Category Archives: News

Just spent last week working at Butlins Skegness  in the Green Baize club .
three complete re-covers , one replacement Bed , 3 sets of nets and leathers and odd nets and ball rails to replace .

This week I have two full size snooker tables to re-rubber and re-cover and a 7ft pool table at RAF Cranwell Sgts Mess .

they are in a bit of a mess having had low cost rubber bad rebound value  fitted last time , and all cloth slips nailed in by a well known local Midlands firm they used last time .
I am putting them right fitting top quality Northern Rubber and Strachan Tournament 6811 cloth 30 oz and new nets and leathers .
The pool table has rock hard cushions so I am replacing these too

You only get a good table if you use Good materials , so be aware of lower quotes and always ask what rubber and cloth they are using , and look at the goods when they fit it .
fitters who tend to use lower grade goods also do a lower grade workmanship , they have no pride or morals , so be aware , you  get what you pay for , there is no such thing as low cost quality materials and workmanship .

Northern rubber comes in packs of six with stamped date of manufacture on each rubber
this is an old photo for an example of what to look for ,  I fitted November 2017 made cushions .

the cloth will have this transfer on the underside

also two blue lines embroidered in on one edge .

Nets and leathers I use are top quality and supplied by Peradon .
all the materials I use are top quality , I cannot barter the price down on quality goods .
and firms that do undercut me do use inferior materials and bad workmanship such as nailing in cushion cloth slips ,
as proved today when I stripped down the first table in the RAF site .
And I am finding by showing the client these things I get repeat work from them .
they Know GCL billiards is a firm to trust their cue sports tables with .
No corners cut , and no inferior materials used .

Just got back from holiday to 174 emails and phone answer service full of messages on both land line and mobile .
it has taken me three days to sort it all out .
I was supposed to be working on my house this week but I have sat in the office for 3 days sorting this back log of inquiries that have come in while on holiday out .
Sorry if I have missed anyone out , if you feel that you have not been contacted due to phone answering service full ,  then please get back in touch via email system rather than the phone .
But the good news for us is we are getting very busy again , not that we have ever been slack for the last 6 years .
In fact business is booming .

but just to keep people in the loop requiring work , please try and book me 6 to 8 weeks in advance

I am busy for a reason with 42 years personal experience as a time served billiards fitter , and my ethics of quality work ,
this seems to be what people require when they are looking for a Billiards fitter to carry out work on their tables .
and word of mouth is a powerful tool too , many of my new clients have been referred by previous work that I have carried out .
at the rate work is coming in I will be ready for a another break around September for a week .

do not forget we also move the odd table for people , it is not all about working on site only .
here are just a few of the quality and type of  work that we have carried out

so please book early for work , I do work the odd Saturday if it helps , but tend to keep these week end days for local work rather than traveling .

We have a client based near Bishop Storford / Stanstead Airport .
He wishes to sell on his very nice condition Karnehm and Hillman full size snooker table at  £500
At this price it is a come and get me price attractive to buy and then employ a billiards firm like GCL billiards to dismantle and set back up .

as can be seen the Buckingham model has carved tulip legs and scrolls and buttons to the cushions with reeded design to side frame and lower cushion .
an attractive looking table that resembles old billiard table yet has the benefit of playing as a modern table , this table was manufactured from early 1980s onward’s .

with the table is all the accessories and the shade lighting scoreboard etc.

The cloth from the photo’s looks in very good order and could be re stretched back on ,
the baulk line and D could do with erasing with acetone to remark out in order for it to be a professional job .
you see a few of these come up , but this one is private owned and looks in very good order , unlike some that have had a hard life in a  snooker or working mens club .
of course there will be some marks and scratches associated with belt buckle marks that you always get on a polished cushion capping when you lean over for a shot .
but from the photo’s it looks minimal if any at all .
buyer to pay for dismantle and removal and delivery and set up as an Extra to cost of the table
if you would like a quote please contact Geoff at GCL billiards .
all inquiries for this table to GCL billiards and we will pass on any interested parties to the seller .
this table will not be up for sale long , in this condition and with the Karnehm and Hillman excellent build quality this should sell quick .
We have moved on a few of these K&H table’s in the past here are just few

a 10ft square leg version

another sold on our site

another 10ft version

another full size

and yet another 10ft tulip leg Buckingham
below are example of how e go about loading and delivering full size snooker tables .

as you can see we are professionals at removing and transporting full size snooker tables .
We offer a bubble wrapping service at extra cost if going into long term storage .

or we just blanket wrap on normal dismantle and deliveries

lifting heavy slates is no DIY job , get experienced fitters in .

filling slate joints

checking level using very accurate engineers spirit level .

to finished table , ready for play .

Now taking orders for July , June is fully booked out ….with Butlins Skegness work at end of June booked in .
My Daughters at Home looking after the dog’s but , She will not be answering any emails or telephone inquiries while we are away .
if you wish to make contact with GCL Billiards then June the 18th week is when I am back but still off the third week working at Home .
No inquiries will be answered in the time we are off on our annual holidays .

