trinitro cellulose is guncotton so if you do use that stuff I recommend caution! Maybe get some and try it on a bit of scrap cloth and see how it works.

[bricktip]

Bricktip, Cellulose thinners is much mre volatile and a much better solvent than ordinary thinners. They really are very different- like the difference between say petrol and paraffin.

What about nitrocellulose thinners? Is there a difference? That's what they seem to sell here in the B&Q style shop.

[philip in china]

This table gets quite a bit of use. I hope my next one will get a good deal more!

[Geoff Large]

Sweat off youre hands transfered to the table cloth and balls then transfered back onto the block when you wipe it down , sometimes you get it in clubs as a build up on the cushion edge and ontop of the cushion woodwork , sweat is excreated with salt and any other muck that is in the cloth or on the balls tends to stick to it , the build up is sometimes consistant to wax , you must be playing that table often to get a build up Phil .

[philip in china]

I have discovered something really strange today. As I have said previously I brush, block and iron my table pretty well every day. Today I looked at the cloth on the block. It has developed a build up of what I can best describe as a black tarry residue. It is only ever used to block the table so what could it be? I have absolutely no idea.

[philip in china]

Bricktip, Cellulose thinners is much mre volatile and a much better solvent than ordinary thinners. They really are very different- like the difference between say petrol and paraffin.

[bricktip]

Celluslose thinners will remove permanent marker ink. Use a scrap piece of snooker cloth and wet with cellulose thinners. Rub line with the nap, never against it. This will remove the unwanted line. I use it all the time.

Is there an important difference between cellulose thinners and normal thinners?

And... why not against the nap? Would this do some damage even if brushing the nap back in the correct direction afterwards?

Taking it further, is it wrong to brush cushions against the nap to get dust out and then brush the correct direction when done? If it's wrong, why?

[throtts]

This might have been covered earlier in the thread but I couldn't find it. My table is played on every day usually for anything from 2 to 6 hours. I have quite a bit of free time these days so every day I brush it, block it and iron it. Comments I have heard are:
1. So much attention won't make any difference to the table. Actually I think it plays better but that feeling might be purely subjective.
2. This amount of "care" will wear out the cloth much faster.

I would be interested to hear any observations please.

I dont thimk it should be iron everyday buddy...

[philip in china]

This might have been covered earlier in the thread but I couldn't find it. My table is played on every day usually for anything from 2 to 6 hours. I have quite a bit of free time these days so every day I brush it, block it and iron it. Comments I have heard are:
1. So much attention won't make any difference to the table. Actually I think it plays better but that feeling might be purely subjective.
2. This amount of "care" will wear out the cloth much faster.

I would be interested to hear any observations please.

[bricktip]

Is there a special glue for this?