How to replace pool table cushions (20 years experience)

In this video I show you the right way to replace the cushions on your pool table. I have been doing this for 20 years and have learned a ton and I am giving you all of my trick and all I ask is you watch more of my videos LOL. Your table will play so much better with these new cushions!
Staple Puller ebay.us/nacOil
Contact Cement ebay.us/QCyXLu
Facings ebay.us/oxweDL
K55 Cushions ebay.us/ZQSBGi
Feather Strips ebay.us/zXdonM
Pro Form Worsted Cloth ebay.us/ftuMTu
Good budget cloth ebay.us/BZttQC
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[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Awesome practice drill here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqDGiIKLh9WFg7M

[@JaredHempfield]

Replacing mine for the first time, rubber was welded on so bad but I used a dremel vibrating flat scraper and finished with 80 then 120grit belt sanding. Refinished the wood while waiting for the new cushions and felt and replaced the table markers for spent 45 case heads :) Thanks for the vid, tables are no fun if the rails are dead.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Nice work! Thanks for the comment

[@raferb]

Thanks for putting these videos together. I have a GC1 I restored and ended up keeping the original rails. A guy at my local pool shop said they made better rubber back in the 50's and 60's and so it's possible the original rubber rails are fine on these old GCs. I just cleaned the originals up a bit. There was a little bit of a crusty layer, but with a little water and elbow grease, they cleaned up nice. They may not be super springy, but it seems to be good enough. Like one of your other comments below, I was also concerned about messing up the rail height if I replaced the original rubber.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Yeah tried to leave the old cushions on but glad I went ahead and changed them. It’s easy to make k55’s within the weight spec. 1-3/8-1-7/16. Now the table plays much better

[@nathanaudet4884]

Nice video. I saw in a comment that you do a lot of lessons on the table, so you did not want to tighten the pockets. Still a little surprised you didn't extend the rails a little to make the pockets more modern. It would be nice to see how you would have done that.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thanks! I do a lot of tables, so the next one I extend I will be sure to do a video on it. Thanks for the comment!

[@psjr57]

Can you please tell me which contact cement you used for replacing the bumpers. Thank you

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I really like the Barge brand. Very strong bond

[@ItsDaPope]

Great video very informative I have a question related to non-gold Crown tables how do you determine the proper angle to cut the rubber at the pocket

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

It won’t let me post a picture here. But if you google how to measure billiard cushion profiles. Then go to images, there’s on that shows the measurements on all sides. Great resource! If you can’t find it find me on facebook

[@ItsDaPope]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 I was referring to the angle at the facing to the pocket.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I’ll measure mine and get back to you!

[@ItsDaPope]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 I know gold crown side pockets are 107.5 and corners are 142 degrees. Im wondering how to determine the angle on all tables prior to cutting the rubber

[@adamacc10]

Do you know what type of rubber cushions I would need for a cannon pool table. Great video.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thanks! Do you know which model?

[@adamacc10]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 i Don’t does it say somewhere on it?

[@M-hh5qp]

Hi, could I please get your opinion/help? I have a Gold Crown 3 that is way slow. I replaced the rails 2 and a half yrs ago with Artemis Int Cont 66 (K55) and Simonis 760 cloth. Any suggestions on how I can speed up the table some…perhaps a different cushion or cloth? Humidity here is off the charts, so I suppose that does affect the speed of the table.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

You have fast cloth and high end cushions. Only thing you can do is run a fan and dehumidifier to try to help it.

[@Csharpflat5]

Iron the cloth carefully with the nap of the covering ❤

[@radarlove6283]

I see you're using DAP WELDWOOD Contact Cement for the rubber rails. My questions are... 1. How Long Did You Have To Wait For The Gluing Process To Dry or Get Sticky Before You Actually Applied The Rubber Rails To The Wood Rail Frame? and... 2. How Long Did You Actually Wait For The Rubber Rails To Stick To The Wood Before Wrapping The Cloth Around The Rubber Rail?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thought I said in the video, but I go off of the directions on the can. It’s about 10 minutes till it tacks, I got by how it feels too. But if I have the rails at my shot I let them sit 24 hours before I cut the cushions and wrap them. Good luck!

[@666dynomax]

great video dan, I have a pool table dimensioned table but the cushions appear to be the L77 style snooker... can I switch these over to a more pointed typical 8ball style? as they come in to the pockets the chushions are shaved making the radius quite wide at the pockets, they're basically shaved almost to nothing as they come around the radius of the side into the pocket. Don't know how to explain these corners any better than its not like a straight facing angle on the pockets, they're a really wide rounded corner on either side of the pocket, and the ball tends to rattle a lot in the corners especially

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Would you be able to find me on Facebook? DMIII Custom Cues and Pro shop? That way you can send pictures and stuff.

