Baked chalk
lfigueroa
chalk" as in baking chalk in an oven. Does anyone do this? What does it
accomplish? What's the right temperature and time :-)
Lou Figueroa
tony mathews
lfigueroa wrote:
> Recently, I've heard a couple of experienced players referring to "baked
> chalk" as in baking chalk in an oven.
Actually I have had some experience with Microwaving chalk. You will need to
experiment with time and settings.
Tony
Mortimer Pulaski
Mark0
Mark0
"lfigueroa" <lfig...@att.net> wrote in message
news:3V6h7.21548$Ki1.1...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Ron Shepard
from high humidity. One way is to put the cubes of chalk on a cookie
sheet (or pizza pan, or something else that is open) when the oven is
hot. Turn the oven off immediately, and let it cool down to room
temperature with the cubes in the oven, which usually takes a couple of
hours. You don't want it so hot that it burns the paper on the outside,
but other than that, you won't do any damage to the chalk (which is
really a mixture of sand and chalk) itself.
$.02 -Ron Shepard
cuestick
factory. If you get a cube wet, toss it, they're less than a dime a piece.
Matt
"lfigueroa" <lfig...@att.net> wrote in message
news:3V6h7.21548$Ki1.1...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
KP
this takes the cake. I know some replies are meant to be sarcastic and
funny, but there are others that actually are meant to be serious.
Kp
"cuestick" <cues...@wmis.net> wrote in message
news:tobs966...@corp.supernews.com...
lfigueroa
effort?
Lou Figueroa
"tony mathews" <tony.m...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3B857A71...@sympatico.ca...
lfigueroa
Lou Figueroa
"Ron Shepard" <ron-s...@home.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:ron-shepard-04AA...@news1.elmhst1.il.home.com...
Ron Shepard
<Umsh7.23421$Ki1.1...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"lfigueroa" <lfig...@att.net> wrote:
> So Ron, are you saying that you do this? Is it worth the effort?
No, the humidity here in Chicago isn't high enough, even in my basement,
to keep the chalk damp. But when I was in Arkansas, the room owner in
the room I played would do this every once in a while. He did it to new
chalk, both when newly purchased and after it had been stored in his
room for a while. If he didn't do this, you could tell the difference
in how the chalk went on the tip and the players would complain.
There's no harm in trying it. If you have a cube (or a box) of chalk
that is damp, try it to see if it helps.
$.02 -Ron Shepard
Eric Sagong
Are you the reason why every time I go to the pool hall I've got to break my
balls to find a piece of chalk that hasn't been worn down to the wrapper?
--Eric Sagong
"I know what boys want."
--Eric Sagong
Bob Jewett
> Are you the reason why every time I go to the pool hall I've got to break my
> balls to find a piece of chalk that hasn't been worn down to the wrapper?
If it's that bad, take in a pocket knife and pare the wrapper back away
from the chalk opening. I've seen pool halls that would file down chalk
that had holes drilled too deep.
--
Bob Jewett
jdub
"KP" <No...@NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:PXmh7.50313$0X.10...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com...
> Amen brother, I have heard some stupid shit on this newsgroup before but
> this takes the cake. I know some replies are meant to be sarcastic and
> funny, but there are others that actually are meant to be serious.
>
>
> Kp
>
>
> "cuestick" <cues...@wmis.net> wrote in message
> news:tobs966...@corp.supernews.com...
> > I think you're all nuts...chalk is cheap and works just fine from the
> > factory. If you get a cube wet, toss it, they're less than a dime a
> piece.
> >
> > Matt
I'll go you one better. I know a retired surgeon who, when the chalk is
getting a bit deep in the pit (BTW, is there a real name for that depression
in the center) he will take the chalk to a sander and sand down the cube
until the pit is adequately shallow again. Not that I would ever want to
get my fingers within 3/4" of a sander, intentionally.
--Jim
KP
oven, and something about sanding but this is insanity. I think a box of
brand new master chalk is like $16 and you get 144pcs. ??? I think?
http://www.mueller-sporting-goods.com/product.cfm?sku=24-140
That's 11 cents per cube. 11 cents buys you a loaf of bread in the 30's,
today it buys you nothing. Not even a gumball (25 cents).
people have too much time on their hand,
I say this because I can't imagine anyone does this to be cheap.
What's next? Freezing chalk in Liquid Nitrogen??
Who was it that said "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American
public"? I am sorry the name slips me, but I believe it was an oil tycoon
who sold dry wells.
Kp
"jdub" <removeextr...@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:%6Gh7.32971$Iq4.14...@typhoon.columbus.rr.com...
