Cleaning Billiard Table Cloth 0
A well enjoyed Pool Table is going to get dirty. It's a fact you can't deny. You've got the normal "dust" and fuzz ball issue, pet hair if you have a pet in the home, chalk trails, accidental spills and sometimes things you can't quite identify.
The main thing to remember when taking care of the cloth on your table is never, ever, ever use a vacuum on it. This is going to pull and stretch the cloth which dramatically decreases its' durability, not to mention affect the play of the table. Not much is more frustrating than having a shot lined up perfectly, only to have a wrinkle in the loose felt send your shot off in a completely different direction.
When you clean your felt, it's a good time to clean the balls too. For the balls, warm water with a little bit of detergent works well and rinses clean. Wet a towel, wring it out, clean each ball and set aside to air dry while you tend to the cloth.
For cleaning the cloth, begin by using a special brush to sweep the bumper railings debris on to the table and then sweep any debris or lint from the edges and around the pockets, towards the center of the table. Use straight motion with your sweep, don't go circular. You want to keep your motion going with the weave of the felt so it doesn't "pucker" or shift.
Once you've swept the bumper railings and edges and are ready to begin the full table sweep, begin in the middle and work towards each end. Remember to keep straight motions, no side to side or circular.
At each end of the table, lightly sweep the debris on to a piece of thin cardboard or dust pan. Make sure your dust pan doesn't have hard plastic edges or metal along the bottom that can accidentally snag or tear the felt. The ones with a soft, pliable rubber edge work great.
Some people use a vacuum attachment to clean the inside of the pockets. We recommend using a clean, damp towel to wipe them out. Don't even bring the vacuum out and you won't be tempted to use it on the felt.
If there is a spill on the table, it's best to clean it immediately with a dry, white, cotton absorbent cloth. If the spill is not recent, use a slightly wet, warm, absorbent cotton cloth. Water only. Soaps will leave a mark and some residue. Place the cloth over the area and let it do the work. Don't over-saturate the felt and don't rub- this will stretch the felt and weaken that area. Pat over the area until the spot is removed.
There are some commercial cleaners labeled for table top cleaning. They have been formulated to offer a "dry clean". Talk with a specially trained representative at your local Pool Table retailer to see if they have a product you would like to try.
- Christian Gould
- Tags: Guides
Game Room Maintenance Tips 0
Keeping everything well maintained and clean in your game room is going to help ensure your pool table and equipment last a long time and give great play.
The easiest way to keep your game room maintained is making sure all of your accessories have a designated place for storage. This can be a seating bench with storage under the seat, cue racks on the wall or a cue stand in the corner or even the addition of Legacy's Perfect Drawer mounted to your table.
Once you have the designated "place" for everything, stay in the habit of putting things back when not in use.
Keeping the cloth on your pool table clean is another challenge. Dust, pet hair, crumbs, lint and debris seem to collect pretty quick on there; especially along the edges and under the rails and in the pockets. Invest in a good table felt brush to gently sweep all particles in a straight motion from the edges towards the center or from one end towards the other. Don't use circular motions. Some people use a hand held vacuum on their cloth but this invites the risk of stretching the felt which makes it loose on the table. If you keep your cloth maintained and cleaned on a regular basis, you can easily add a few years to how long it will go before needing replacement.
Another thing to keep in mind with your felt, when playing, make sure players aren't wearing any jewelry or watches that may snag on the felt and rip it or pull on it. And don't go too crazy with the chalk. Every time you chalk your tip, that adds more dust that works its way down through the cloth and, over time, wears down the felt.
For the woodwork and leather, avoid harsh chemical cleaners and stick to cleaners specifically designated for wood or leather. A leather cleaner with natural oils will help keep your leather supple and prolong the life of your pockets. Apply any cleaner as directed. Buff with a clean soft cotton cloth to remove any excess product.
Depending on how often you play, it's a good idea to clean the balls often. Clean balls and a clean table is going to prolong the life of all of your equipment and keep your shots accurate.
To clean your billiard balls, warm soapy water will do the trick. Simply use a damp cloth and wipe each ball to remove chalk and wear marks. Never use bleach or ammonia as your cleanser. Just a gentle, small amount of soap in warm water.
Another option is a cleaner specifically for your balls. Your local game room dealer can help you with a selection. Don't put damp balls on the felt during cleaning. Pool tables and moisture do not get along!
For those of you that have darts, keep your board dust and lint free and store all darts in a safe place where the tips and flights are protected. Replace flights when worn and tips when bent.
Keeping the room in general tidy will, in turn, make it easier to keep your game room equipment and accessories clean.
- Christian Gould
- Tags: Guides
How to Make Shuffleboard Adjustments 0
When you've got a new shuffleboard, there are three important adjustments you'll need to make to your table to ensure optimal playing and accuracy for tournament play.
1. Check the legs: Make sure they're level and even to avoid your puck sliding to one side.
2. Sway: This helps control the pucks speed. You'll want to raise up the end of the table just a little bit. This keeps the pucks from coming off the end of the table for more accurate play.
3. Climate: The hardware under the table keeps the playing surface at the right curve to keep your puck in the playing area.
You can hear more about these adjustments explained by Cris Gould in this Legacy Video.
- Christian Gould
- Tags: Guides Shuffleboards
Game Room Seating Options 0
So you've got the perfect pool table for your game room and it's time invite people over to check it out. But wait... where's everybody going to sit? We've got you covered with some great game room seating options.
So, let's start planning our seating arrangement with the minimum amount of people needed to play pool: two. Consider a spectator chair that gives players a comfortable place to sit while waiting on their turn to shoot. These chairs are specifically designed for game rooms and are meant to be used along with the billiard table. These chairs also have a place to rest a pool cue and set down your drink.
So you've got enough space for you and your buddy to sit when you're playing pool. What happens when word gets out and more people want to check out your game room? A pub set is an easy and affordable way to provide a small entertainment area near the billiard table. Pub tables come in many sizes, a 30-inch diameter pub table is designed for smaller rooms and should have 2 barstools to make the set complete. A 36-inch diameter pub is adequate for larger rooms and can hold as many as 4 barstools, and can easily be expanded to accommodate 6 seats with a conversion top. Pub sets also come in various heights. With 40 to 42-inch heights being the standard, depending on your room’s size and placement of the pub. The 36-inch café height may be used to avoid interference with the pool cue during play. Also, make sure the pub seating you choose corresponds with the height of your table. If you purchase a 36-inch high café table you’ll need a 25-inch high café stool while a 40 to 42-inch high table will require a 30-inch high pub stool.
At this point, if you have five friends over, everybody has a place to relax, watch pool and enjoy a cold beverage. If you're game room gets even more jam-packed, think about getting a home bar set.
- Christian Gould
- Tags: Guides