[@McPhersontronic]

Thanks for the video!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

You bet!

[@fabiandejesusmacia3983]

Un seguidor desde Venezuela 🇻🇪

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thank you!

[@pt_36]

Thanks for the video. What cushion replacement would you recommend for 9' Brunswick Medalist? Thanks.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I would suggest Artemis k55, if you don’t want to spend that much I like the championship tour edition k55. Thanks!

[@pt_36]

I ask b4 about my Brunswick Medalist which has Diamond K-55 and your recommendations for artimas. But my nose height is very high like two pieces of chalk high which seems to slow the rebound. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you and sorry for this being soo long.

[@pt_36]

Opps. Please disregard previous message. I've learned my Diamond rails are upside down. Lol.

[@csiaudio]

Thanks for the video and tips! I am buying an 18 year old Steepleton which is in mint condition other than the rails have dried up. My question is, what type of rubber should be used? Any brands you recommend? I'm looking for the best 'bang for the buck' type. Thanks!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Do you know what cushion profile your table calls for? I will see if I have some in stock. Can give you some options at a discount. Also feel free to follow my Facebook page. DMIII Custom Cues and Pro Shop.

[@csiaudio]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 I don't know what the profile is, can you use different ones or does it have to be the same as the original?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@csiaudio can you give me the make and model and size? You have to be sure the correct cushion profile goes back on or it will play bad.

[@csiaudio]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 unfortunately I can't at the moment. I bought it but they are holding it until I move in our new place. I know it's an 18 year old mint Steepleton 8'. I have a picture of it but I can't upload it on KZbin. I guess I'll have to touch base in about 2 months. Thanks

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@csiaudio okay sounds good. If you can get to my Facebook page you can post the pictures. DMIII Custom Cues and Pro Shop

[@scottdoucette117]

Thanks for the video. Were the subrails already calibrated to accept the SuperSpeeds? Gold Crown I and II used the old Monarch cushions that were slightly different size. If the bevel is not adjusted on the subrail to accept modern K55 profile cushions, the table will be 1/8" shorter on all rails and it's possible the rail height could be off. If you were tightening the pockets, any reason why you didn't add wood to the subrail and recut the pockets to the desired size?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I didn’t adjust the subrail at all. If you watch the gold crown resto video I said I kept the monarch’s cause I didn’t want to do all the extra work on the subrail, but unfortunately the monarch’s were just to slow. After doing research I’m fine with just doing k55’s instead of adjusting the sub rails. Also I’m not going crazy on tightening the pockets since I do lessons on it. So single 3/8’s neoprene facing will suffice. Thanks for the comment!

[@brucemorey433]

thanks for the great video. How do I know what cushion to order of amazon? I have an probably a 60 year old Fischer A25744 table, one thread told me U23 profile cushion should work. How do I know for sure?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Can you message me through my business facebook so I can send you pictures and we can figure it out? facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082532780993&mibextid=PzaGJu

[@hungnguyenphankhanh3271]

Hi Sir. I installed a pool table by myself today. And I found a problem, after hitting a ball into a rail, a ball came back hopping. With your experience may I know what is the problem is? Thank you so much. Hope you see my comment.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

The reason it’s happening is the tip of the cushion is to low. That could be happening for a couple reasons. But the quick easy fix is to loosen the rail and shim the rail up higher. Tip of cushion should measure between 1-3/8” and 1-7/16”. Hope that helps. Quick fix is just use washers or something.

[@juliorb6046]

One question, do the pool tables have heating or only the carom tables?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Almost always just carom tables have heat

[@stanwalton8325]

If wanting to shim to 4" pocket, what would you do different?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Are also putting new cushions on?

[@allthewayjay4165]

I have an 8ft standard Brunswick about 22 years old. 3 piece slate Idk if I need k55 or k66. I can send you pics if need be.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Do you know the model name?

[@mnoman2549]

My side pockets are really tough to make the ball in I have 10’ snooker table o was thinking to change the side rails/cession idk if that’s going to help I can send some photo if you can help with some advise thanks

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Can you find me on Facebook? DMIII Custom Cues

[@landofthefree1804]

Thanks for sharing.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

You’re welcome and thanks for commenting!

[@erinmulhollen687]

Good job bub!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thanks!

[@magicbryant8]

My Brunswick Medalist plays odd as well with balls rimming out like this. Should the angle be changed on those tables as well?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Yes at least in my opinion. Some people would disagree, but every Brunswick, Gandy or AMF I changed the angle on everyone loved them.

