Tag Archives: 6811

Posted in News

Another 2 pool table re-covers and we have to remove the mess of the spray on glue

This week we started off with re-covering two winner supreme pool tables with best Strachan 6811 all wool napped cloth.  On removing the old cloth we found the slates were in a bit of a mess with the overspray of glue.  The previous person who covered the slates went mad with the over spray all over the top of the slate, this bonds the cloth around the pockets, but can leave a ridge that the ball stops on when aproaching the pocket.

At GCL Billiards we do not use spray on glue, we prefer to bond our cloths with contact adhesive using a comb to put the glue on the slate edge and the underside of the cloth, taking care not to get any where a ball may roll off, it will take longer but is the best way to do it.

Have a look at the following photos to see what we found and how we sorted it.
glue on pool slate
As you can see a right mess, if we re-covered new cloth over this, the ball would not run true.  GCL Billiards will always clean it off, unlike some speed fitting firms who have to get a large amount of tables done in a day to pay themselves and their middlemen.  They just recover straight over it, which is very bad workmanship.

glue on pool date slate
You can just about see the date of the slate here.  Have a look at the next photo, we stripped the glue off using a chemical and then lightly sanded the slate.
glue cleaned off pool slate
The slate is now fully clear of cloth and glue residue.  A ball has no obstructions under the new cloth for it to suddenly turn direction or stop.

I spent a full hour stripping the mess off these two slates and an hour and half taking extra long staples out of the cushions, 8 mm long when 4 mm would have done the job.
pool tables in process @pavilion
The two pool tables, winner supremes in black, the cloths ready to be glued on.
pool tables finished @pavilion
The finished tables ready for league play with their best quality Strachan 6811 cloth on.  These tables get very hard use and have to be re-covered every 4 months.

A month ago the nearest one got broken into.  They crow barred the cash box off, so we have fitted two siren alarms onto the tables, with two warning lights, one near the coin mech, the other near the cash box.  Also the Pub’s alarm has been upgraded and extra sensors put into the area to cover the window where they broke in.  The new siren alarms on the tables are very loud and work off their own internal battery system.  Recording cameras have also been put into the area.  The thieves got away with no money as the coin boxes are emptied each night, they just damaged the tables cash box and fixings.

As you can see GCL Billiards really went to town on these two tables, spending 6 hours on the pair of them and improving their looks, playability and security.  If you want the best for your table, get the best firm in to do the work …GCL Billiards every time !

We are billiard fitters first and foremost, trained on full sized snooker tables as well as American pool and UK pool tables.  We treat pool tables with the same care and attention we take when working on a full sized table.  We are not speed fitters and always do a first class job.  We may be £10 to £20 dearer than some firms, but we use the best materials, Strachan 6811  and 777 cloth and the best work ethics.  Is saving that £10 to £20 better than a first class job ?   We can do it at a lower price, just ask for the lower priced cloth they use, we can get it! (I am only joking, we would not touch inferior cloth).  As Tina Turner sang, we simply fit the best.  Steer clear of speed fitters and get GCL Billiards in for a proper job.  We do not charge VAT so take that into account too.

Posted in News

Pool tables really looked after in this venue in Nottingham, recovered using 6811 Strachan cloth 2 to 3 times a year!

com 6811 used on these .

I was in this venue recovering these two tables only 5 months ago, so to get a call back to re-cover the tables again in 6811 Strachan cloth really means this venue likes to keep both of its pool tables looking the best.  The Landlord was holding a pool final night this Thursday so decided to have the tables done a little earlier than the normal 6 months for winter and summer league starts.
com 6811 transfer on cloth
On the last recover he had 777 Strachan fitted, this time he wanted to upgrade to Strachan 6811 grade cloth.  It is a much finer playing surface than the 777.  Where the 777 scores highly on durability, the ball rolls a little slower on this thicker cloth.  The 6811 is well known in the trade as the bench mark for good speed, playabilty and wear, using all wool construction.  Unlike other makes of mixed fibre cloth when ironed you will not get black marks on the base plate of the iron where the man made fibres of the mixed fibre cloth will melt onto the iron.
com perfect 0.0 for level
Again we strive to get the pool tables to the 0.0 level indicator on the digital level.  At 0.1 it would be just the thickness of a £20 note out of level.  Just look at the very short nap of the 6811, it really is one of the best cloths you can buy and probably the best cloth for a pool table at league standard.
com perfect level 0.0 end
If you require your pool table to be maintained to this quality, then give Geoff a call at GCL Billiards or email.  We also clean out the inside of the table, washing down ball runs and the flip out side of the door.  The build up of sweat, grease and dust from the cloth and chalk results in ball jams.  This may result in players picking the table up to jolt the balls free by dropping it back on the floor damaging the feet and legs and in some cases even breaking the slate.  A cleaned out inside of the table will prevent the players from doing this as no balls will jam and run smoothly on nice clean internal rail system.

