Billiard Balls?

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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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OK all you billiard fans, here is a question that bugged me for some time and can not find a solid answer. Why are the numbers on a billiard ball reversed on each side? Simple question. Is it to make recognizing what ball it is easier? Can it be that simple? I have to pay attention to this all the time when I make my billiard ball clocks.

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Dang John, you're gonna make me go take the cover off my pool table. I have never noticed if any numbers were reversed. I have a nice set of Arimiths, but not sure of any reversed numbers on them. Lol
 
So I looked at one of my pool balls. Numbers are the same on each side. Now billards are different in size and colors but not sure billard balls are numbered. Don't quote me as I don't play billards. 2 pics below of both sides of my 3 ball.
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jcm71 said:
Beautiful clocks and craftsmanship. Would love to see a tutorial.
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Billiard Ball Clock

The billiard balls are standard 2-1/4" pool balls and the base is made from red oak and rosewood and finished with a water based semi gloss lacquer. Click on the image below to begin download of PDF. Author: John Terefenko
www.penturners.org
 
jttheclockman said:
OK all you billiard fans, here is a question that bugged me for some time and can not find a solid answer. Why are the numbers on a billiard ball reversed on each side? Simple question. Is it to make recognizing what ball it is easier? Can it be that simple? I have to pay attention to this all the time when I make my billiard ball clocks.

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These are so cool. There's a gal on Instagram that makes bologna ties out of billiard/pool balls…they're very neat.
 
bsshog40 said:
So I looked at one of my pool balls. Numbers are the same on each side. Now billards are different in size and colors but not sure billard balls are numbered. Don't quote me as I don't play billards. 2 pics below of both sides of my 3 ball.
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Bobby, all pool balls or billiard balls are the same size but will vary in colors but all are numbered. Snooker balls are smaller in size and play with mostly red balls and a couple odd ones. I do not play snooker. My point is take one of yours and set it so the number reads just like you have straight up and down. Now rotate it 180 degrees left to right and does the number on the opposite side show upside down? All billiard balls I play with and have are this way.

Need to make a correction here. Most everyone associates billiard balls and pool balls as the same ball and I am one of those. I watch billiard tournaments and they too call them that. But fact is pool balls measure 2-1/4" and billiard balls are 2-7/16". Pool balls are numbered but billiard balls are not I do not play so called billiard games. Maybe I need to stop calling these billiard ball clocks and call them pool ball clocks.

https://poolandbilliardcue.com/what-is-the-difference-between-pool-balls-and-billiard-balls/
 
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jttheclockman said:
Bobby, all pool balls or billiard balls are the same size but will vary in colors but all are numbered. Snooker balls are smaller in size and play with mostly red balls and a couple odd ones. I do not play snooker. My point is take one of yours and set it so the number reads just like you have straight up and down. Now rotate it 180 degrees left to right and does the number on the opposite side show upside down? All billiard balls I play with and have are this way.

Need to make a correction here. Most everyone associates billiard balls and pool balls as the same ball and I am one of those. I watch billiard tournaments and they too call them that. But fact is pool balls measure 2-1/4" and billiard balls are 2-7/16". Pool balls are numbered but billiard balls are not I do not play so called billiard games. Maybe I need to stop calling these billiard ball clocks and call them pool ball clocks.

https://poolandbilliardcue.com/what-is-the-difference-between-pool-balls-and-billiard-balls/
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You're gonna make me look at that again, tomorrow tho'. Lol
 
bsshog40 said:
You're gonna make me look at that again, tomorrow tho'. Lol
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My table has not seen the light of day for at least 6 years now. I have been using it as a work table for many house projects. Right now it has alot of moldings I need to stain and finish for this spring. I am getting so close to getting my house complete. As they say slow work takes time. When I do reopen the table again I need to get it recovered and releveled. Never be able to get down on a shot any more. Will have to learn to be a more stand up player.
 
@jttheclockman
Ya, so turning the ball side to side, numbers are upright. Top to bottom will reverse the opposite side number. Lol
Btw, here's our table. We have a game room set up here at our new house where it is now. This was when I had it setup in my shop at our old house. It's an Ozone Billards slate table.
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Very nice. I guess I can say my table is in my shop area too being I took over the game room completely with shop stuff. It was made by Golden West Billiards out of Los Angeles CA. It is a custom made table with a drop pocket design look but actually had a ball return system built into it and it is lined with a rubber pad so you do not hear the balls roll down to the return box. Made from Red oak and top is Shedua wood. Love that wood. So you agree with my assessment on the billiard balls having one number upside down if you spin the ball. I still could not find an answer. I tried getting on the Billiard forum again but looks like they changed format and all my access names do not work. I would have to rejoin I guess. I like the game but never mastered it. I played alot more when I was younger. Now I am a hack. Will be trying to make some of those pool cue pens this year too. Have a few ideas. To bring it back to the pen turning theme.
 
