Monthly Archives: August 2012

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POOL TABLE RECOVERING Sales and rentals

I have been giving this a bit of thought , GCL Billiards is a traditional name for snooker   tables  although the words Cue sports is often used to describe all type’s of tables , some customers that have a pool table think , well we don’t want to go down the route of getting a billiards or snooker firm in to recover our table , they will charge too much , and Clients with snooker tables may think steer clear of that firm they do Pool tables , we don’t want a pool table fitter working on our table , we only want a fully qualified time served billiards fitter . that is not to say that Pool tables are inferior to Snooker tables  , it is just that they are Recovered in differant methods and skills , A snooker table for instance should have it’s bed cloth tacked on , this will enable restretching at a later date , a pool table cloth is glued on unless it is an american pool table then it is stapled on , they do not require restretching , my method of glueing a bed cloth on a pool table is second to none , you will not have any issue’s with cloth coming off around the pocket falls, or even coming all off the slate due to very bad spray on glue being used , or a fittter being in too much of a hurry to wait for the glue to go off . A fitter should not use the same methods of recovering a pool table on a snooker table and thats where the divide come’s from , Club secreterys have made the mistake of not having a time served billiards fitter on the snooker table and the fitter has covered it the same way he recovers a pool table , and I have seen this over the years stapled and glued on bed cloths on a snooker table ? , Pool and snooker have their own way of maintenance schedule .

For this reason I am about to open a sepperate web site for pool table recovers ,sales and rental only , I will link the site to this one and vice versa , this way I am sure to capture both markets of which I am experienced in , I do not charge over the rates of a normal pool table recover just because I am a fully time served billiards fitter , I do not lower my standards for maintaining Snooker tables just because I also work on pool tables , through experience working in Pool and Snooker I know there is a bit of a divide when it comes down to the games .

What you can be sure of is that after 37 years experience of working on both Pool and snooker tables ,GCL Billiards will always do reputable work to the highest standard for both parties , I will update news of the new web site as soon as it is up and running .

 

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table logistics option 2 , NEW VAN ON THE WAY lower cost removals of table ? + Ebay

Today I have purchased a new van due for delivery in a week or two ,  for moving tables at a lower price , I would prefer to use jonills removals for safer high class moves , as they are profesional removers and being as they have a much larger vehicle they can also move youre entire house contents or part of it , they also have plenty of men available for those awkward moves .

A colour to get noticed ?

option 2 of table dismantle and move

With time’s being hard in this recession and people not having much money around , I decided that an investment in a larger van was required to offer a competitive quote to logistics of you’re Snooker Table or Pool table. You could also click to see and figure out your logistics.

I will still offer the same care and attention , in that every leg and cushion plus sides and ends will be well wrapped in removal blankets . I will also offer a lower quote if you do not require extra men from my end , if you prefer to offer youre own added labour to help load and unload , then I am happy to go down this route also .

Prices will be on how far I have to travel and any extra labour required . I am sure people buying on ebay may want to use this lower cost service , I will look at any table listing on ebay and give advice on the table and if it is suitable for youre requirements , but please note, I am looking at photo’s , I cannot test such things like rubber bounce and slate trueness and state of woodwork and cloth  if I do not see the table first hand , it will be a judgement of knowing the make of table and it’s suitability for you from photo’s . then give you an informed choice as to if you want to bid on it .

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The Snooker forum , I would advise you to join .

I have for a few years ( from august 2007 ) contributed to the snooker forum , the link is www.thesnookerforum.com

If you join this forum you can read most of my posts under the FORUM section and look under TABLES section down the list , I have answered many questions regarding Billiard Tables my name on there that I post under is my own name Geoff Large , I get questions from all over the world on the subject of type’s of tables and history etc from , France / Germany / Spain / USA / Canada / China and Thailand / Australia / Bulgaria / latvia even Dubai to name just a few countries . but mostly here in the UK. , also questions about buying a table what to look for , lighting , heating , Room size etc .

another name to look out for on there is an historian he uses the name 100-uper , I not only give information but also learn about subjects regarding Snooker /billiards and pool that I have not heard before , I think it is impossible in life to know the entire subject about billiard tables , I am always learning , take Dave Gibsons lazor ball ramp , I have never seen one of those before . and 100-uper has knowledge about  the history of firms and dateing tables etc , he has a vast collection of Books advertisements and photo’s etc .

I have struck up a common friendship also with other Billiard table fitters that also contribute to the snooker forum , so if you have a night to read through the snooker forum under tables section , I am sure you will find it an interesting read .

