A genuine Vintage set of Brass Ball cups by Riley circa 1905
This set is from a collection of a well known Billiards Historian
If anyone is interested then I will put you in direct contact to arrange the sale
Postage will be extra
Full size snooker table Riley Viceroy set up in Machynlleth in Wales for Emyr
I have Just been over to Wales for two days to install a Very nice condition Riley Viceroy circa 1920/30
Emyr contacted me some months ago looking for a table , he was not ready as the room was not built so advised to look for one nearer room completion
Emyr had been reading my Blog input on this web site and after reading many descriptions on different tables and build quality he had settled on finding a Riley Viceroy.
Emyr got back to me , and said he had found a very nice Riley Viceroy in Wolverhampton and he had collected it with a Friend in a luton Van and stored it at home as the room was nearing completion.
Well the time had come to arrange to install the table .
Emyr is 6ft 2inch the same as myself and suffers from a back problem , so he had a friend make some square slate stone pads .
he had these to lift the table around 1.5 inch , thus giving him a better posture for his back when leaning over the table.
above in the photo you can see these slate pads under each leg .
First slate on and it got wet from wheeling it from the garage to the room
aligning the slate , we have to get the middle slate on dead centre with even overhang and dowel pin the next slates either side into the middle slate
you can if you look close in the gaps see the Brass dowel that locate into a brass rebated hole in the adjoining slate
once three have been pinned together we check again that the slate is parallel with even over hang each side before fixing the end slates into position
We wax the top of the frame with candle wax , this is so that the slate sections slide onto and along the frame with ease .
the next stage we check the level , adjusting by jacking up the frame and sliding slate packings under the legs to adjust the level ,
these packers are called toe pieces and come in varying thicknesses .
the toe pieces , different thickness to adjust level
We adjust until the level shows 100% all around the table side to side and end to end .
we use a 12 inch Rabone & Chesterman vintage Engineers level , people often ask why such a small level ?
Because it is more accurate to finding low spots between each slate joint , where a long level would span any faulty levels .
These engineering levels have been used in the Billiard table industry for many years for accurate leveling of Billiard / snooker tables
years ago the Billiards fitter would have used Plaster of Paris to blend in any slate joints .
today we use soft sand car body filler , above you can see we apply with 2 inch scraper , I am filling a large chip out of the slate which is on the edge of the slate
and we also skim along the entire length of every slate joint then lightly sand in for a perfect slate bed ready for bed cloth fitting .
A light sanding all over and along the joints to make sure of no grit or lumps on the slate bed
if you do not do this you may find when you iron a table that the iron jumps on impact with a lump under the cloth
we lightly sand all over the slate and then wipe and vac the dust and grit off the slate bed .
The bed cloth laid on and tacks sprinkled around ready for Stretching on of the bed cloth
this table had recently been re-rubbered and re-covered with new nets and leathers also being revamped
my client paid a good medium price for the table and if we take into account what had been renovated on the table shortly before he got it .
then he paid very little for it indeed . in fact you could say the table owes him nothing .
Even the scoreboard on the wall which antique dealers go nuts for is worth around £400 to £500 on the retail market .
where many Antique Dealers will not touch a full sizes snooker table because of all the hassle of lifting and transporting ,
but they do go after the old accessories such as old scoreboards and rotating cue racks .
because the table bed cloth had been fitted before and was not brand new .
I positioned string in centre and also 31 inch from end of baulk end to guide me in getting the old Baulk line almost straight
Above Fitting the bed cloth
Some billiard fitters use a magnetic tack hammer , I prefer to use a Stanley 8 oz pin hammer
I have used this hammer for 40 years and it is very hard for me to try anything else .
you get used to the tool you use most often , and I doubt that I will ever use a magnetic one
I did try one once but gave up after about the 5th tack , the balance and feel was not there so why change !
Emyr got me to pose for this last Photo , many of my clients are shocked to find that I do not play the game of snooker or Pool
I just do not have any interest in playing the game , I am more interested in the history of tables and old furniture in general.
don’t get me wrong though I do know how to put side and back screw and forward roll onto a ball and also get to know the speed of table within the first few shots
I get many players complaining of slow tables and fast tables some like slow some like fast , a good player can adjust his or her game to play on any speed of cloth .
as for new rubber if fitted and pockets cut correct they will accept balls at speed , and do not forget brand new rubber requires bruising in for a month or so of regular play before they start to rebound faster .