bsshog40 said:
Yep, but really depends on which way you spin it. Lol
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Yes if you spin north to south it stays correct, but east to west it changes. That is why I make the clocks with the numbers on the top. If I make them on the side it would look weird. Thinking about it that probably answers my question. There is no one way to set the numbers. If you make them the same right to left, then when the ball spins north to south it will be opposite. Well this has been informative after all.
 
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jttheclockman said:
OK all you billiard fans, here is a question that bugged me for some time and can not find a solid answer. Why are the numbers on a billiard ball reversed on each side? Simple question. Is it to make recognizing what ball it is easier? Can it be that simple? I have to pay attention to this all the time when I make my billiard ball clocks.

View attachment 380493
Click to expand...
Have been playing since 1961. Have no idea why they are reversed. A player knows the number by the color if the set is traditionally. I have been making pen holders… someone told me the ball is number is upside down. I told him to turn it around. BTW.. great work John👍
 

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WriteON said:
Have been playing since 1961. Have no idea why they are reversed. A player knows the number by the color if the set is traditionally. I have been making pen holders… someone told me the ball is number is upside down. I told him to turn it around. BTW.. great work John👍
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That is correct. Those look very nice. How are you holding the ball to drill? Are you finding dead center or eyeballing it. I am working on a jig to find dead center of the ball for my next project with them. not easy. Do you have a source for the bridge parts? I was thinking you could also just flatten the bottom of the ball to have it sit flat and no bridge part.
 
Just so that in case someone reads this in the future, I found the answer to my question. There is no way to set the numbers the same direction because if the ball spins left to right the numbers stay the same but if spins north to south they reverse. Even if you change it around it will show the numbers one upside down in either position. Mystery solved.
 
perfect. Now you can see what I am talking about. Some balls it is just opposite. I have a few sitting on my desk now that when spun left to right they are upside down but north and south they are OK. Go figure.There is no way to correct this too. So when designing other uses of billiard balls we need to consider this. It was just a quirk I always wondered about watching the ball spin on a table. Mystery has been solved and now I can sleep better at nights.:) Sorry to pull you into this. now go racken up.
 
jttheclockman said:
That is correct. Those look very nice. How are you holding the ball to drill? Are you finding dead center or eyeballing it. I am working on a jig to find dead center of the ball for my next project with them. not easy. Do you have a source for the bridge parts? I was thinking you could also just flatten the bottom of the ball to have it sit flat and no bridge part.
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I'm out of state for a week. When I get back I'll show how I'm drilling/centering. A picture explains it. I'm using a PSI pen chuck. I'll also get a few bridge part vendors. I use a small dowel to connect the bridge head. They can be directly attached. Drill a small hole in the ball and glue to the protruding piece on the bridge head. I'll get back to you next week.
Edit… found this but I'll take a better one next week. Lathe drilled..The back of the chuck has a hole. Butt the ball against the hole and it's centered. Use rubber foam cushions to protect the ball surface. The chuck arms are reversed to accommodate a large blank.
It's interesting how durable the balls are yet easy to drill into.
 

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yes the balls are easy to drill because they basically are acrylic. I am abit anal when it comes to centering the ball so looking to improve my method. Any tips would help. Right now I am using the chuck I showed in my tutorial on the clocks which works well. But at times I have to eyball it some and my eyes are not what they use to be. As far as holding the ball in a chuck like that may I suggest carpet underlayment or even a piece of router mat non slip stuff. Very thin and works well.
 
Tur; a tapered cup in your chuck to plac3 the ball into . Line it with routermatot leather to stop spinning as you drill. Auto centres it for you .
I use this for ball turning & gripping wood fruit to drill stems at an angle to their base
 
howsitwork said:
Tur; a tapered cup in your chuck to plac3 the ball into . Line it with routermatot leather to stop spinning as you drill. Auto centres it for you .
I use this for ball turning & gripping wood fruit to drill stems at an angle to their base
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it will center it to a point but not good enough to center between the numbers exactly or between the stripes exactly and that is what I am after. I made the same chuck for my lathe as I did for my drill press and I show that in that tutorial. But I want to have the numbers be exactly straight up and down as well as the stripes evenly spaced. When I get some of the projects I want done I will show you all what it all about. Right now I have to use my eye to line things up.
 
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