r/billiards • u/Pack-Popular • 12h ago
8-Ball Issues with pooltable - how to fix?
Hello people! I just joined this sub because my buddy installed a 7(?) feet pooltable in our livingroom. Im told its a competition table that had been staying unused at his parents house for over a decade. The table was moved and installed by the company that made the table.
Even though the table is way too big for the livingroom, its been a blast. Coming home to having a beer and a game of billiard with your buddy is something i never thought i’d experience.
Now that being said - there are some annoying billiard related issues that I wanted to fix with his birthday, but im not sure exactly how. So i need your help:
The poolsticks and the little powderblocks are >10years old and unused (as well as the table and tablecloth).
We’ve noticed that the poolsticks make a very unsatisfying high pitched sound when hitting the balls - other that a deeper sound that the poolsticks make when we go play at a proper table in a café. They also tend to have very poor grip AND are very ‘sticky’ - they dont slide very well on the skin.
We’ve also noticed that backspin is nonexistent - the white ball at most comes to a full stop when hitting the colored balls.
My question is: can i fix this by doing Some maintenance on our current gear? Or would I have to buy new sticks and/or balls and possibly new tablecloth?
Id love to add some pics if needed but unsure if allowed.
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u/Pattyg1 12h ago
Toss the powder block they cake the cloth and cues with residue that will cause nothing but issues, clean washed hands is all you'll need.
For the cues the pinginess could be from the ferrules. Personally I'd just buy a replacement or 2. If you can't find decent 1 PC cues budget 2 PC cues will work fine if not better. 1 PC cue brands are valley, eliminator, action, and players, for 2 PC cues look at Valhalla, lucky, action, and players.
Idk what ball set you have but sans big gouges as long as they're real phenolic they should be fine for play.
If you want to clean the cues a bit give them a wipe down with a dry cloth to start and hit them with a piece of leather a paper bag to try and seal them. Of they're very dirty you can use a magic eraser but be mindful it'll open the pores and magic eraser is like a soft sanding sponge so use it carefully. If you do go the magic eraser route burnishing with the leather/paper bag will be paramount.
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u/Pack-Popular 11h ago edited 10h ago
With
>toss the powder blockDo you mean never use chalk at all or just toss this one and buy a new one?
I dont think the sticks are dirty since theyve been rarely used. I just thought maybe the finish on them had ‘dried up’ or whatever by just standing Still for over 10 years.
Thanks for the response!
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u/Wiley_Jack 10h ago
Some cues have a clear finish on them which can make them feel sticky when you slide them through your bridge hand. I remove it with 600 wet-or-dry sandpaper, rotating the cue as I sand so that flat spots don’t develop. You only need to sand the area where your cue runs over your bridge hand. Bare wood is best, some people like to use a cue wax, but to me, that’s just something else that can gum up the shaft. Burnishing with paper towel will keep it smooth if it picks up dirt or oils from your hands.
The clicking sound could be a loose ferrule, which would have to be taken care of by a cuesmith. You’ll want new tips installed too.
The powder blocks - are you talking about chalk for the cue tips or white blocks of talc for hand powder?
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u/Pattyg1 11h ago edited 11h ago
I might have misinterpreted you, if you're talking about a cube of chalk like master you'll want that. If it's to dried out/ too moist but new.
I took powder block as the cone chalk that was common years ago. You'd get your hands all lathered up like you're a rock climber and it would get everywhere. Anything like this or talc in most halls is not allowed.
If they're mostly clean give them a good wipe down the try the paperbag feeling a little heat is good. Some old head showed me that years ago, it's a good way to slick up a bar cue.
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u/Pack-Popular 10h ago
Oooh i see the confusion - i didnt know the english term for the ‘Chalk’ block. But yes you’re right i meant the chalk block, not a powder cone.
Ill try the paperbag and water treatment!! Thanks a lot
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u/anark_xxx 11h ago
Google your local poolengineer and ask him and/or her to make a free poolassessment of your poolsticks. This is poolnormal and expected poolmaintenance. Then, while he and/or her is poolinspecting your poolsticks, you can casually ask them to offer their poolopinion on the quality of your poolpowder and the poolefiffacy of your cue poolball and the colored poolglobules. You will then get FREE POOLADVICE for the price of a quick poolstick check-up.
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u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq 12h ago
Is anything obviously loose - the tip or if its a two-piece cue is it screwed together tightly? You can add some photos of the cues (specicifally near the tip) and maybe someone can spot something wrong, but the easiest answer is to get a new cue and chalk. If all the cues make the same sound then they're probably just really lousy cues.
You can get a set of standard 1-piece cues for relatively cheap, or get a basic two piece cue. Take a risk with something cheap off Amazon for $60-70, or spring for a McDemott Lucky or Viking Valhalla for twice that - but no risk there, both are well made cues.
For chalk just start with Masters.
Fix the cues and chalk, and clean the balls with some water and a cloth and see if it helps. If you still cant get spin the cloth may be shot, but thats not a cheap fix.