Minnesota Fats once said, “Gleason used to rack balls for me when he was a kid in Brooklyn.”
I say…“If only they had a Delta-13 rack…Fats would have snapped more balls in on the break!” I make this statement quite confidently after learning the history behind the life of the production of this high-quality, distinctive product that’s out-of-this-world…”aerospace” engineered!
It all started at Tag Team Manufacturing in 2007, when the idea of a product that did not allow your cue stick chalk to mark the walls came to mind. This product came out of necessity, and shortly after there was mention of a billiard ball rack. The first ball rack, admittedly stated by the company “Executive Billiards,” was a “three pound gorilla” —much too heavy and cumbersome.
After help from the WPBA (Women’s Professional Billiard Association) and the U.S. Pool Players Association, the “gorilla” went through a couple revision processes. The “Falcon” was the first revision debuted into the industry and only 100 were sold. Later the same year, the rack was re-tooled to a 16 oz. masterpiece, which was ready to take the market by storm! After the final changes, the WPBA and the U.S. Pool Players Association, announced that Delta-13 was their “official” rack. This exceptional product is made of 6061 extruded aluminum.
In case you’re wondering, after a little research, I found out that 6061 aluminum is used for heavy duty structures requiring good strength-to-weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance.
The Delta-13 “Elite” was machined on a $300,000 horizontal mill. Each rail and corner was cut from solid aluminum and inspected for sharp edges and quality machining prior to anodizing. The anodize process embeds the color molecules into the aluminum molecules in an electricity-charged bath and prevents the aluminum from tarnishing over time. The corners are “clear” anodized which gives them a silver-like finish.
In the summer of 2008, after learning they needed a price point for a rack well under $100 to satisfy a different consumer, the company sent out a request for quotes on a cast mold. The mold would eventually become the basis for an aluminum cast rack called the “Regular” rack. Delta-13 found a U.S. Company that owned a mold factory overseas and signed a contract with them in December of that year.
In June, 2013, after the purchase of a $13,000 CAD system, which allowed the creation of a high-quality product at a lower price point—the new “Select” rack was introduced and the “Regular” rack became discontinued. The new Select is made from the same 6061 extruded aluminum and has a sleek, new three-sided design featuring a patented ergonomic grip to insure a consistent, tight rack with explosive results. It also cuts down on billiard cloth wear.
In September, 2013, Delta-13 launched a partnership with the North American Poolshooters Association (NAPA) and announced their tour called: NAPA Delta-13 8-Ball Tour. The new tour takes place in 12 locations across the U.S. and Canada between September 2013 and October 2014. Each stop is a 64-player, 8-ball tournament open to all NAPA players of any skill level. The first stop was on September 21-22 in Indianapolis, with upcoming stops in Orlando on October 11-13 and Little Rock on November 16-17 (more stops TBA).
In October, 2013, the company, “Executive Billiards” changed their name to “Delta-13” where they continued to focus on their main objective, to put a high-quality product on the market and distribute the Delta-13 brand! The brand includes, the “Select” and “Elite” ball racks, a cue rack (holding up to 8 cues), a cue lean, a mount to display the Delta 13 rack, a Delta-13 tray and the Delta-13 case (holds only Delta-13 racks, a set of balls, chalk and is stackable). Delta-13 has sponsored over 50 professional tournaments, tours and amateur leagues.
There have been over 50 ESPN televised tournaments where the Delta-13 was the official tournament rack.
This brand is known to most professional players and amateurs around the world. It is apparent that Delta-13 has set out to make the highest quality billiard products. They keep honing their skills and improving their products, so people like me (pool players) can enjoy the game to the fullest and get excited each time they come to the table to play. Thank you Delta-13! For more information on the Delta-13 brand and products, please visit www.delta-13.com or contact them at 1-866-915-2058.
(References) October, 2013: History provided by the General Manager and VP, Kristin Taggart at Delta-13 – USA
Editor: Dana Gornall
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