Category Archives: News

Posted in News

Raising Funds for table maintenance, not a new thing?

With the recent news that Nottingham Snooker Academy’s members had raised funds to finance the re-rubber and re-cover of 4 snooker tables, another table re-covered this past week just happened to have the same process.

The owners of a Caravan Park were not releasing funds this year for the upkeep of the snooker table, as funds were required in more important areas of the park.  But the table was way past its sell by date for a new cloth and rubber plus pocket leathers.

The local Residents and Fishermen who use the site bar clubbed together in an 8 month fundraising venture to do it themselves.  A quote was provided 8 months ago and a few people decided to get fund raising events off the ground to raise the cash so to speak.  It took them around 7 months and a date was booked in to do the work.

The table in question was the 10ft that I have just put up on the Blog, but here are a few more photos of the strip down.
Caravan park Fund raiser
The wall fund raising chart
caravan rubber removed from blocks

The cushions have been stripped of cloth and rubber and the blocks sanded up to take the new rubber being glued to them.
caravan new rubber glued

The new rubber is glued all 6 at one time on my glueing board.
caravan old and new slip
As can be seen again from the photo  above, the old cloth retaining slip showing signs of where it was nailed into the cushion slip slot and a new planed to fit tight without being nailed in new slip.

Caravan old green rubber
This last photo shows the old green rubber.  Northern Rubber is black and can last upto 25 years.  This old green rubber lasted less than 7 years.  When pulling it off the blocks it was brittle and broke up.

Today I stripped down a 9ft set of cushions and the Black Rubber on them was dated 1935, but it was in much better condition than this green rubber.  But I am also re-rubbering this set too.

Low quality rubber can vary in the way it just goes off, you can get sunlight damage where the sun shining through a window catches part of a cushion and that part goes rock hard and crumbles.  Yet there may be 1 foot of the rubber length that cannot catch the sun that still remains good.  You get this a lot on UK pool tables that use red / pink rubber.

Northern Rubber  plays good in most conditions.  The only thing that Northern Rubber does not like is cold, but thats the case with all types of cushion rubber.
Northern rubbered the stamp 2012

Another example I have used before showing the hard red rubber with Northern Rubber at the side of it.
Black v red rubber

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10ft re-rubber and re-cover in Lincolnshire + other work in the same area over two to three days

This week I have been working away for a few days and staying overnight at a caravan park in Lincolnshire.  I took on around 4 jobs in the same area, so stayed central to complete them all at the caravan park I was doing the main work at.

The main job was the caravan park’s 10ft snooker table which had been badly installed from new and had dead Chinese green rubber on the cushions.  I started by stripping the rubber off the cushions and then I replaced it with best Northern Rubber as used on the main tournament tables used on TV.

After fitting the new rubber I had to reform the pocket openings on this table.   As the table is used mainly by the park’s tourist caravanners and residents, they did not want small hard to pot tight pocket openings so opted for a large 3 3/4 inch width at the drop, which is around 1/8th larger than club tables in most snooker clubs.

The slips that hold the cloth in on the last re-cover where all nailed in.  This is bad practice and will in time split those wood blocks off the cushion.

Just take alook at the badly carved rubber around the pockets and the nailed in cloth retaining slips.  I have lifted the nails up to show just how many were in.  This is just utter cowboy work.
caravan nailed slips and carved rubber

Take a look at the next photo to show new slips that were fitted after the new rubber was fitted and new pocket angles cut.  As you can see, not a nailed in slip, just a tight fitting one.
caravan new rubber new slips
The finished table
caravan finished table
The bed of the table was not very level and the frame bolts where all loose.  The table was fitted with adjustable muntins (centre slate supports) but these were not even tightened up against the under side of the slate.  The slate also had beer mats put between frame and slate in an attempt to level it.  I removed all the beer mats, took all the packing out of the legs, tightened the frame bolts, levelled the table, adjusted the centre slate supprts to prevent slate sagging and refilled the joints with a good soft sand car body filler, before sanding the entire bed down.