Emyr is going to take a few more photo’s of the table when the room is a bit more tidy all the photo’s you see where taken by Emyr who is a Photographer and has something to do with the very rare Ospreys that are breeding in Wales , He has even Written a book about the Osprey in Wales .
Full size Karnehm and Hillman Buckingham table for sale in France near Rennes … reduced to 1500 euros after taking GCL billiards advice
We have a client in france who is looking to sell their very nice tulip carved leg Buckingham model Karnehm and Hillman snooker table
In France tables will fetch an higher premium because demand outstrips supply of tables in france that are for sale
this one is advertised at 2000 Euro’s ( now 1500 euros) as it is before collection and transporting and installing again , but there maybe a little negotiation leeway on price if discussed with owner . ( reduced to 1500 euros after GCL billiards advised it’s worth ) 1500 euros = £1150.97 at time of advert , and it would cost more than this to transport one from the UK .
Ideally someone in the normandy area an Ex pat Brit is the ideal people to sell to , they may have an outside barn or large house they can fit this into .
a UK based Billiards fitter would find it easy to travel to using the St Malo port as entry which is not too far from this tables location
This is the Actual table that is for sale in France , anyone in France Who is looking to buy a table but is put off because of transporting and freight costs from the UK then look at this table .
this is a photo of the leg shape but not the actual table for sale ,
taken from a library photo on my web site just to show a close up of the carved leg that you will be getting on this table
a 10ft version another library photo to show the leg design
another library photo showing what the table will look like when fully assembled
if you are interest in this table in the top photo then contact by email and just inform them you spotted the table for sale on GCL Billiards web site
ask for Laurence Dealtry http://www.la-rouillardais.co.uk/ web site for the owners B&B
ldealtry@club-internet.fr email
tel France + 33 (0) 243023516 phone number
Re -rubber and Re-cover of full size snooker table Lincoln , another table put right what a rough fitter has previously done .
I have just completed a re-rubber and re-cover of a full size snooker table above Lincoln on the wragby road
I installed this table a couple of years ago and came across a problem of slates not being the correct ones for the table which we solved by plugging and redrilling of cushions to fit
this table was already at our clients house and GCL billiards only fitted the table we did not supply it
Having said that the slates are of very good quality being from a burroughs and watts table while the rest of the table frame and cushions where from an Orme & Sons table
having had the problems of finding the wrong slates I was bracing myself as to the condition and workmanship of the rubber under the cloth which I did not see 2 years ago as the cushions had been re-covered by the firm who delivered it , and this is what I found !
very rough cut and shoddy work on the forming of the angles to the pocket openings.
My client wanted tighter pockets as these where cut like buckets and all odd angles
I did not take a photo of the rubber when I had finished but believe me they where like these photo’s when I had re-rubbered the clients cushions
smooth cutting and rasping and sanding of the undercut
flat nose of rubber direct from front edge to rear of pocket
my client had a bit of rough deal from the firm who supplied the table to him
not only did they send the wrong slates , but they also did not rectify the bad cut rubber
and they fitted sub standard cloth to the cushions as you can see above the transfer has substandard through it
this is how the cloth manufacturer sells it’s seconds .
this is what first grade Strachan 6811 tournament looks like
no Substandard going at a right angle through the transfer and the weight shows 30 oz
my clients table is now ready for some serious match play
having had a full re-rubber and reshaping of some of the block undercut
The pockets are now set at template size to B&SCC templates
Brand new first grade Strachan 6811 tournament cloth has been fitted and the level checked
my Client is a keen snooker player , He and his Partner have a very charming cottage and from the front of the house no one would even suspect they have a full size snooker table
The room is very large , an extension that along with others I have worked have had their fare share of planning objections
Lucky for snooker enthusiasts a way can be found to build and get plans passed.
I am sure my client will enjoy his snooker so much better now the problems have been solved with the pocket openings and cushion bounce .
I have just corrected another table just like this from a bad re-rubber have a look at my other postings on my Web Blog to see that report .
Re-rubber is one of my special interests , I strive to be a perfectionist in forming a smooth cut to the pocket openings as can be seen in my demonstration photo’s and work reports on tables I have completed a re-rubber on .
I often advise on tables and workmanship on the Snooker forum and on that forum ,my pricing was questioned , not by a past client but just by a person who like to question prices
My price structure for work is fixed on what other top Firms and fitters are charging , on a re-cover for example I am around £30 lower priced than the top firms , but £30 higher priced than a speed fitter who may do work like on the rubber I took off above .