Just sign up , it’s free www.thesnookerforum.com

 

 

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Adjustable Muntins retro fit


New muntin slate support fitted .

Today I have been in the workshop custom making some adjustable brackets for converting a standard table to incorporate adjustable slate supports, these are called centre muntins in the billiard trade.

I have two tables in the same club to retro fit these parts to.  I will be taking photographs of the finished job next week and putting them in my photo gallery on this site.  Many tables in the 1980’s had soft Italian slate being used on them unlike the older thicker welsh slate.  It is not as good or as dense as welsh slate.

The modern method of making the table frames ignored the traditional centre muntin slate support being level with the side frame to stop slate deflection.  This resulted in many tables being sold where the slates would sag down in the middle over time.  Today tables are made with adjustable slate muntins which support the centre of the slate across its 6 foot span and stop any deflection or ‘sag’ as it is commonly known.

This is a photo of the underside of the table before I fitted the retro adjustable muntin supports. as you can see nothing there to support the slate from sagging in the centre of the table .

The two tables in question should have had the adjustable slate supports in them, but they were just not fitted at the time of installation.  This has resulted in the tables playing out of true and the balls rolling in from each side is the result of sagging slates.

My custom made muntin brackets will rectify the problem.  It may not be able to rectify it in one go, so I may have to call a couple of visits to tweak the centre muntins by a simple 1/4 turn of 6 bolts that will take the sag out of the slates.

This photo shows the new Muntin’s fitted underneath the slate , note the adjustable nut for screwing the muntin upwards to support the slate.
If you are having problems with snooker table level, please get in touch.  I am sure I can find a solution for you.

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Dave Gibson’s Gadgets and levelling snooker tables

I visited Beeston Snooker Hall yesterday and got talking to Dave Gibson, owner of Beeston Snooker Hall since the 1960’s.  Dave has always been one for Gadgets.  Many people would think “why would he want one of those”, but I have known Dave for many years and he is always interested in electronics and the technical side of Snooker.

On this occasion he was showing me his self-made ball ramp with laser for testing speed of a table cloth and also bounce of a cushion.  The device also shows that a true level table can still roll out with nap and also natural slate warp dip spots.  The laser pointer that is installed in this Ball ramp really shows the ball rolling off, yet my engineers level and also electronic digital level – which are very accurate pieces of equipment – show the slate at that point is true.

I was very impressed with this gadget (I should not really call it that as it is a nice bit of scientific equipment).  We were talking about the pro tables on TV.  I am sure even those would show a ball rolling out on the thin match cloth with this bit of equipment when the fitter had got it spot on for level,  This device also confirmed that I got the recent bed cloths that had been fitted tight as the speed was as good as worn out no nap table cloth.

When I am recovering tables in many snooker clubs and halls I often overhear players comment after a bad shot “the table is not level it rolled off a mile”.  What players have to take into consideration is strength of nap, length of nap, thickness of cloth, temperature of table, finger drag marks in cloth and sweat off hands on cloth.  All these can take a slow ball off its intended direction.  Did you also know that when a ball strikes another ball the force is also transferred down the ball towards the cloth.  The same is also true when a ball strikes the cushion, that is why you get track marks along the edge of the table and around the pocket openings and also on the black and pink spots which wear indentations in them quicker than the other spots because people always go for the highest scoring ball.

In Dave’s Snooker Hall he also has large fans that can cause a down draft on the table.  Just like a current in a river these down drafts leave a current of air rebounding off the tables and also players as they stand underneath them redirecting air flow.  Players do not really look into the outside forces of a ball rolling off.  They always blame the table being out of level.

True out of level tables ?
When we get a table that is truly out of level it may be just a simple jack up and re-shim the legs to even it out, or it may be warped frame work which may incorporate a rather expensive full strip down, slates off and reshooting of the frame level.

In recent years (the 1980’s onwards) some modern table manufacturers have not been manufacturing the tables correctly in that the inner muntins (slate supports) are not in contact with the slate.  This causes the softer Italian slate to dip in the middle.  I refer this as a slate sag issue caused by no support in the centre of the slate.  I have devised a way of rectifying this by using adjustable muntins.  Brackets are fitted on the underside of the framework in the centre and three square and true floating muntins are used with adjustable bolts to tighten and adjust pressure to the centre of the slate upwards.  Over time a little 1/4 turn of the adjustable muntins will cure the slate dip.

If you know of a table that has this issue of balls rolling from each side towards the centre of the slate, I can retro fit these adjustable muntins to any table without taking the slates off.  Please get in touch for a quote.

Geoff