Play4abuck
Cheers,
Jim
lfigueroa wrote in message
<3V6h7.21548$Ki1.1...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
nhoop
>that had holes drilled too deep.
I do that all the time at home. :)
Nat (spendthrift) Hooper
Oxford, Arkansas
Greg Miller
Ron Shepard wrote
> But when I was in Arkansas, the room owner in
> the room I played would do this every once in a while. He
did it to new
> chalk, both when newly purchased and after it had been
stored in his
> room for a while. If he didn't do this, you could tell
the difference
> in how the chalk went on the tip and the players would
complain.
Do you think they had a legitimate complaint, not so much as
in how the chalk went on the tip but as in did the absorbed
moisture from the air affect the tip ball friction
significantly?
Greg Miller
> I'll go you one better. I know a retired surgeon who,
when the chalk is
> getting a bit deep in the pit (BTW, is there a real name
for that depression
> in the center)
When new, it's a depression. If it gets any deeper, it's a
bore hole.
> he will take the chalk to a sander and sand down the cube
> until the pit is adequately shallow again. Not that I
would ever want to
> get my fingers within 3/4" of a sander, intentionally.
Like you said, he's a surgeon.
Greg Miller
> I put in 6 and grind them down with my belt sander. Takes
about 30
> seconds and I now have 6 1/2 pieces of chalk. This
extends the life of the
> cube quite a bit.
IMO, removing any amount of chalk reduces cube life. (just
starting on my second cube since 1966) ;)
> I don't get the bored out hole in the ones I use myself,
> but I have friends that will bore one out in one session,
and no amount of
> hinting seems to help. <big sigh>, oh well, I like playing
with them, so it
> is a small price to pay.
Have you hinted when they miscue if they miscue?
Greg Miller
KP wrote
> I think a box of
> brand new master chalk is like $16 and you get 144pcs.
in the 30's,
> today it buys you nothing. Not even a gumball (25 cents).
You bring up the Depression but I can tell by the way you
talk that you didn't live through it, Sonny. I think your
example says more about how expensive bread is.
> Who was it that said "Never underestimate the stupidity of
the American
> public"?
Try Google
http://www.google.com/
GM- working on my fourth loaf of bread since 1933
Patrick Johnson
> Who was it that said "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American
> public"?
I think it was you. This is probably the most misquoted quote in English
literature, but here's the most believable example of it I can find:
"No one in this world, so far as I know ... has ever lost money by
underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain
people."
- H.L. Mencken, Notes on journalism, Chicago Tribune
[19 September 1926]
Here's the Mencken quote I like:
"I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to
mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services
on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage
it has done to clear and honest thinking."
Pat Johnson
Chicago
Dag Garthus
It's not a question of money.
If I don't like ashtray looking chalks, why should I replace
it with a new one, as long as it takes me a few seconds to
sand it down a little?
--
Dag Garthus
Mark0
Mark0 <--wanna throw politics into this thread too? I haven't mentioned
capital punishment lately....
"Patrick Johnson" <REMO...@21stCentury.net> wrote in message
news:3B87B6DA...@21stCentury.net...
nu
> experiment with time and settings.
>
> Tony
Can you give me some ballpark figures on how long?
I could really use this information 'cause it's really very humid here
in the Philippines. After a week, a cube of chalk gets 'wet' enough
that it's very messy to use, and doesn't seem to stick to the tip as
well.
I usually throw away chalk when the 'pit' in the center goes 2/3 to
3/4 of the depth of the cube, but in certain conditions, chalk becomes
too wet before it even gets to 1/4 of the cube's depth...
nu
Ron Shepard
"jdub" <removeextr...@columbus.rr.com> wrote:
> I'll go you one better. I know a retired surgeon who, when the chalk is
> getting a bit deep in the pit (BTW, is there a real name for that depression
> in the center) he will take the chalk to a sander and sand down the cube
> until the pit is adequately shallow again. Not that I would ever want to
> get my fingers within 3/4" of a sander, intentionally.
IMO, if you use chalk the "right" way, you won't bore a hole in it in
the first place. Instead of placing the chalk on the tip and twisting,
swipe it across the surface of the tip. I've even seen beginners put
chalk on the floor, place their tip on it, and spin it like they are
trying to start a fire. When you use the chalk the right way, the
entire cross section wears down. You will need to tear away a strip of
paper every once in a while from around the edge as the chalk wears away.
Another technique is to hold the cue stick vertical and to "strike" the
chalk against the tip. I think this may give the leather surface a
little more texture, and it may reduce the amount of
tapping/picking/scuffing that is required. Of the players who advocate
no shaping and scuffing at all for cue tips, many of them seem to use
this chalking technique.