Poorly maintained tables do not attract players, in fact you will find players will start to play at other pubs where they look after the tables, such as the one here.  Five months ago new rubber was fitted to these tables and that new rubber is now at its peak of rebound value.  As new rubber has to be bruised in to this state of play, it will take around 3 months of use to get those new rubbers bouncing to their full value.

The previous people who maintained the tables, used to swop the cushions over and take the new ones away.  This resulted in the first year, that these tables where put in new (2007), that they lost their brand new cushions and second hand cushions maybe over 5, 6 or even 12 years old where fitted.  They were a right mess, some were hard others soft, some both.

At GCL Billiards we always re-cover the cushions on site putting the original cushions back on the table.  We only change over if the cushions are dead like the last lot 5 months ago.  These cushions will be good for at least 6 years, maybe more, it all depends on heat on the rubber from sunlight through a window etc.

I have seen where the sun shines through onto a rubber on a side cushion 2/3rds up the cushion go rock hard, yet the other third is still bouncy.  This normally happens to the red coloured rubber.  There is a pigment in the red rubber that makes it go hard if warm sunlight shines onto it.  This red rubber is not used by Supreme anymore, but is still available to buy.  Please avoid using this, only fit black rubber of good quality.

I use two sorts of black rubber when I replace the rubbers on a pool table, standard good quality black rubber which is ok for 6 to 10 years and Northern rubber which may exceed 25 years of use.  The black rubber will not get affected by sunlight as much as the red rubber.

I always advise that when ironing, not to let the iron touch the cushions.  This will also shorten the lifespan of the rubber.

Posted in News

10ft Karnehm and Hillman Snooker table from Scotland to Dagenham Essex, fully reconditioned including repolish

essex cabing finished table setup

I have been very busy this week and also have a full week’s work to do next week, so I had no choice but to work Saturday the 2nd March to fulfill a commitment to fit a 10ft Karnehm and Hillman Snooker table in Essex.

I set off from Long Eaton near Derby at 7 am, arriving at approx 9.30 am in Dagenham Essex approx 140 miles distance from my home.  I was met by the client who helped unload the table from the back of the van to the cabin at the bottom of his Garden.

The client required adjustable muntins (muntins are slate supports) to prevent any future slate warp (sagging in centre).  A K&Hillman table’s muntins do not touch the centre of the slate.  By chopping the original fixed muntins down and notching them to fit the new brackets, the table was ready to assemble.
Adjustable muntins K&hillman
The new adjustable bolt brackets in position
Adjustable muntins K&hillman 2
and the old muntins notched out, cut down slightly to fit the brackets.  Now a simple method of adjusting the muntin (slate support) upwards by the turn of two bolts either end of the woodwork.  This will stop any centre slate sag.
Essex cabing muntin conversion
underneath photo of frame showing that the slate support muntin has been adjusted upwards and is supporting the centre of the slate width, preventing possible slate sag.
Essex Cabin at bottom of Garden
the wood clad cabin at the bottom of the Garden
Essex cabin K&Hillman 10ft
The table roughly level and slates put on.
Essex Cabin polished cappings beeswaxed
The table was a full renovation of re-polish, re-rubber with best Northern Rubber and re-cover in Strachan 6811 Tournament cloth.  The top cushion cappings where treated to a final coat after wire wooling of Beeswax.  Note that the finish is satin and not gloss, this will not reflect the above lighting back into the player’s view when playing.  It also shows the natural wood grain of the mahogany, you may have also noted the wood is not too dark.  I am always weary of very dark wood tables, why hide that beautiful wood grain?  If it is good wood show it!
Essex Cabin K&hillman finish 10ft
The fully repolished table showing legs and frame, note buttons cover the bolts, this is the Karnehm and Hillman style of design.  The white packing toe pieces under the legs are going to be stained black by the owner.
Exxsex Cabin repolished K&Hillman
Side photo of repolished frame – note new hooks and x-rests plus adjustable long cue and butt rest.

