What causes 'Olhausen Death Rattle' and How to Fix It?

The term "Olhausen Death Rattle" refers to a notorious issue with Olhausen pool tables where balls tend to rattle against the pocket edges and often bounce out, disrupting gameplay. This rattling sound and ball rejection can be frustrating, especially when shots are well executed. Understanding the cause and how to fix this problem can significantly improve the playing experience on these tables.

What Causes the Olhausen Death Rattle?

The primary cause of the Olhausen Death Rattle is the design of the pockets on Olhausen tables. Specifically:

• Wide Pocket Cut: Olhausen pockets are cut wider than many other tables, which creates a larger angle at the pocket mouth. This wide opening increases the likelihood that balls will hit the pocket edges and rattle out instead of settling in the pocket.
• Soft Factory Facings: The original Olhausen tables come with soft 1/8" neoprene facings on the pocket rails. These soft facings compress significantly when balls strike them, causing the balls to deflect shallowly and bounce out of the pocket rather than being cushioned into the pocket.
• Pocket Angle and Rail Design: The combination of the wide pocket angle and soft facings means that balls do not penetrate deeply into the pocket, increasing the chance of a "death rattle"—a rattling sound as the ball hits the pocket edges and then comes back out.

How to Fix the Olhausen Death Rattle

Several solutions have been proposed and tested by pool enthusiasts and mechanics, with varying degrees of effectiveness:

• Replacing Factory Facings with Harder Neoprene: One of the most successful fixes is to replace the original soft 1/8" facings with harder 3/16" neoprene facings, such as Diamond brand facings. These harder facings compress less on impact, allowing balls to deflect deeper into the pocket and reducing the chance of rattling out. This modification reportedly solves about 95% of the problem and improves the table's playability.
• Modifying Pocket Angles: Some players have experimented with physically modifying the pocket angles to make them less wide or more accommodating to the ball's entry. This is a more involved fix and requires some woodworking or professional table servicing but can help reduce rattling by changing the geometry of the pocket mouth.
• Re-cutting the Pockets: The ultimate fix, though the most labor-intensive, is to have the pockets re-cut to narrower specifications, similar to other tournament-style tables. This reduces the pocket angle and helps prevent balls from bouncing out.
• Avoiding Sub-rail Work or Diamondizing: While some methods like "diamondizing" the rails (replacing the rubber cushions with diamond-shaped rails) exist, many players prefer simpler fixes like replacing facings due to the complexity and cost of other modifications.

The Olhausen Death Rattle is caused mainly by the wide pocket cut and soft original neoprene facings, which allow balls to rattle out of the pockets easily. The most effective and practical fix is to replace the soft facings with harder 3/16" neoprene facings, which significantly reduces rattling and improves play. More extensive fixes include modifying pocket angles or re-cutting pockets, but these require more skill and effort.