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Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: menace on October 31, 2005, 01:21:17 pm

Title: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: menace on October 31, 2005, 01:21:17 pm
I picked up a pool table this last weekend and i noticed that the 8 ball set included is very yellowed (not cracked scratched or dented in anyway) their only drawback is that the white areas now are yellow-ey.  Anyone know of any tips tricks to return them to their whiteness or do i just toss them in favour of new ones?
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: ChadTower on October 31, 2005, 01:39:24 pm

Chuck 'em, it's probably nictone stains.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Stingray on October 31, 2005, 01:41:02 pm
Bonus points for having the uh, you know, to ask this question on this board. ;)

-S
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: ChadTower on October 31, 2005, 01:41:44 pm

Seriously, it was so Barry Bonds to the Bay easy, I just gave him real advice.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Goz on October 31, 2005, 01:44:41 pm

Seriously, it was so Barry Bonds to the Bay easy, I just gave him real advice.


You can take them to pretty much any pool hall and they will polish your balls for a small fee $10 - $15 typically.

Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: ChadTower on October 31, 2005, 01:46:23 pm

If it's stained into the ball itself, though, as nicotine will do, they will just be shinier yellow.

It's like pinball, just got a cool toy, replace a few parts with new ones.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Stingray on October 31, 2005, 01:47:38 pm

You can take them to pretty much any pool hall and they will polish your balls for a small fee...


...it was so Barry Bonds to the Bay easy...

-S
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: SirPoonga on October 31, 2005, 01:48:20 pm
You can take them to pretty much any pool hall and they will polish your balls for a small fee $10 - $15 typically.
Or for twice that get some decent new ones.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Goz on October 31, 2005, 01:49:17 pm
For $30 you can buy  new balls (http://cgi.ebay.com/Top-Performance-Billiard-Ball-Set-Pool-Balls_W0QQitemZ7191974310QQcategoryZ75193QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Goz on October 31, 2005, 01:50:21 pm
They are your balls do with them as you please. Polish them or don't.  Just please no pics  ;D
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: menace on October 31, 2005, 01:53:00 pm
i purposely left pics out--such a loaded topic and you guys are too handy with photoshop for my tastes :D i will just get new ones.  I figured i would ask cause someone may have found that crest toothpaste and a cotton ball might do the trick--never know with you guys.... ;)
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: RayB on October 31, 2005, 02:02:38 pm
You can take them to pretty much any pool hall and they will polish your balls for a small fee $10 - $15 typically.

 ;D  What can I get for $50?
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: ChadTower on October 31, 2005, 02:06:04 pm

Well, for $15, Murray does it.

For $50, you may get a woman.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Harry Potter on October 31, 2005, 02:46:23 pm
For $0.05 you get Drew
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Goz on October 31, 2005, 02:48:31 pm
For $0.05 you get Drew

If you wait long enough Tommy will pay you to let him do it.  ;D
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Harry Potter on October 31, 2005, 02:50:56 pm
For $0.05 you get Drew

If you wait long enough Tommy will pay you to let him do it.  ;D

Drew has more experience handling balls. Tommy just wants to put them in his mouth.  :-X :-X :-X
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: AC. on October 31, 2005, 05:47:43 pm
I saw this topic title and thought "Oh no" - ball cleaning - its gonna be a GREAT discussion.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: Ken Layton on October 31, 2005, 06:26:14 pm
Wildcat Products makes an excellent pool ball cleaner. It's # PBC-15. You can use it by hand or machine.

Happ Controls stocks it as their part number 26-1263-00.

I've used this cleaner/polish myself on old nicotine stained pool balls and it works great! I do it by hand (lots of elbow grease) and use a terry cloth towel to apply it. Your balls will come out like new (pool balls that is).

Of course if you don't have this cleaner, Novus #2 plastic polish works almost as well.

Some pool halls do indeed own a ball polisher machine so it might be worth it to phone around to see if one near you has one and what they would charge you.

When I worked for Capitol Amusement we had pool leagues and tournaments. We only used the best-of-the best pool balls, Belgian first quality (around $100 a set), so it was worth it to clean & polish a set. Sure you can go out and buy a cheap set of balls, but most players can definitely tell the difference in play.
Title: Re: Any way to clean yellowed pool balls?
Post by: DrewKaree on October 31, 2005, 08:42:30 pm

Seriously, it was so Barry Bonds to the Bay easy, I just gave him real advice.


You can take them to pretty much any pool hall and they will polish your balls for a small fee $10 - $15 typically.



Yeah, but they always make me sit in that funny chair and I simply WILL NOT continue to let them take pictures so they can demonstrate the "Before" and "After" effect.  I mean, I KNOW what the heck they USED to look like, that's why I BROUGHT em to ya!

bos8, if you ask nice, I might let ya handle 'em.  It's a shame you don't have any to handle yourself, though.  ;D  Mebbe next time you're near your buddie's "back porch" you can give him a Sunday Surprise!



Two guys are walking down the street, and they see a dog licking himself.  The guy says to his buddy "Man, I wish I could do that!".  His buddy says "Pet him.  Maybe he'll let you".