For those of you who really want to know if the baking idea works, try
this. Take a piece of chalk and set it face down in a covered cup with
1/4 inch or so of water in the bottom. Let it set overnight so the
water has a good chance of soaking in. This is damp chalk, and I think
it should be comparable to chalk stored for a longer period of time in
humid environments. An example of a humid environment is a pool room in
the summer in the south with a window air conditioner working on humid
air with an 90 degree dewpoint. Try using the chalk for a few minutes
to see how well it works that way. Shoot some spin shots and draw shots
where the chalk is important. Now, take that same piece of damp chalk
and do the oven thing and compare the difference. Compare how well it
coats the tip, how well it stays on, and how well it prevents miscues.
$.02 -Ron Shepard
Ron Shepard
"KP" <No...@NOSPAMtampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Damn brother that's horrible. You beaten me. I have heard the Microwave,
> oven, and something about sanding but this is insanity. I think a box of
> brand new master chalk is like $16 and you get 144pcs. ??? I think?
I think you guys are missing the point. It doesn't matter how much the
144 pieces of chalk costs, if they are all wet, it doesn't help to throw
away the old piece and get a new one.
This reminds me of the old joke where someone is selling beer for
$.50/bottle less than he buys it. When asked how he is going to make a
profit, he replies, "Volume, I need to haul it in a bigger truck."
Now, if you want to talk about something cheap that everyone complains
about all the time, let's talk about cloth spots (footspots, headspots,
and centerspots). These cost $.05 each, or less, yet I can show you
pool rooms where you can't find a spot in good condition in the whole
house.
$.02 -Ron Shepard
Otto
He leaves hurrendous master blue stains in the berber that are VERY hard to
remove.
I wonder if he would be turned of by "well done" chalk cubes?
Maybe I should toss him a real hot one. ;>)
Otto--I'd rather see him chewing on chalk instead of pool cues.
Patrick Johnson
> capital punishment lately....
I overstepped -- mea culpa. But it was right there among his quotes...
pj
chgo
Patrick Johnson
> ... When you use the chalk the right way, the
> entire cross section wears down.
I like having a slight depression in the chalk (a little shallower than when it's
new). I put my butt on the floor, hold the edge of my tip against the "lip" of
the depression and give the shaft a little spin with my other hand's fingertips.
It's a one-motion way (well, maybe two or three motions) to spread chalk evenly
all around the tip's edge where miscueing usually occurs. With straight swipes it
seems easy to miss a spot unless you "paint" the whole tip.
Of course, painting gives you something to do while you're thinking up your next
death-defying pool stunt.
Pat Johnson
Chicago
Gideon Forrest
Play4abuck <Play4...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5uHh7.60268$gj1.5...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Hey, I've found something my girl friend can cook!
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
Now THAT's funny.
Gideon
tony mathews
nu wrote:
> tony mathews <tony.m...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> > Actually I have had some experience with Microwaving chalk. You will need to
> > experiment with time and settings.
> >
> > Tony
>
> Can you give me some ballpark figures on how long?
>
> I could really use this information 'cause it's really very humid here
> in the Philippines.
I would try about a minute at medium power setting for a start. Increase the time
instead of the power setting if the chalk is still too damp. An oven like Ron
suggested (or even a small toaster oven) might be better as the mositure would be
removed outside/in not inside/out as from a microwave.
Good luck!
Tony
tony mathews
Greg Miller wrote:
> Do you think they had a legitimate complaint, not so much as
> in how the chalk went on the tip but as in did the absorbed
> moisture from the air affect the tip ball friction
> significantly?
Probably both. The two seem closely linked as far as I can tell. In
other words, if you cannot get chalk to stick to the tip, you will get
reduced tip/ball friction as there may not be enough chalk present to
get the required friction. Also, you have to look at the friction of the
whole system, tip-chalk-tip. When the chalk cannot bind well to the tip,
the tip "slips" against the chalk even though the chalk may grip the
ball surface fine.
Last year I was given a small box of chalk from Asia for testing. It was
a brown colour and had a "waxy" sort of feel to it. It wouldn't stick to
the tip very well at all. Anyone who tried a draw shot with it that
required a tip offset below about 1/2 tip from center launched the
cueball into the air. One of the old timers called it "hulstlers'
chalk". He suggested bringing a piece to a bar and leaving it on the
table for some poor sucker (mark?) to use!
I sent the chalk back to the supplier with a note "back to the drawing
board"!.
Tony
Greg Miller
tony mathews wrote
> nu wrote:
> > tony mathews wrote
> > > Actually I have had some experience with Microwaving
chalk. You will need to
> > > experiment with time and settings.