The table, although not 100% level, is 98% better than it was before I levelled it.

A photo showing pocket openings after the re rubber with ball for referance of size of opening.  You may also note I fitted a new set of Riley match plate pocket leathers.
Caravan new cloth and pocket opening
A photo of the old cloth and pocket opening , as you can just about see the rubber is not as thick at the back end of the old pocket as it is on the new opening.  You need this extra rubber at the back edge to avoid cloth wear and the noise of knocking as the ball hits the thin rubber.  Better to have a bit more rubber there to protect cloth from splitting and also ball bounce out from the thud of the ball hitting the wood.  The old pocket openings where around 4 inch wide at the fall!  That’s almost two balls side by side being allowed in – the term ‘buckets’ can be aptly used to describe pockets like this by snooker players.
Caravan worn table corner
I was not finished after this re-cover and re-rubber as they also wanted me to re-cover the old pool table out the back that the kids use.  I turned the old cloth over from the snooker table.

Here it is, not too bad for second hand cloth turned over is it?  It is only used by the kids anyway.
caravan pool table cover old cloth
During my stay there I nipped out each evening.  One trip to Woodhall Spa to pick up some 9ft cushions to take home to the workshop for re-rubber and re-cover.  Due to refit next thursday with other work in the area.  The next night a trip up the road to dismantle a full sized snooker table in a garage.  It really helps if you are in the same area to combine these jobs as it helps to reduce travelling time (and costs) and thus increase the time I can spend on fitting.  I estimate with all the work I did on this trip, it saved me 8 hours travelling and that’s a day that would have been lost.

Not finished there, on the way home on Friday I popped into Newark to look at a job to quote for and then over to Southall to quote for another job. So a very productive week.

Next two weeks are just as busy, with tables to move and set up, re-rubbers x 3 and recovering pool and snooker tables.

Not much on for June although the first week is starting to look full, so anyone requiring work for June, just pop me an email at c.large@btinternet.com or phone me 0n 07753 466064.

By all means leave comments on this work just done, but any enquiries please use the two contacts just supplied.  Email is the preferred contact method, but if you want a quick answer the mobile phone is the best.

Posted in News

A couple of pool tables to start the week off, glue overspray on top of slate and the Adam and Eve the best pool table in Wragby Town to play pool ?

Started off in Nottingham with a pool table in a log cabin.  It was the table’s first recover since the owner bought the table from new.  I was amazed at the amount of glue overspray on top of the slate, which to me is a rushed job of the first recover in the FACTORY ?

I had to clean off all this glue cloth overspray, otherwise it would make the ball roll off especially where it was really thick around the pockets.  I know if the pool table manufacturer’s boss knew this had been done, he would not be happy with the person on the production line doing the work.  I cleaned all the slate off before I put a new Strachan 6811 Tournament cloth on it.

One reason I do not use spray on glue, it goes all over the place including ball runs.  I always use a comb to spread contact adhesive to slate and cloth.
overspray glue on pool slate

I then moved onto Wragby in Lincolnshire, the new Landlord of the Adam and Eve Pub required a re-cover in speed cloth on his Elite made table.  The cushions were a bit tired, but managed to get them done this time and will custom make him a new set on the next recover.  The cloth of choice was the Super pro speed cloth in olive green.  The table was very good for level.

The landlord also bought a set of new standard pool balls, a fitted dust cover and cleaner spray for the cloth.  He also ordered a new set of Premier Match balls to be dropped off next week.

They are a very keen bunch of pool players in Wragby and the Adam and Eve must have the best table in town now.
wragby finished pool speed cloth

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No job too Small, from a garage 6ft pool table to a full size snooker table, GCL Billiards the firm of choice because you are dealing direct with the fitter

We are very busy at the moment and are fully booked up for the month of May.  We are not complaining as it shows people want GCL Billiards to do the work on their cue sports table.