[@magicbryant8]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654, actually had a close friend warn me about buying this table. After 2 months of frustration, I rewatched this video and caught this nugget of info. What angle is it at factory, and what angle should it be when finished?

[@skorpion72586]

I'm trying to replace the rails on my Cooper coin operated 7' table. It has 4 different rails. The 2 I can identify are HD15 and HL19. I'm guessing HD15 was the original. I have a set of K66, will they work? From what I can tell they will but I can't find anything definite

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

From what I’ve seen those are Valley copies. So Valley parts fit right up. So I think k66 will “work” but I think k55 will work better. However with being in front of the table I can’t be 100% sure

[@benny67565]

I bought a GC1 a few months ago and redid everything like you someone replaced the cushions before I got it I love everything about it except the cushions they are too high 11/2 inches high is there any way to replace them to get the height down without a major operation?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

No not really, I was able to do k55 cushions and keep the cushion height within spec. But if someone didn’t know the correct cushions are no longer made it can cause issues. Unfit would be a full cushion replacement again to correct them

[@benny67565]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 I am thinking of putting K66 cushions on you think that would work?

[@gazz10it]

Do you know whether K66 cushions work for a Gold Crown 4 from early 2000 ? We'd like to replace them and nowadays the most widely used pool tables in Europe are the Dynamic 3 with k66 which play quite differently compared to K55 (or at least 20 years old K55 😅😅) Thanks!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

No the angles and measurements of a K66 will not work on a GC. I’ve used a bunch and the best bang for your buck is Championship Tour Edition K55 cushions. That’s what’s now on my GC and it plays incredible. If you’d like to support the channel I am a dealer for table repair parts. I can get everything and usually cheaper than the online retailers

[@bhadrakapil]

Is it fine to just replace the cushion without doing the table cloth ?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

You can but it’s very hard. Have to pull the staples out and tape back the cloth while you do the cushions

[@bhadrakapil]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 Thanks mate

[@twist-moto9075]

Nice video!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

💪🏼

[@yelnatszilec2277]

what type of cushion i can use on my murrey pro series 9ft?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I have looked online and I am not 100% sure if I’m honest. Sorry I could help more

[@Bart_Depestele]

Does the Goldcrown 1 not have superspeed cussions?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

No gold crown 1 and 2’s have cushions that are no longer available. So the east fox is to put k55’s on and just make sure they are mounted at the correct height

[@EbanQHanna]

Hey bud, whats the correct cushion for the Mizerak Donovan II 8’ Billiard Table rails please?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Any K66 cushion will work. I would suggest Championship Tour edition K66 cushions

[@tonywong2420]

What rubber would you use for a 9’ diamond?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Do you know what year or what color label it is?

[@BUDDYBUDDD]

What rails do I need for a valley bar table?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

If you jump on penguin billiards website you can select them and see for your year. But they are k55

[@stashub8306]

I have 2 old matching Brunswick coin op tables with oversized cueball. Over the years the rubber has been replaced and it looks like there is 3/4 wide rubber on one and 1inch wide rubber on the other table . Is there anyway to find out what profile was on it originally? I messaged Brunswick they said they didnt sell parts anymore . Its a model d.j. 8ft

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Your best bet to find what you need would be calling Ken at Classicbilliards.com he’s a Brunswick guru and has tons of old stock

[@robertcalaway4970]

I have an 1898 Brunswick Saratoga 9' table. What cushions do I need?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Odds are k55, slight chance they’re a48 I would suggest measuring them and reaching out to Ken at classic billiards. Good luck!

[@JuanGarcia-f1e3c]

Why do the balls jump when i hit the rails after replacing the bumpers?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Either someone installed the incorrect cushion profile. Or they installed the correct cushion profile but did not install it correctly.

[@garybkatz]

My Atlas 8-footer has corner pockets that are unforgiving. Even at pocket speed, they reject shots that aren't virtually perfect. Is there any way to loosen up the pockets so I don't tear my hair out, missing shots that would've gone on most tables?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Sounds like it’s a pocket shape issue instead of a pocket size issue. Best fox is to make the picket 4.5” and try to shape the pocket more like a diamond

[@garybkatz]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 I think you're right, because it didn't start off that bad. It actually got worse after I had some pool repair guys replace the rubber rails.

