pool cushion repair & replacement

You may ask yourself why should I send my rails off to AE Schmidt or another professional?

Simple, the local pool table repairman will tell you he can put them on at your house; and they can - but not properly.

It’s like rebuilding your engine on the side of the road, don’t do it. Have someone who will take these rails back to the shop where they work on them properly – cushions must be straight. If this is done at your home, the tech must use a fast dry contact cement which will break down over time.  Also, contact is exactly what it does, bonds immediately. So if the cushion is not put on perfectly straight the waves in the cushions are there permanently and will affect play quality .

One of the first steps in getting your cushions repaired or replaced is to determine if your cushions bad?

If you have to ask the question there could be something else wrong or you just may have an inferior cushion, because when cushions go bad, you know it. They either turn hard as a rock or soft & mushy.
We recommend you check the following before you swap out cushions.

Are your rail bolts tight?
Loose rail bolts will slow play down considerably. Typically this is an easy check that anyone with a socket wrench can do.

Is your cloth tight both on the rails and bed?
If it is loose, it will play slower.

Are you comparing your table to a premium cloth?
If you are comparing the table to one that has a worsted wool cloth such as Grenito or Simons and you have a conventional cloth, yes, your table will play slower.

Are your pool balls dirty?
Believe it or not, this has an effect.  When the pool balls lose their polish, they also lose some speed.  Try using replacement Aramith Pool Balls.

If you have checked all these things, try the rebound test. To test cushions, roll a ball as hard as possible between two side rails, if less than five contacts are made, you will probably need new cushions.

Be sure that when you roll the ball as hard as possible there are no breakables across the table from you such as vases, lights, windows or children.  Over zealous testers have been known to loft balls off the table, creating a whole new problem with their spouse.

Which cushions will work best for my rails?

Over 1000 manufacturers have produced cushions during the 300 years billiards has been around. Finding the correct replacement cushion for your table maybe difficult but we have the experience to find the right material, height, angle & style appropriate for your pool table repair.

Not all pool table cushions are created equal so here are some of your options when replacing your cushions.

Cushion Type:

Nose heights and degree of angle

A common question is “What should the height of my cushion be?” There is as many answers to this as there are cushions.  If the original manufacturer of your table is still in business, we follow their recommended height.

Degree of Angles

One of the most misunderstood problems with rails is degree of angle. This is the amount of angle put on the liner. Improper angle vs. cushion profile will not only make a rail look strange, it may also affect speed and accuracy during play. If you have a table over 20 years old it is likely the profile of the cushion has changed. This is why you need a professional to do the work. Cushions that are replaced by an installer on site cannot provide this.  At AE Schmidt we have specialized machines, fixtures and skilled personnel to handle nearly any kind of rail.

When your cushions are replaced you should also install new rubber facings as well as feather strips between the rail top and the liner to hold the cloth securely in place.