I arrived back home at 7 pm, having spent 12 hours traveling and working on site putting this table into its new home.  The table came from near Glasgow in Scotland in November and has been an ongoing renovation, fitting inbetween jobs to fill any slack time up, not that I have had much slack time!

Tthe new owner is delighted with the workmanship.  In November his foundations for the cabin were being laid.  The cabin was completed ahead of schedule, I had a provisional delivery date for the end of February.  I was two days late, but the owner says it was worth the wait, it was just what he wanted.

This table was one that I recommended to our client in November.  It was advertised on ebay, but no takers, so I said keep an eye on the table sale as it is a good make and a rare 10ft which my client was after.  My client was successful in getting the table at a very good price.  He then decided he wanted it fully renovated as new, from a working mens club near Glasgow to a log type cabin at the bottom of a garden in Essex via GCL BILLIARDS, a firm you can trust to carry out this type of work to a high specification.  From source to install this is our speciality.

If you are interested in buying a table please look at our For Sale section, these are tables being advertised at no cost to the buyer or seller, direct from the owner to the buyer.  You agree a price with the seller, then just contact GCL BILLIARDS to carry out any work you may require.  From a simple pick up and deliver and install to full renovation or part renovation or repair.

Posted in News

Well worn out cloth on this re-cover – just look at the photos , also info on 6811 strachan grade’s of cloth. there is more than one grade make sure you know what you have ordered.

worn cloth new in background

I have been over to Nottingham today to commence a two day re-cover of two full size snooker tables.

They got their last penny’s worth out of the old cloth on this table, just look at the wear in the photos below.

The table now has a nice new re-cover in 6811 tournament Strachan cloth, with 6 new nets, the old ones having been tied up.  The last re-cover was 3 years ago.  The room is very good for league snooker but no teams play out of this venue yet.

The tables are Thurston metric sized tables.  These are 2 inches shorter on the length of a full size table and 1 inch shorter on the width.  The metric sized tables never really took off as the other Billiard firms who were on the Snooker and Billiards Trade Association voted not to go ahead with the change over to metric tables.  Thurston jumped the gun back then and produced a few.  I have come across around five of these tables on my rounds.

very worn cushions cloth

Photos 2 and 3: The table with badly worn out cloth.

Split cushion cloth

Another couple of photo,s from the 2nd recover  I did at this location.
Note the very bad chalk dust build up , and at the point where the ball strikes the end cushion , you get compacted slate dust , when a ball strikes a cushion there is equal down force as impact , therefore crushing chalk dust and compacting into lumps , this can also make the ball jump off the cushion  , now some of you players out there may have blamed the table being out of level , when a ball rolling down the lenth of this end cushion , the ball  rolls off the compacted dust , well now you can see what the fitter reveals when taking a bed cloth off the slate bed . note that this tables bed cloth was last taken off 3 years ago , so there is 3 years of chalk dust here , and thats another reason why you should have youre bed cloths restretched at least once in their life time or yearly  , unless you have the tables recovered every year .
compacted dust

metric 12fts just been recovered
the two Metric 12 foot tables after being Recovered in 6811 tournament 30z cloth .
cloth side emboridered 6811t
Allways check that the 6811 that you have ordered is the top grade 6811 tournament , it has two blue lines embroidered into the side edge of the cloth plus gold embroidered writing , on the reverse it has a transfer and also a cloth roll number , also the words tournament should be on the embroidery and also in the roll black print number and the gold transfer it may also have the word gold tournament on the transfer too printed just under the large 6811.
Club 6811 has two red lines , when getting quotes make sure they do not fit club when you have ordered tournament , a well known trick that makes them an extra £20 per recover , at GCL billiards we only use the top grade and I show you the transfer stamp and roll number before fitting. 6811

Club grade 6811 is only a £20 saving over the top grade tournament , and this is only viable to use if you have say 15 tables to recover , then it becomes £300 saved , but on one or two tables in my opinion it pays to fit the top grade, and thats 6811 tournament. if you just ask a firm for Strachan 6811 and they say nothing about the two grades , then expect them to fit Club 6811 , as it makes them £20 per table extra . I prefer to be upfornt and honest about the grades and give the client the choice , I only use club if it is asked for. and then I give them the £20 reduced rate for that grade. You get what you pay for as they say.