Last week I had a phone call from a local private house who required a recover of an old pool table they had picked up off ebay.  I was fully booked up but did this on Saturday as I do not like turning work away.  The table was an old Hazel grove super league copy, probably made by Lymegrove.  This was the type of table you would find in most pubs by the 1970s/80s.

There are still plenty of these tables around and some people even put them outside on patios for a couple of years before the weather gets to them.

This one had a very loose cloth on it and was badly fitted, plus the cloth was not very good, as can be seen from the photo below.
garage old pool old cloth

I replaced the cloth with Strachan 777 grade pool cloth at a competitive price.  The cushions where not good but the client will get a couple of years out of the table before selling it on for what he paid for it, just £100.

I am sure he will get plenty of practice on the table now it has been re-covered and we also fitted a set of new pocket liners.
garage old pool recovered
Even these old Lymegrove tables scrub up well after a re-cover.

And no job is too small, from a 6ft pool table to a full size snooker table for match play, GCL billiards will not turn you away if the table is good, the distance is not too far and the work profitable.

There are however some tables we do not recover.  These are mainly the type sold by Argos and they are just nailed together.  But you will also be surpised to know that some full size tables are made in exactly the same way, nailed on block cushions with no slips and glued together.  They are a nightmare to re-cover as they were not designed to be.

We always ask if possible to send a photo of the table.  This helps us identify the make and we can be double sure that we can take the job on.  Only the other day I had a job of moving an 8ft snooker dining table and the underside wood that the lifters where on was just glued to the slate.  Unlike the Riley diners which are fully slate screwed to subframed anti bow beamed and solid.  When the table was lifted to playing height the wood board was pulled off the slate.  The maker (which I will not name but has an impressive sales web site) is still making these diners the same way and they are not cheap at £2,500.

I have persuaded the owner of the snooker diner to have the table converted to a fixed height table with a thick beamed subframe sprayed black, the same colour as the frame and cushions.  Because he has not bought any chairs yet, he can get chairs with extra leg height for this.  The slate was 8ft long and sagged down in the middle so it could not be played without balls rolling towards the middle anyway.

When I make the new subframe it will have 4 adjustable cross bearing muntings.  This will make the slate very level and a simple job of taking a spanner under the table to adjust 8 bolts for leveling.  I also put extra screws in the cushions for a better bounce.  The table was made without much thought.  I will at the same time take the very slow thick wool cloth off and re-cover it in 6811 tournament Strachan cloth.  It is a good job for me, but it should have been made this way to start with.

Raise and fall diners with the Riley type lifters are ok to 6ft and 7ft but after this size they bow in the middle, especially the 8ft and 9ft tables.  The old E J Riley ones are better as they have anti bow beams running the entire length of the table.  I will post photos of the table when I get around to doing it in June.

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GCL Billiards are proud to be associated with the NEW Nottingham Snooker Academy at The Embankment, Trent Bridge

The Nottingham Snooker Academy opens its doors today with phase one of the refurbishment of the tables by GCL Billiards.

acadamy finished table
Please read the following article from the Nottingham Snooker website for full details of this exciting news to hit the Nottingham Snooker scene.
academy logo nottingham

