Category Archives: News

We have a client who wishes to sell their circa 1910 to 1920 6ft oak Riley diner.
Table is in need of some TLC to bring it back up to a £3000 table which is what some would want for a fully renovated table like this .
but priced to sell as is and buyer collects for just £350 .
please look at the following pics , serial number of this table starts with A6 , A stands for Accrington and 6 = 6ft
this table is an early one it has buttons instead of slide in panels to cover cushion fixing screws . .


Table is in the North Staffordshire area of SK17 near Buxton and Leek area .
all inquiries to Geoff at

c.large@btinternet.com

Today I have been over to Beeston in Nottingham to a club that I have been working on their tables for over 38 years .
They relocated to an old building in the town when they built the new Tesco’s around 12 to 14 years ago .

both tables are Burroughs and watts steel match cushioned circa 1920s ,
Rigidus frame model where the centre legs are closer together and not equal spacing with end legs .
Both tables will be re-covered in Strachan 6811 tournament 30 oz cloth .
the last time I did them was in 2013 so they have lasted close on 5 years .
this club does not get as much use as other club’s , the relocation took them from a prime spot near the high Road to the outskirts of town .
and the car park is now very small compared to the old club , where you could park up let the Wife go shopping while you have a frame or two of snooker .

you may note all the cue cases on the wall ,Not many club’s do this now .
Members have a hook and sometimes a chain they can interlink each case and padlock it to the chain .
Many club’s do not like their walls cluttered like this , but this club still has this facility for members to store their cues on the club premises .

I was treated to a viewing of the pre fly over practice run of the 100 year celebration at RAf Cranwell last week
and today watched it on TV flying over the Mall LIVE !

all the aircraft had took off from RAF Conningsby and where to fly over the Dome tower at RAF Cranwell .
I took a few photo’s on my phone of a few planes as they flew over , the first to arrive where the Chinook’s Helicopters .

the Helicopter formation arriving from the East over RAF  Cranwell Airfield approaching from the East .

and as they passed overhead , they made a right racket those twin rotor Chinook’s .

a few more Fighter planes going over in formation .

and as they approached

Awacs early warning radar .detection plane

another wave of fighter jets .

formation approaching

another formation going overhead

and a few more

the reason I was at RAF Cranwell was to Re-rubber and re-cover two full size snooker tables and a pool table in the Sgts and Warrent officers mess .

one of the finished tables

one had new nets and leathers fitted .
It is not every day that you get to see a 100 plane fly past of aircraft practicing for the fly past down the mall which took place today to celebrate 100 years of the RAF .
One for the Billiard fitters travel stories memoirs  .

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 .

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 .

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