Beware of undercutt priceing , when I quote for 6811 tournament , other firms may undercutt then use 6811 club or even worse 6811 substandard . when you order a recover in 6811 tournament look at the cloth transfer and side Embroidery before they fit it , and stay with them while they fit it to make sure they have not swopped it over as soon as you leave the room …it has been done .
It is ok to use club and substandard as along as the customer knows that it is being used and a lower price given because of this , I rarley get asked for club and never get asked for substandard , but I often get offered substandard cloth for stock but never buy it . substandard can be anything form white flecks to stop start lines in the cloth , there is nothing wrong with it , it just has faults within its weave . and the manufacturer stamps the transfer substandard right across it , if you see a cloth with the transfer looking as though someone has tried to rubb a diagonal print off the face of it , leave well alone ,  I often come across cloths that some fitters have done this . I have been around too long not to notice these things.
strachan cloth transfer 6811t

Posted in News

GCL BILLIARDS for a Pool table Recover in Lincoln , Derby , Nottingham , and Leicester

We are getting very popular in the 4 counties of Nottinghamshire , Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire and also parts of Yorkshire for a local firm to carry out pool and snooker maintenance , demand for GCL billiards experienced Billiard fitting is on the up in the run up to Christmas and into January , Bookings for a Re-cover or new cushion rubber on pool tables  is our most popular work even though we are fully time served billiards fitters trained for full size snooker tables, and you can be assured all our workmanship is carried out in a professional manner to NBSA standards , many of our clients giving testimonials of our work .

we are experienced in all types of tables , from very early 1970s made pool tables to the modern tables of today such as the Supreme , DPT , Omega , and Sam tables as well as the Hazel grove super leagues of past and present design .


we offer the best recover and re-rubber service , second to none and do not overcharge for this service , our fitting team have over 37 years experience in maintaining Snooker and Pool tables , we use our recommended by professional Players, Strachan pool cloth, in grades of 777 and 6811 pool or 6811 tournament , also american speed cloth , all in a variety of colours , we can also offer Artscape cloth with a custom design , a logo for example , youre local sports team , or company logo ?

so if you have a pool table that is ready to be revamped to a high standard , then please contact GCL BILLIARDS for youre table to get that professional Re-cover or  Re-rubber ,
Many cue sports clubs as well as pub landlords and Private housholds use GCL BILLIARDS to maintain their prized cue sports tables . we go beyond what normal pool table maintenance firms do , always making sure youre table is cleaned out and level and ready for play before we leave , we are not a hit and run firm we do not have a timescale or have to cover as many tables in a day as some fitters are required to do , we aim to stay in the cue sports trade maintaining tables for many years to come , and only good workmanship and good feedback will guarantee that .

Posted in News

POOL TABLE RE-COVER free set of Balls in October for every pool table recover (or discount on the recover if not required.)


A free set of reds and yellows Balls with every re-cover carried out on 6×3 or 7×4 UK pooltables during the month of October 2012 , you have a choice of cloths in the strachan make  777 / 6811 / or speed cloth in a choice of colours Green / Blue / or ( Red burgundy ).
Prices will vary depending on cloth choice , but all cloths are STRACHAN make, a sign of QUALITY  as used by Professionals ….phone Geoff on 07753466064 or leave a message on 01159725355  , or by email to c.large@btinternet.com if you require a written quote , I will need to know the make and size of the table if possible. if you can send a photo of the table it makes things much easier if parts are required like new cushions etc .
I fully clean out the table on a re-cover , plus check coin mech springs tighten screws and lubricate with wd40 , degrease all ball rails and ball flip side , and fit a carpet tile to quieten the sound of the balls crashing into the return box if requested . I then relevel and leave ready for play. this is a full professional refurb , not a hit and run like some do. leaving muck inside the table and grease on the rails for balls to stick on .

If youre table is passed it’s best , then why not join the influx of people Hireing a Winner supreme pool table supplied by www.88pooltables.com on a yearly contract , we offer varous types of hire arrangments from one recover a year to two recovers a year to make sure youre table is looking it’s best for Winter and the Summer league’s. We know our hire charges linked with the Excellent service options is second to none and can make sense to Hire rather than buy , ask for a quote and we will show you why we think this is now the best option for Landlords and clubs and for us the Cue sports table operator .