The Embankment, 282-284 Arkwright Street, Trent Bridge, is pleased to announce the launch of Nottingham Snooker Academy.
The Academy is the brainchild of Steve Butler, who runs the Nottingham Snooker website and is also on the Committee of the Nottinghamshire Billiards & Snooker Association.
“I remember reading an article by Ray Yeomans back in 2009.  Ray was asking where all the young snooker players in Nottinghamshire had gone.  It made me realise that very few youngsters were taking up the sport and someone needed to do something about it.” said Steve.
Steve has persuaded sixteen local players to help him by putting their hands in their pockets in order to raise enough funds to bring the snooker tables and accessories up to the required standard.
“That is phase one of the plan” said Steve. “We will have all four tables re-rubbered and re-covered by Long Eaton based GCL Billiards.  We’ll also invest in new balls and equipment, including new TV style lighting.  In the autumn a few of us will be going on a coaching course so that we will be able to start coaching local children in the basics of the game.  We have Barry Stark firmly on board.  He is a WPBSA qualified coach and he has agreed to help us devise a coaching scheme for the youngsters.”
“This is a brilliant idea and I’ll support it in any way I can.  It’s just what Nottingham needs and hopefully we’ll help to discover the next Ronnie O’Sullivan right here in Nottingham.” said Barry.
Andrij Jurkiw, Operations Manager at The Embankment, is very excited about the Academy.  He commented “When Steve approached me with this idea I thought it was wonderful.  Our snooker tables were under-used and we were not sure how we could attract new players to come and use them.  This idea of Steve’s will benefit The Embankment, local youngsters and the founder members, who will all receive free table time in return for their investment.”
Nottingham Snooker Academy launched on 1st May 2013 and it will hopefully start recruiting youngsters for coaching sessions in the Autumn.  You can keep up to date on the developments by visiting www.nottinghamsnooker.com or by popping along to The Embankment (see www.embankmentnottingham.co.uk for opening hours).

The following photographs show some of the work that has been done to bring the tables up to a good playing standard using best Northern Rubber made in the UK in Retford, Nottinghamshire and Strachan 6811 Tournament cloth.

All that is now required for the first table is pro match lighting which is being sorted ASAP.  All of the tables will have this new lighting as they get the refurb of cloth, nets and leathers in the coming weeks.

Below the pocket opening before re-rubbering.  We noticed that they were far too tight, having 3 1/4 inch at the fall and 2 3/4 inch at the rear of the pocket.  They should be 3.5 inch at the fall to be as close to the steel block Star TV tables as possible.
Acadamy before re-rubber old pockets openings

Below the pocket opening after the re-rubber, cut as close to steel block openings as the woodwork would allow.  They are now 3.5 inch at the slate fall and 3 inch at the rear.  A 2 1/16th ball at the pocket opening to compare for size.  We also renewed the nets and leathers.

acadamy 3.5 inch pocket

Below the table checked for level and slate joints filled, although I must say they did not require much filling, just a couple of slight chips out of the slate thats all.  Notice the raised seating, this makes viewing the play very good.  There is plenty of cue room around the tables and I am sure Barry Stark will make good use of the venue to teach up and coming players the art of the game.

Once the old fashioned Joe Davis endorsed Hartley engineered metal billiard shade lighting is replaced with the new high frequency white light twin tube units, the club will have a first class venue for staging league snooker and exhibitions.
acadamy table leveling

Below the new rubber fitted to the blocks, date of manufacture is February 2013.

acadamy new rubber

Some history of The Embankment and the billiards tables located there

The Embankment (formerly The Embankment Club) used to be called Boots Social club and is a listed building.  The tables have been in situ for many years and Geoff Large has worked on them in the past.  Two of the tables (number 1 & 2) are E J Riley make (circa 1910).  Tables 3 & 4 (circa 1920) were locally made in Nottingham by John Gent who had showrooms and office on Broad Street and a factory on Convent Street.  This was later to become Elstons of Broad Street.

In 1938 Elstons joined forces with another local Nottingham billiard hall owner called John Stewart Hopkin of Hyson Green and became Elston & Hopkin Billiards Ltd.  They moved to the Empire Theatre building on Goldsmith Street as the main head office and billiard hall.   That is why they named their cushions the ‘Empire Match Cushion’.  You can see this nameplate on many tables that were re-rubbered by Elston & Hopkin Billiards Ltd up until 2004.

Geoff Large of GCL Billiards was time served trained at Elston & Hopkin Billiards Ltd and worked for the company until the Limited Company ceased trading in March 2004.   This was when John Hopkin jnr officially retired in his 80s!  John Hopkin jnr  is still alive and lives in Wollaton, Nottingham.