We will be right on the sea front at Puerto Del Carmen Harbour .
please try and not to phone while we are away , as always my phone be will be switched off for two weeks from June 2nd to 18th and not even taken away with me .
I am switching off from work , I did this last year and it was so refreshing not to have to worry about work and trying to fit people in for table work when on holiday .
please respect my wishes to be left alone and not to have to come back to emails and answer phone full ,
best leave it until June 18th to try and make contact with me .
I have a few job’s booked in for the start of July first week 2nd to 6th is booked out in Lincolnshire , so is the 9th of july in Ashbourne , 10th and 11th is free but 13th and 19th is booked out to Beeston  ,
16th 17th 18th and 20th free , 25th and 27th 30th and 31st all free in July as we speak .
Then we are into August , as I often say to clients please try and book GCL billiards for table work  ,  6 to 8 weeks in advance at any one time .
there are not many of us Qualified and time served Billiard table fitters still left working , most have given up and retired , I am worth waiting for if you want quality work done to your cue sports tables .

Many of my clients do recommend me , Cue Ball Club in Derby is one

Stapleford cue club another

Ivanhoe club Ashby de la zouch is another

Hunters Bar at Grantham another .

and even some Private owners with just one table , I am not all about bulk club work , I like to have a good mix of club and private dwellings to work at .

and smaller pool table work too .
As I said I am worth waiting for , GCL billiards has got more busy as each year passes , we are very popular and recommendations do travel through social media ,
Especially face book , my name gets passed around when opposing league teams play at an away venue and they ask who does your table recovering ?

Please help me to take two weeks Holidays and not come back to a phone and email system full of inquiries .
As you can see we are fully booked out until July , so there is no point in asking for a day before that time period .

Regards

Geoff Large
GCL billiards

With work already in , and our two weeks Holidays in June and a weeks work on the house long overdue , we are booked out for work during the months of May and June .and that’s  FULLY BOOKED OUT !
There is no possibility of cancellations , so please look into July at the earliest for work on your cue sport tables .

This week I have been local in derby working on a few tables in the Cueball club .
Danny had stripped one set of cushions down and stained and re-varnished them prior to my visit , he had also fully dismantled the table to re-level the bad out of tilt floor .
so first job was to put slates back on the frame and re-level .
I then re-rubbered two sets of cushions and cut to B&SCC templates the openings

I then undercut and smoothed the underside angle of the rubber to accept the balls better

a nice undercut and smoothed out , leaving sharp edged cut and not sanded  rubber will cause the cloth to split
So I always smooth the rubber out by rasping and rounding off the sharp cut with sand paper
the rubber used is Hainsworths Northern Rubber made in Retford Nottinghamshire .
The best you can buy .

the table that Danny had re-polished the wood capping of the cushions
now sporting Hainsworth Match on the bed and Hainsworth smart on the cushions
I do this mixture of cloth on bed and cushions because the smart is more hard wearing and the cushions would wear out very quick if all match was used .

The bed cloths require clamping and stretching at certain points to ensure a very tight fitting and speedy playing surface .

two tables on the back of the room had all Hainsworth smart cloths on bed and cushions .
It is best to have a mixture of tables around the room and the match fitted beds are a bit more expensive to play on .
these two tables are for more  wear and tare use .
they will play a little slower at first but will soon quicken up once they get more use  and brushed and ironed regularly .

Cue club Customer thinks this table is playing great
this table used to have odd sized pocket openings on , now with the new rubber fitted and all pockets are the same size .

pocket opening on varnished cushions match table .

Pocket openings on 2nd table in

same table another pocket opening  looking into it
note the flat faced rubber in the jaw , this is now the norm on modern undercut  just the same as you see on TV .
older tables used to have the rubber undercut to a pointed triangle at the radius of the opening .

you have to be accurate to make the shot now , the angles are the modern game so you may have to adjust your game to play on modern table openings .
most old tables in working men’s clubs still sport the older sharp undercut this enables the ball to get under the overhang , and makes the pocket much easier to pocket a ball , but it also deflects the ball downwards and wears out the cloth in the form of track lines , you may see this on badly worn cloths , but you also see it on tables that have sharp undercuts , and the cloth is worn out before it is due to be re-clothed because  of this .
Danny will slowly transform all the tables at the Cue ball club to have modern pocket flat faced openings  .
It is not a new thing we have been doing the flat faced openings  since the 1990’s . but it takes time for tables to be re-rubbered , most get done every 25 years .
But there are a lot of those boom years of the 1980s , the pot black years where thousands of tables had the sharp undercut and they are still out there .

Cue ball Derby the main snooker room

Cue ball Derby pool room on a league night .
Danny was informing me he has a few alteration plans for the room this year especially the bar lounge area  , and some exciting news for next year if every thing falls into place as planned  .
the cue ball club is located in Derby at ~Mansfield Road under Roller world DE21 4AW
Turn left at Nissan Garage if coming from Pentagon island and look for roller world and through the main gates to right .
contact details 01332 360924

We have a client who is looking for a 9ft or 10ft snooker table ASAP.
if you have one in good condition , then he would be interested , Ground floor location preferred for removal .

one like this would be a preference
a Karnehm and Hillman Buckingham

or the same 10ft Karnehm & Hillman table with square legs ?

or a 9ft Titan  or  Riley  oak or mahogany .

let me know if you have any of these types of table or one similar in good condition wood work wise , ideally with excellent cloth but we could re-cover so not a problem if cloth need s replacing , but wood work has to be in excellent order .
I have a buyer waiting for one

contact Geoff at GCL billiards .

c.large@btinternet.com

quote 9ft or 10ft wanted May 2018