log in
sign up or:

By using this site you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service

forgot password?

Silent Ball Return System for 8-Foot Pool Table

9/26/2019 11:54:27 AM

Silent Ball Return System for 8-Foot Pool Table

Are the Victor silent ball returns still available somewhere?

I need one for an 8-foot pool table.

Silent Ball Return System for 8-Foot Pool Table

Replies & Comments
  1. user1569524066billiardsforum on 9/26/2019 1:57:33 PM

    They aren't commercially available as Victor Billiards has long since gone out of business.

    You can put word out to Classic Billiards in Maryland or Blatt Billiards in New York that you are looking for those parts and they may have spares or could perhaps keep an eye out.

  2. user1569524066BallBuster on 11/20/2019 7:34:53 AM

    Or you could just line your ball return with a thin layer of rubber.

  3. user1569524066RayMills on 7/8/2021 5:13:55 PM

    I've just begun a long-sought noise-reduction modification on the ball return system in my bar-box pool table.

    My first obstacle, now that I'm looking at the coin-op's "spider" for the first time, is that the pocket's plastic troughs are only 2 feet each and feed into otherwise-identical metal troughs. The loudest clunks are where the balls collect in metal troughs that stop the ball's momentum at a right angle. (Are billiard balls harder than metal?!)

    First I'm going to try finding a method to slow the balls, especially since the collectors stop their momentum almost completely anyway. This will be foam gates or brushes that are mounted above any of the troughs.

    My last resort will be trying to put rubber on the metal, hard edges.

    Please check back for suggestions or updates!

  4. user1569524066BallBuster on 7/9/2021 6:26:34 AM

    Can't you just cut a thin rubber hose length-wise, then fit it over the metal return channels? That method would be easier on the balls too.

  5. user1569524066RayMills on 7/30/2021 12:47:43 PM

    You mean with glue? The lengths of the metal channels aren't what's noisy; it's when they're used to stop an incoming ball at right angles. Anyway, I'm trying to avoid glue and anything that might distort with time and temperatures. Screwing foam rubber into plastic channels has been best so far..

  6. user1569524066BallBuster on 7/30/2021 6:13:22 PM

    What about Liquid Rubber? You can get it at Walmart. It's the same stuff that they use to dip tool handles in.

  7. user1569524066billiardsforum on 8/19/2021 2:58:33 AM

    I forgot about that stuff. Seems like it would be a great solution.

    Lots of "Plasti-Dip" spray-can versions on amazon.com too, which could be sprayed into the tubes fairly easily I would think.

  8. user1569524066BallBuster on 8/19/2021 11:18:41 AM

    You'd have to sand the rails first I think to make sure it adheres...

    A long time ago a friend's dad had a Brunswick bar pool table with a silent ball return. I wish i knew the model. It was amazing.

  9. user1569524066RayMills on 12/1/2021 6:34:59 AM

    @BallBuster,

    I reported on my progress under a different thread, titled:

    Replace or Repair a Victor Pool Table Ball Return System

    I might have steered into a new direction of renovation!

    Do you remember the method on your friend's dad's Brunswick pool table which facilitated the silence? Was it a coin-op table?

upload a photo or document

use plain text or markdown syntax only
log in or sign up

Sign in to ensure your message is posted.

If you don't have an account, enter your email and choose a password below and we'll create your account.

Preview:

Silent Ball Return System for 8-Foot Pool Table

  • Title: Silent Ball Return System for 8-Foot Pool Table
  • Author: (David Gayton)
  • Published: 9/26/2019 11:54:27 AM
  • Last Updated: 9/26/2019 1:54:09 PM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)