Tag Archives: High Frequency

Posted in News

Local Nottingham club with carved Thurston snooker table gets two recovers

The last two days, Friday and Saturday, I have been working in a local club in Nottingham re-covering 2 full sized snooker tables.  One is very interesting, being an oak carved scroll type Thurston table circa 1920 /30.  The other a Riley Imperial also circa 1930s with new Riley Aristocrat standard cushions which they use as the match table.

Below a few photos of the carved oak Thurston table and two of the match table and pocket opening.

oak thurston decor leg 3
The carved oak Thurston table leg and side frame.
Oak thurston decor 1
This club has plenty of cue room around the tables.
oak thurston decor panel 2
These highly carved cushion panels hide the cushion bolts and slide on and lock into place.

Below the match table.
oakleigh match table riley imperial

The match table in this club has new Riley Aristocrat cushions which were fitted around 10 to 15 years ago.  The original table is an oak Riley square leg Imperial with good 2 inch thick welsh slates.  The pockets on this table are very generous, being 3 3/4 inches at the slate fall.  This is a full 1/4 of an inch larger than the standard match size 3.5 inches at the fall.

The carved oak Thurston table has 3 5/8ths at the fall, 1/8th of an inch larger than standard match size.
oakleigh match table three quarter
3 3/4 inches at the fall pockets.  I have fitted new nets and leathers, but I ran out of leathers for the oak carved table so I will call back and fit new ones at a later date.

I will also point out that the last fitter used a compressor stapler with 12mm staples which took an age to dig out.  6mm and 4mm infills would have done the job and made for an easy strip down, which is what I have done.  I always do a job with the intenton that it is going to be me who has to strip down the table next time.  Using smaller staples not only helps me to achieve this, but the blockwork that the cloth is stapled to also lasts longer when you do not have to dig the old staples out.

I have advised them to replace the light shades with the new High Frequency lighting (like the photo of some in a Derby club below) and they are looking into it.
pro lighting old shade under

Posted in News

Another 9ft set up this time near Oxford – a nice George Wright reeded leg

This table was bought from an ebay sale, Geoff having put the new owner onto it and he was succesful in his bid and collected the table from London.  GCL Billiards’ job was to supply new nets, leathers and rails, put the table up in a new log cabin in the garden and refit the existing cloth.  Plus supply the new twin High Frequency lighting.
Oxon George wright 9ft
The above photo of the table roughly level with the slates on ready for the new slate linings being fitted.
Oxon george wright log cabin
The Brand new log cabin, which is a large one that could take a full sized table but no furniture, the owner preferring a bit of space for other things to do.  The 9ft can be seen with its slates on.

More and more people are having these types of log cabins for cue sports tables, from a small 7ft pool table to a full size, GCL Billiards have done them all within the last three months.  The cost of these buildings this size is roughly £6500 flat packed delivered ready for assembly.
oxon george wright new slate linings
The table with new slate lining fitted around the outside edge ready for the bed cloth to be tacked to, the old ones were looking a bit worse for wear.
Oxon george wright moth hole
The moth hole in the bed cloth !

The table had been in storage for over 6 years and the slates were packed into crates.  It was a very professional job, but there must have been a moth larvae on the cloth and the little grubs just love to chew their way through wool.
oxon george wright moth sewn up
The moth hole sewn up.  There were two moth holes in the cloth, but apart from that the cloth was in very good condition and did not require a re-cover,
but maybe next time it will require not just a re-cover but also a re-rubber.
oxon 9ft george wright finished
The finished table.  Those reeded legs are typical of George Wright.  The table was in very good condition and was very easy to put up and get level.
oxon ball in pocket opening three and three eigths
As you can see the cloth is in very good order apart from those two moth holes which are now sewn up.  With brand new nets and leathers plus ball rails, the table is looking good.  The pocket opening is tight at 3 3/8ths at the fall, but with 2 inch balls they look large.
oxon g wright ivory 21 medal plate
A very nice real Ivory name plate circa 1910.  21 prize medals for exhibiting their tables all over the world including Sydney, Paris and London.  This is the original plate that was put on from new.  It was manufactured after Victoria as it says by special appointment to His Majesty the King.
oxon g wright hubble rerubber badge and chalk cup
The Hubble and Freeman badge.  This was put on when it was last re-rubbered, or supplied by them.

The brass cup that swivels out is a chalk cup.  There are only two left on the table, one at each end, but all the cushions would have had one on at one time.  On top of the cushion there are little ivory dots inlaid.  This is to inform the player that a chalk cup is just underneath the cushion at this point.  Many players think these dots are positional markers for getting the angles of the shot correct, but they are not, they are for the location of the chalk cups.  Unlike the dots and diamonds on top of the cushions on an American pool table which are for getting your angles correct, the Brits did not need help to get their game to a good standard like the Americans did!  A bit like riding a bike with stablizers or without them?
oxon George wright matching original scoreboard
The new owner bought a very nice George Wright scoreboard from the same seller for £100.  These boards are being sold for upwards of £250.  There are scoreboard collectors who just fill a whole wall up of with different makes.  The George Wright ones always fetch a good price.

All in, this table set up with new lighting, nets, leathers, rails and scoreboard was under £1500.  One of the large billiard houses would sell this table for in excess of £2750, maybe as much as £4000 !

But it is a buyers market and the average price to buy a good used 9 foot  table is £750 before the costs of dismantle, move and set up, plus any renovation work.  3/4 size tables always have a market.  They are not as easy to get hold of, unlike 12 foot full sized tables which can be sourced for very little money as the market is flooded with them.