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During the colder months, when seasons end for activities like baseball, softball, racing etc., I gather weekly with a group of friends for a winter 8-ball pool league. Last week, I got a troubled call from one of the table owners. Attempting to clean his prized set of Brunswick Centennial Billiard Balls (MSRP $449), they took on a nasty yellowish-gray haze once immersed in warm water. It was so bad that you couldn’t discern the purple 4-ball from the green 6-ball or the black 8-ball if they were oriented such that you couldn’t see the numbering. Of course, being the resident detail guru, I told him I’d see what I could do.
Once I got them home, I tried APC, but to no avail. Inspecting them under bright light, they gave the appearance of serious finish oxidation, gray and crusty-looking. On a whim, I reached for some of my old-school Meguiars polishes and started doing some test spots. M03 had very little effect, M09 somewhat better and M02 seemed to be working OK. To keep from launching a ball across the garage, I grabbed my trusty Meguiars wash bucket, chucked a backing plate and 4 inch yellow pad in my angle drill and cupped a ball in my left hand while polishing with my right, both inside the bucket. After polishing all 16, they looked good, but had very noticeable rotary swirls. Next up was a D/A polisher, black pad and M09 swirl remover. After a wipedown with IPA to remove any residual polishing oils, final inspection indicated success, as the picture shows.
Needless to say, the owner was ecstatic with the results.
The moral of the story is if you’ve been hanging around here long enough, soaking up the wealth of information presented, don’t be afraid to tackle an unusual challenge. Think your way through, make an educated guess and try some test spots. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you’ve learned.
Bill
Once I got them home, I tried APC, but to no avail. Inspecting them under bright light, they gave the appearance of serious finish oxidation, gray and crusty-looking. On a whim, I reached for some of my old-school Meguiars polishes and started doing some test spots. M03 had very little effect, M09 somewhat better and M02 seemed to be working OK. To keep from launching a ball across the garage, I grabbed my trusty Meguiars wash bucket, chucked a backing plate and 4 inch yellow pad in my angle drill and cupped a ball in my left hand while polishing with my right, both inside the bucket. After polishing all 16, they looked good, but had very noticeable rotary swirls. Next up was a D/A polisher, black pad and M09 swirl remover. After a wipedown with IPA to remove any residual polishing oils, final inspection indicated success, as the picture shows.
Needless to say, the owner was ecstatic with the results.
The moral of the story is if you’ve been hanging around here long enough, soaking up the wealth of information presented, don’t be afraid to tackle an unusual challenge. Think your way through, make an educated guess and try some test spots. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you’ve learned.
Bill
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