[drifter444]

Hello, I just bought a 5 x 10 Gold Crown I Snooker table. I will put a new finish on it (red mahogeny stain, then varathane to match the top formica color) and refelt the slate and rails. Questrion: Should I use Simonis 860 (Like I have on my 9 foot GC) or is there a "snooker table felt"? Also, should I use 2 1/8"balls or 2 1/16" balls for this table? The table was apart when I first saw it, so I don't know the width of the pockets.

[Bob Jewett]

Originally Posted by drifter444

Hello, I just bought a 5 x 10 Gold Crown I Snooker table. I will put a new finish on it (red mahogany stain, then varathane to match the top Formica color) and refelt the slate and rails. Question: Should I use Simonis 860 (Like I have on my 9 foot GC) or is there a "snooker table felt"? Also, should I use 2 1/8"balls or 2 1/16" balls for this table? The table was apart when I first saw it, so I don't know the width of the pockets.

Snooker cloth normally has significant nap, unlike worsted cloths like 860. The cloth used in most championships is Strachan. See http://www.milliken-wsp.co.uk/en-gb/...uct_range.aspx for more info.

As for the balls, it depends a little on the height of the rails. 2 1/16 which are the international standard are hard to find in the US, but the USSA has a few sets available.

Bob Jewett
US Snooker Association Treasurer

[drifter44]

Thanks for responding Bob, If the billiard balls are too big they will jump off the rails, correct? Well a little, anyways. Or does 1/8" not make a difference on this table? What would Brunswick suggest? It's difficult to communicate with them. The guy I got the table from had CORINA 1835 cloth. It also says GRANITO TOURNAMENT 2000 on the cloth. Never heard of this cloth! KS

[bsmutz]

My Brunswick is quite a bit older than yours, but I went through a similar process of refinishing it. I wanted my table to play like almost all of the snooker tables I've ever played on (west coast of US), so I went with Simonis 760. It is very fast, but achieved what I was looking for. I also went with the bigger (2 1/8") balls and play pool on the table with 2 1/4" balls all the time. On kick shots where the cue ball is close to the rail and I hit it too hard, the cue ball will come off the table, much like the big/heavy cue ball on a bar table. Also, on bank shots where the angle is short and it has to be hit hard to shorten the angle, the object ball will sometimes come up a little, but no biggie as that's fairly normal on any table. Other than that, I don't have any problems. When setting it up, I figured I wouldn't be playing on a regulation snooker table very often (and haven't ever) and I doubted anybody would be coming over that had ever played on a regulation snooker table either (and no one has), so I went for what I was used to playing on and what seems to be normal for our neck of the woods.

[Bob Jewett]

Originally Posted by drifter44

Thanks for responding Bob, If the billiard balls are too big they will jump off the rails, correct? Well a little, anyways. Or does 1/8" not make a difference on this table? What would Brunswick suggest? It's difficult to communicate with them. The guy I got the table from had CORINA 1835 cloth. It also says GRANITO TOURNAMENT 2000 on the cloth. Never heard of this cloth! KS

Gorina is a major cloth company in Spain. "Granito" is the brand of their high-end cloth. I'm not familiar with their snooker cloth.

Yes, usually the balls will jump if they are too large for the rails. Sometimes this can be helped by keeping all the equipment clean.

Bob Jewett
USSA Treasurer