In  1980 the Empire Snooker Hall was closed down and demolished to make way  for the new Royal Concert Hall building.  Elston and Hopkin Billiards Ltd relocated to Newark Street and had the top floor with an 18 table snooker hall and office showrooms and workshop.  This was sold off in 2002 and is now the Spot On snooker club.  I have many fond memories of working out of the Newark Street premises.

As you can see there is a direct link from John Gent who made two of the tables at The Embankment, through Elston’s who took over Gents, then to Elston and Hopkin Billiards Ltd and finally to GCL Billiards.  A continuation of billiard fitting in the Nottingham, Derby and East Midlands area.

Anyone requiring work on their cue sports table could not wish for a better firm than GCL Billiards, with such a rich history of billiards fitting handed down from fitter to fitter for over 100 years.  You can be assured that we know what we are doing.

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Snooker slates craned into basement of building near Derby

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.
slate in basement lowering in

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.
slate to basement by Jib
slate in basement

crane last of the slates being lowered

Crane slates basement
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.
oakfranceforklift

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More Snooker Pool table work for GCL Billiards in Nottingham Derby and Lincolnshire for April and May

Having just completed the large Snooker Club installations in the centre of Nottingham, we move onto a run of pool table re-covering in Derby and Nottingham.  Then we re-rubber, re-cover, nets and leathers on a full size snooker table  in Nottingham.  We then move onto Lincolnshire for another re-rubber and re-cover, this time on a 10ft, before ending back in Basford, Nottingham to work on another pool table.

The phone is busy and work is still coming in, but we still have some days spare in May to fill.

We are still hoping to get more work in from Leicestershire and the West Midlands, so if you are thinking of having work done to your cue sports table, we are just an email or phone call away.
Hidden spot match table 2

A recent re-cover in 6811 Tournament Strachan cloth, with new extra extra broad bow leathers and nets.  The pocket size on this table is 3 inches and 5/8ths at the drop, whereas a standard match table is closer to 3 and a half inches at the drop.

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New snooker club opening in Nottingham and GCL Billiards gets the work @ The Hidden Spot phone 07427155182 ask for Kal .

Today I have started the job of leveling and re-covering 12 Full size snooker tables.  The owners of this brand new club have erected the table frames and positioned the slates ready for re-covering by a qualified Billiards fitter, but they require moving and adjusting for level.

The reason the tables required moving was because they had put them too close to each other.  After a look around I gave them my thoughts on how they should position the tables and make a seperate room for two Burroughs and Watts match tables, one having steel block cushions.

I will be adding some photographs of the club late tommorow.  You will be surprised at how large these premises are.  They also have 8 UK 7×4 pool tables.

The name of the club… THE HIDDEN SPOT.  It is due to open at the end of April with table rates from £5 per hour.

***The club is situated on Denman Street East and North Kyme street just off  Ilkeston road near canning circus *** PHONE  Kal on 07427155182 for enquiries of booking tables

With very low cost parking nearby at £1 all day, what other clubs near the centre of Nottingham have that facility?

here are the photo’s of the club , there is a mountain of Blue carpet tiles to go down once all the tables have been positioned and covered

.Hidden spot 1
Hidden spot 2
hidden spot 3
the above photo is of the match room , table on the right is a Burrooughs and watts with new 1990s standard cushion table not steel block but with a good set of welsh slate and very good solid pocket plates with extra broad bow leathers and new nets fitted  , the table on the left a Riley square leg is being removed from the room and another burroughs and watts but this time a steel Block cushion table is being installed for the main N0 1 match table . both of  these Buroughs and Watts tables having 2 inch thick best welsh slate , and they are very good for level .
I am advising them to install match lighting rather than the coffin shades , they will also have long bench seats installed around the edge of the room  at a later date on a high plinth so that People can watch the games from a good view point .
the room will also be available for Private hire for snooker finals etc .
Hidden spot 4
Hidden spot pool area
the pool  table area , 8 pool tables in total , and they are thinking of installing an american 9ft pool table too .
the Hidden Spot is due to open this month , watch this space for more details .