[@strummerx6]

If your bumpers are K66 don't have cloth on top how do you know bumper top from bumper bottom

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Only really way to know is to remove the cloth and rubber to measure. That way you’re 100%

[@Genaro.almaraz16]

I have a gold crown brunswick 3 and not sure what kind of rail cushion to get. Any help please

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Imo the best option for the money is K55 Championship Tour edition cushions. I’m a dealer and can get them for you along with cloth or any other accessories. 👍🏼

[@christianpeterson124]

Do you know proper cushions for a marc lehmacher 9’ table

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I’m don’t know for sure, would have to get measurements of the cushions to know for sure.

[@mikeyboy7515]

Do you have any info on the brunswick pioneer tables made in 1993-1996? Im about to buy one but finding info on them is impossible. Thanks!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I’m a little familiar with them, but reach out to Classic Billiards. Ken is a wizard for Brunswick

[@mikeyboy7515]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 thanks for the reply, I ended up getting the table and its great. Its a non slate table but it rolls true

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@mikeyboy7515 well that’s nice. Good deal! Sorry it took me so long to get back. Had some comments get held even for review for some reason

[@GoldwingTrailer]

How do you shim up the pocket from 5" to 4 1/4"?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I slightly extend the cushion and also change the pocket angle. I then use a thick 6mm shim to reduce the pocket. They play fantastic that way. Honestly no need to extend the sub rail imo. If my method is done properly

[@dugy40]

My table uses u23 rubber. Can these be interchangeable without modding. Or do I have to use u23? It’s a 1975 valley.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I would suggest staying with the U23. But if you reach out to Ridgeback rails they may have an upgrade kit available for your table. Would be K55’s mounted to wood back rail. Good luck!

[@behnjamin5305]

I have a gold crown III 9 ft, what cushions should I get and what facing size and brand?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

What size pocket are you shooting for?

[@behnjamin5305]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 It’s a at home crown III with simonis 860 cloth, I don’t know what rubber it’s using but it’s in decent condition. I don’t know what brand I should get and what size facings that will match to tournament standards

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@behnjamin5305 most customers end up happy with Brunswick SuperSpeed k55 cushions and 1 set of 1/4” pocket facings or “shims” . You can get facings either on eBay or classic billiards

[@MakingMondayBetter]

You sound just like Chris Pratt!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

On my other KZbin channel I get that I look like him too lol

[@postskeetclarity]

What is the price on average for a professional

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

If say average for labor is $200

[@rolltideroll8250]

What is the grit of the sandpaper?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

For which part?

[@Mikey-g4g]

I have a 9’ gold crown that plays terrible. I was told it’s a gold crown ll, but how can I tell between a l or ll. l really need a good table mechanic!

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

There’s really no difference between gold crown 1’s and 2’s. And unfortunately you really do need a good mechanic to make these play well. Where are you located? I’ll put a feeler out on a private mechanics group. Try to find you a professional

[@Mikey-g4g]

What is your favorite rail facing? The biggest problem with my table is if I shoot into the rail face with moderate speed the ball jars in the pocket and doesn’t fall. When I hit the rail face it sounds like I’m hitting a rock.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@Mikey-g4gI like the 5.5mm neoprene rubber ones. They help eliminate that, however if it still have the stock GC pocket angle it’ll want to spit balls out. That is why I changed the angles slightly.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

@@Mikey-g4galso I have those 5.5mm facings in stock. If you need them I’ll sell you a set. Check out my business page. facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082532780993&mibextid=PzaGJu

[@Mikey-g4g]

How can I get in touch with you? Do you have email or website, I don’t do Facebook

[@onondagaalarmservice9798]

I have a murrey coin operated table. Rail type?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

I’m not super familiar with Murray unfortunately. Good luck with it though

[@vito-9567]

Does anyone know what's the feather strip size.. for a Brunswick gold crown 3

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

You have to get the standard size strips and plane them with a small hand planer or sand them

[@vito-9567]

@@mulhollenbilliardschannel654 thank you !!!

[@超英速]

could u tell me the cover of the video is it “inches” unit ？

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

It’s in inches I’m pretty sure. What do you need to know I can tell you what it needs to be most likely

[@DennyCastro-b8q]

Quiere saber que pegamento es para pegar las bandas

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Rubber Cement, Barge brand is the best. Good luck!

[@rickphelan4326]

Couldn't watch it with the camera bouncing around. Was gettin' carsick, sorry. It looked omteresting and valuable.

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Yeah I’m not sure why it was so bouncy. Must have been the mount I was using

[@theresemulhollen5275]

👍

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Thanks momma

[@raululloa5990]

wear can found bump rubber for billiar table 9ft long set of 4 k55

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

Reach out to Ken at Classicbilliards.com

[@Renato_Albert]

Qual q altura do nariz ?

[@mulhollenbilliardschannel654]

1-7/16…. Slightly high but plays great