My mentor Mick Rob ( now Deceased but formerly of Belvoir billiards ) a Craftsman in the art of Billiards fitting had a carved oak sign in his workshop for his clients to read .
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“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
John Ruskin
Mick advised me to charge what I was worth and what was fair and to always seek to improve never rest on your laurels , by that way my work gets better as I get older , I remember that quote of john Ruskin and now use it to show and remind Clients or just people like the person on the snooker forum that I am not overpriced that I have a fair pricing structure , that I use first class materials such as Strachan first grade and Northern Rubber made in the UK .
any future Billiard fitters working on tables I have re-rubbered and covered will not find rough cut openings pocket sizes all different or bad seconds cloth used or low cost chinese rubber used .
I like to think that all Billard fitters have the same moral stand on workmanship , sadly that is not the case , I come across many who have had rough work carried out on their Billiard Table .
8ft Snooker table ………NOW SOLD
NOW SOLD , but we can always find buyers for good 8ft three section 6 legged tables so it you have one for sale contact Geoff to get it advertised on our for sale section .
We find 8ft and 9ft tables are in more demand than a full size .
this is mainly down to room size that is available at the Home of Buyers.
Original advert
Only been listed 24 hours and we have a few enquiring about this one , will not be up for sale long as 6 legged three section bolted cushion 8fts are not often up for sale second hand or even new
most are made low cost with wood screwed cushions 4 legs and thin one piece slate bed . THIS ONE WAS MADE CORRECT . read description below
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We have a client located at Chapel St Leonards near Skegness who has an 8ft snooker table for sale
looking at the photo , I would say it was an allied billiards made table from Birmingham
Those profesional type pocket plates look like the ones they used , they are very similar to BCE extra extra broad bow plates.
you will get a good response from fast shots into these types of pocket plates as they are shaped to deflect the ball downwards much better than standard pocket plates
this is the only photo we have of the table before it was taken down and stored in bubble wrap by Briggs Billiards of sheffield and then taken over to Skegness area from their old home in sheffield.
If you would like a quote for GCL Billiards to collect this table and transport it and then set it back up again using the same bed cloth , then please contact Geoff at GCL Billiards at c.large@btinternet.com or 07753466064
please note this is a proper made 8ft with 6 legs , bolted into slate cushions and three section thicker slate bed table .
some 8ft tables have 4 legs and these sag down in the middle , others have wood screwedon cushions which do not offer a good rebound value from the rubber . also watch out for thin slates one piece can be as thin as half an inch . this table has thick slates and has been properly manufactured .
these bolted into slate cushions will respond as good as a full size snooker table , the pockets will accept balls at speed , this is the ideal table for people who would like a full size snooker table and do not have enough room for one .
interested in this table quote chapel 8ft to Geoff and he will put you in touch with the seller direct .
this is a Private sale in our for sale section direct from the seller with no middle men fees .
Karnehm and Hillman Buckingham full size snooker table for sale locate in Windsor area …Given away Free now gone !
NOW GONE !
Now given away free and collected
What a table to get for Free , our client wanted the table out of the house quick as it was holding a house sale up .
GCL Billiards organised a person looking for a free table to collect and it has now been taken down and away from the property .
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ORIGINAL ADVERT .
We have a client who wishes to sell their Fathers full size snooker table
this table is a Karnehm and Hillman Buckingham with carved tulip design leg and scrolls
made from Solid Mahogany with Italian slate bed .
The cloth is a little faded so I would advise a re-cover which will be around £400 for top quality Strachan 6811 tournament cloth .
with the table is all the accessories including an Iron and table lighting cues and long tackle and balls .
I can recommend this make of table as I have worked on many of this firms tables and they are no nonsense tables that go together very well , and are also very well made .
I would recommend the addition while it is being taken down and put back up of adding adjustable slater bearers to stop slate sagging .
this would be an easy task for any billiards firm you employ to take on the task of removal transport and set up .
The karnehm and Hillman Buckingham has very attractive carved legs and scrolls at each side of each leg
buttons on every cushion bolt hole , many billiard firms make their tables with slide in panel to cover cushion bolts
K & Hillman made their tables to replicate that older Victorian look of buttons over each bolt hole and I think that is a very nice touch and sets these tables apart from the normal type .
a close up of that very nice Tulip carved leg
the table comes complete with all accessories including an iron
Scoreboard / lighting canopy / long rests and cue / half but rest and cue / spider and cross rests and table hooks
everything you require really this table is complete
the only thing I would recommend is a re-cover in 6811 Strachan tournament cloth . and maybe the fitting of adjustable slate bearing brackets
this table was manufactured around the 1980s/90s .
this is the type of bracket that could be added at extra cost , this enables the centre wood beam to be screwed right up to the slate bed preventing slate sag .
