Today has been one of those odd requests to dismantle a full size snooker table, take the slates off and load them onto a specially made slate cradle, which was then put on a crane and lowered into a new build extension of the client’s house.
This particular client is an old school friend from the class of 69 at Beeston Fields School (Mick Kirkham). We also happen to share the same cousins… work that one out. Mick is the father of Superbike racer Jon Kirkham. here is his link to his own web site http://www.jonkirkham.co.uk/
The table used to belong to Snooker professional Anthony Hamilton, from his younger teenage days. It was sold to Mick by Anthony’s Father and I set it up in a stable block about 20 years ago. It’s an old Riley oak framed square leg circa 1910.
Mick is refurbishing all the woodwork, then it is having new cushion rubber and a re-cover before I return to assemble it in the new snooker room ( MAN CAVE ) that Mick is building onto his house. There are a further two levels to build yet, but my advice was to get the slates into the basement before closing it in with the ground floor. This will save on some sore backs at a later date trying to get it down some stairs, when it is all finished.
The slates were put onto a home made steel girder rack two at a time and one on its own. Shown here is the last slate being lowered strapped to the steel rack with my piano trolly on the other side . I was looking at that chain thinking it was going to snap at any moment. When it was up in the air and with two slates loaded it was taking the load of 2/5ths of a ton plus the weight of the steel girder rack, but I was assured it could take the strain. I must say they made an excellent job of building the rack made from a steel girder with centre support post.
Today was not the first time I have had experience of using these versatile, forklift cranes to help a job go more smoothly and save on sore backs. This one in France last year was the third one I had experienced.