> > >
> > > Tony
> >
> > Can you give me some ballpark figures on how long?
> >
> > I could really use this information 'cause it's really
very humid here
> > in the Philippines.
>
> I would try about a minute at medium power setting for a
start. Increase the time
> instead of the power setting if the chalk is still too
damp. An oven like Ron
> suggested (or even a small toaster oven) might be better
as the mositure would be
> removed outside/in not inside/out as from a microwave.
I put a piece in the microwave for 30 sec at high power.
That sucker got hot. But I thought that any moisture taken
out was close to the surface. The H2O on the inside didn't
have time to diffuse out. Perhaps a good idea would be to
keep all your cubes in a drying box all the time. A small
closed box with a small light bulb or some other heat source
in it. That way you can have a dry cube any time. (obey
fire regulations)
JoeyA
on occasion that will pay a ransom for any pieces of chalk that are worn
down to the paper.
Gerald Huber, the pool player will go to any end to obtain a piece of chalk
that is worn at least 1/2". His ferrule actually has grooves worn in the
sides from his grinding the edge of the chalk into its side. He like it
this way and will trade brand new pieces of chalk for any that are
substantially worn down. Gerald doesn't care if it is half baked as long
as it is half worn.
He actually sends his entourage searching the entire pool hall for chalk
that most throw in the garbage can. I guess that's where that old saying
comes from: One man's trash is another man's treasure.
Joey Aguzin
"Eric Sagong" <thes...@cs.com> wrote in message
news:20010824171616...@mb-fd.news.cs.com...
Trevor Justinen
spots on your home tables? I have a quarter inch mark made with a felt pen
that you do not have to worry about the paper tearing up. Anyone else do
something different?
"Ron Shepard" <ron-s...@home.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:ron-shepard-9FAF...@news1.elmhst1.il.home.com...
tony mathews
Greg Miller wrote:
> I put a piece in the microwave for 30 sec at high power.
> That sucker got hot. But I thought that any moisture taken
> out was close to the surface. The H2O on the inside didn't
> have time to diffuse out. Perhaps a good idea would be to
> keep all your cubes in a drying box all the time. A small
> closed box with a small light bulb or some other heat source
> in it. That way you can have a dry cube any time. (obey
> fire regulations)
A safer idea may be to put some dessicant crystals in the box. The
absorb moisture without any heat or power.
Tony
tony mathews
JoeyA wrote:
> Eric, we have a lurker/author/pool instructor/gambler who visits here on RSB
> on occasion that will pay a ransom for any pieces of chalk that are worn
> down to the paper.
>
At the recent World 9-ball Championships, Steve Davis mentioned this at one
point. He mentioned that he had heard from Harvey Rothwell (a snooker cuemaker
from the past in Toronto now sadly passed away), that the chalk production
process produces an artifact. That is that the larger heavier particles tend to
sink to the bottom of the chalk, and the finer particles are at the top. How
true this is I don't know. But I know of many fine players that will not touch a
new piece of chalk. They all look for a well worn piece. When asked they tell me
that the worn chalk just works better than new chalk.
Old wives tale? Little known knowledge? You be the judge.
Also, a point not mentioned is that chalk production is not an exact science.
Some pieces are better than others (like one piece leather cue tips and maple
shafts). Just buying a new piece doesn't solve this issue. You would meed the
right new piece, and if you are to believe the above reasoning, you would need
to wear it down some before it was "broken in".
Tony
Patrick Johnson
> ... you would need
> to wear it down some before it was "broken in".
I think I'll try this out. I don't think I've ever used the bottom of a chalk
cube. I could just cut the paper off the bottom of a new cube (tape it to the
top)...
Pat Johnson
Chicago
tony mathews
Patrick Johnson wrote:
I never thought of that! Should work.
Let us know what you think Pat.
tony
Ron Shepard
"Trevor Justinen" <tre...@tdgstaff.com> wrote:
> Brings up a question I have had for a while. Do you guys use the paper
> spots on your home tables? I have a quarter inch mark made with a felt pen
> that you do not have to worry about the paper tearing up. Anyone else do
> something different?
Mine are made of thin silk, not paper, but I do use spots. If you don't
then the cloth can wear down or pack down and get thin, forming a little
bowl. The cloth spot brings it back up to the right level.
I also think that the long string should be marked, the triangle should
be outlined, and that the headspot and centerspot should be marked. I
use a pencil to mark my table. It lasts for about 6 months before I
have to mark everything again, so its not really permanent. That way,
if you need to restretch your cloth or something, you can just draw new
lines.
$.02 -Ron Shepard