GCL billiards could give any buyer a quote to dismantle the table and transport it plus unload and set back up again , plus any improvement work you require doing to the table .
Just give Geoff a phone 07753466064 or email c.large@btinternet.com
I really recommend this type and make of table as a good modern snooker table , it has the looks of an older table but the modern design of cushion and pocket plate for the modern game .
Wanted Attractive Burroughs and watts steel cushioned full size snooker table in pristine condition for a client in Israel
We are looking for a full size snooker table with attractive figured woodwork
flame mahogany prefered and large turned legs
My client requires something like this photo above .
but maybe with steel cushion on it . but he will consider heavy wood cushions .
I will have to inspect the table for him before purchase if possible .
My client has informed me he requires a certain size of pocket opening , so it may be the case that I re-rubber and cover the cushions during strip down .
this Burroughs and watts has steel cushions
this is what steel cushions look like once taken off the table
steel cushion set on the table ready for capping frieze woodwork to be fasten to them
It is important that the rubber is northern rubber not very old and has been cut correct for pocket openings
if not then the table will require a re-rubber
My client is very demanding because it has along way to go to Tel Aviv , and with no fitters out their it is impossible to put right what is wrong
so best to get the table right this end rather than try and do it over their
Geoff of GCL billiards will be flying over to Tel Aviv to fit this table which will be sent by container shipping or air freight small container .
Very Busy work schedule and it’s none stop even though I have come down with a winter Bug .
Due to Illness , I have took Yesterday and Today off to catch up on office work and making sure I am organised for taking in work from February onwards
placing a 2016 year planner on wall and filling January and almost all of February up with work .
But the phone does not stop ringing , I even had a couple knock on the door today to enquire about a pool table purchase.
Please phone before calling if It was not for this illness I would have been out working on tables .
we do not keep Tables for sale at my home address so it is important so you do not waste a journey to phone and not just turn up .
We have had many table move enquiries in the last week over 20 in fact .
I will not be able to accommodate all of them due to work already booked in for February but have explained they could be done in March and April .
sadly most require them moving and transporting within a week and we just cannot let other people who have booked work in down to accommodate them .
This week we have managed to sell from our tables for sale section for a private seller a full size snooker table
This Burroughs and watts table with rigidus frame and steel cushions sold for just £500
it really is a buyers market at the moment with so many tables coming up for sale
People who are desperate to sell have to realise this and let go , this is one reason that GCL billiards prefer to not enter the buying and selling of snooker tables
we prefer to just advertise and hope we get the work of dismantling and transporting of the table then erecting it at the new owners property which we quote for .
I have a an enquiry for a table to go to Israel , I am working with the buyer to locate the right table for him .
If you have a steel cushioned Burroughs and watts that is attractive in flamed mahogany and large turned legs then get in touch with GCL Billiards .
My buying client may be interested in other tables , but he is looking for one in pristine condition for shipping over to Tel Aviv .
We are very active in our maintenance of snooker and pool tables recently taking on re-rubber and re-covering of full size snooker tables .
We also make very vast improvements on bad work that was done in the past on your table .
We also have a stock of tables for pool table contract hire , if you have a pub or club that requires an high end professional pool table for league Pool then try GCL billiards
we prefer to use our two re-covers a year contract , this enables a new cloth to be fitted at the start of each pool season of Winter and summer leagues .
we are very competitive and we are 100% cue sports maintenance fitters , we are not sidelined by Fruit machines and video game machines
If you require a pool table on Contract hire then talk to the Experts in this field and not a coin slot operator who deals in multi coin op machines and maintains table very poorly
We always clean out our machines when re-covering and adjust for level
a clean ball side tray , balls will not stick or jam if maintained correct
If you have a snooker table that requires professional transporting or even bubble wrapping for storage while building work is being carried out
then contact GCL Billiards , we pride ourselves in doing the job right .
together with our Storage solution partner Jonills Removals of Nottingham we can also arrange for your table to be dry stored providing we have enough room
sometimes it gets very busy and the warehouse can get full sometimes . Storage charges by jonills for a full size snooker table is just £12 per week .
but we can store tables on customers own property if they require this .
