Table maintenance

[DeanH]

If you are looking, there are a few Dowsing Irons on ebay at the mo, be careful of the really old ones with too much rust, the old models which don't have a thermostat; and the cheap Chinese copies.
this one looks good condition, right model, etc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dowsing-Sn...AAAOSw8w1YA4N4

[nuts00]

Possibly the overlap.

I've tried breaking from everywhere over the years. I've narrowed it down to smashing it straight down the middle with bottom/right screw or cut breaking from the right for a consistent ball in the bottom right bag.

This table was awful for breaking on when I first had it, brushing/ironing has done a lot from it.

[DeanH]

Maybe the overlap is too much and some parts are getting possibly three passes?
I see you like to break from close to the centre, I often try the way out to the left or right (but not too close to the rail to affect bridge) for a change

[nuts00]

https://postimg.org/image/72g9c08rp/

The darker lines look as though I've missed it with the iron. But every part of the table would have been ironed. It's probably just due to not using a proper iron

[DeanH]

I wish I had taken a photo or two of the "artexed" table! There wouldn't have been any "not sure if you can see it on the photo" it was like a crazed lawn pattern!

[nuts00]

Don't know why I missed 3,apoligies. Yep of course I brush/iron down the nap of the table.
I'll see if I can attach a picture now

[DeanH]

you seem to have not answered question 3 (again)

Ironing, brushing, napping in only the direction from "baulk to black" is THE single most important part of table maintenance :biggrin:

at an old social club I used to use, the cleaner was asked to do the snooker table once; I went in later that day and took off the table cover, and the cloth looked like an "artexed" ceiling! there were arcs going across the whole table - got to admit they were perfectly matched .
It took about five brushes and napping to get the last arc out
Suffice to say, the club management did not ask the cleaner to "clean" the snooker table again

[nuts00]

1 yep
2 yep
4 yep
5 nope plays perfect

Thinking about it, I wonder if these streats are normal, it's just the iron us smaller and nit rectangular makes the streaks appear untidy.

But like u said, table plays perfect

[DeanH]

1. Yes, I do.
2. You can do, I don't bother.
3. Yes, that is very important.
4. Yes, otherwise you won't get the correct effect.
5. No.

sorry Philip my comments were directed to nuts00
(good morning by the way )

[philip in china]

1. Yes, I do.
2. You can do, I don't bother.
3. Yes, that is very important.
4. Yes, otherwise you won't get the correct effect.
5. No.

[DeanH]

a couple of points to ask, do you:
1. slightly overlapping your ironing runs?
2. as you start a run slightly rotate the iron so the short edges of the iron are not parallel to the run?
3. only iron in one direction, from baulk to pack?
4. add pressure for the run as Geoff says these irons don't have much weight?
5. after ironing do you notice any issue with balls going over/along the "streaks"?

[philip in china]

There are pretty well always lines on a cloth after it has been ironed. They don't make any difference to how it plays. Some people seem to get upset by them. THey don't worry me.

[nuts00]

Sorry I didn't explain it to great. It's nothing massive at all, but in certain light there does appear to be "streaks" of dark/faded cloth down the nap" Just wondering if ironing has caused this?
But if the iron was too hot, surely it would cause the same effect of the whole cloth not in streak's lol
Will too hot an iron cause this fading.

Before I had it I don't think it had been ironed. It's a supreme with what I think is a Strachan cloth.


I brought a waxing iron just to try out. Probably get a proper table iron next month.


I'll be replacing the cloth in the future, but just "ironing" out any faults in my maintence.

[DeanH]

Table maintenance

thanks Geoff for the info
dark/light lines? too hot/wrong direction/cloth material?

[Geoff Large]

The term Waxing iron is probably one of these small ski melt wax irons for using on small tables such as pool tables for £29.99 a little bit lower priced than a proper billiard iron but still better than nothing
they are thermostat controlled so fine the tight temperature for the cloth , some are 1005 wool others are part man made fibre which melt easy so a ,lower temperature is required .

you cna get them When in stock from Decathlon on line only not at the store https://www.decathlon.co.uk/waxing-iron-id_8319488.html

no good on a table over 7ft in my opinion so only recommended for a pool table or small home play slate bed billiard table .

A full size iron is always recommended but if you cannot afford one for your SMALL table then one of these will do if you press down a bit when using them as they are not heavy .
NO GOOD FOR LARGE TABLES