Tag Archives: pool

Posted in News

Old 1960s / 70s Pool table , one from the past

It is not all about new tables that we work on , I had a phone call last month for a Pool table re-rubber / re- cover near Derby , and the client sent me a photo of the table , I have worked on this type of table many years ago in the 1970s , but have forgot the maker ? it could be a US billiards make ?
I have just completed the work on the table , but due to my batteries on the camera being flat could not take a photo of the finished table after renovation of rubber and new cloth , the client is going to send a photo though later this week. (and here it is) .

This table would get most pool table fitters in a flap as the top is bolted down useing side bars which are very awkward to work on and get to  . I recalled how to take the table apart and work on the cushions from past experience of this type of table , you have to be realy spot on when bolting the top back to the slate to make sure all the pockets align up with the slate falls . also this table has american angle rubber not the UK L shape like on modern tables .

If you have an old table from the past , do not be afraid to ask if we can renovate it , some parts may not be available anymore but we can prob get around this , but rubber and cloth plus pocket liners will not be a problem , and some people do like the retro look of the 1960s / 70s / and 80s tables , like the French made Rene pierre , or the Italian Rutigliani , or even the later Alca tables which where made in Oldham , Geoff has experience on all these makes of tables.

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 Sold

NOW SOLD , 7ft SAM BISON AMERICAN POOL TABLE FOR SALE FREE PLAY, NOTTINGHAM DERBY LINCOLN DELIVERY , also 9ft version available

NOW SOLD ON BEHALF OF CLIENT

NOW SOLD < SOLD < SOLD

We have a 7ft by 4ft  Sam American bison pool table for sale , having just undergone a Recover in  Brand new american speed  cloth in RED , the table is free play only , having the coin mech fully taken out, so for home use only not for Pub use .
Cushion rubber is ok , and comes complete with a set of Balls , two cues, and a triangle plus a box of 12 red chalks . The price is £450 plus delivery charge , AND THATS A BIG SAVING ON IT’S CURRENT NEW PRICE WHICH IS £3595  IN A SALE ? , hopefully to deliver within easy traveling distance of Nottingham or Lincoln . if you are in another county please ask about delivery.
The Brand new Recover alone is worth £190 , so your only paying £260 for the table .
You can also collect the table free of charge from near Lincoln if you so wish. Cash on collection or Delivery. ***deposit required***
Buy now for Christmas phone Geoff on 07753466064 .or email c.large@btinternet.com

Sam bisons are used within the Pub amusement industry and are noted for their strength of cabinet and finish, you would normaly find these tables in many UK 10 pin bowling clubs .
and are £3595 new which is very expensive have a look at this link ,http://www.homeleisuredirect.com/pool_tables/american_pool_tables/sam_leisure_bison_pool_table.html snap up this Bargain now

We also have a blue finish formica 9ft version NOW SOLD which requires new Re rubber / Re cover please enquire as to price of this 9ft which is also based near lincoln. we can do all the work to renovate or sell as is for you to do the work . 9ft version alsop now sold .

now added photo of actual table in burgandy red .black sparkle finish . note the 9ft version in the background in a blue formica finish .


7ft bison

Posted in News

RILEY DINING SNOOKER / BILLIARDS RAISE AND FALL TABLE IN DERBY, PART RENOVATED BY GCL BILLIARDS

A dual height 6ft x 3ft Billiard dining table made by Rileys in 1933 , GCL BILLIARDS renovated the bed and cushions in 6811 Tournament cloth with new nets and leathers , plus a complete re- rubber in 1/2 x 1/2 inch L shape rubber , regreased the rise and fall lifters , and also refelted the undersides of the 4 table top leafs , and to round it off retipped the cue’s and supplied a set of pool balls, a complete overhaul of the table which had not been touched since 1933 when the table was manufactured by Riley.
The reason for dual lifting was to dine off in the low position and to play in the uplifted position.

The client bought this table in the 1960s for £12.50p where he rescued it from some students who where not treating it with respect , that would be around £650 in todays wages , the table did have a peak to value around 15 to 20 years ago when they where getting £2.500 for a 6ft version , today they have dropped to around £1500 to £2000 renovated depending on leg design and wood used mahogany / oak , some do still fetch nearer the £2500 if they are of the rare model such as serpentine top design .

This one has the turned and fluted leg , the rubber was dated 1933 when we stripped it down and being as no other tack holes in the bed or cushions we know it had never been recovered since 1933. earlier models had buttons or Brass head coffin screws in place of the slide in panel of this later design .
The most sought after size is an 8ft which had two pull out handles at each end to help lift the table upto playing height , these 8fts in pristine condition are priced upto £4995.

photo 1 the top 4 table top leafs
photo 2 the adjustable leveling mechanism
photo 3 the finished Re cover and Re rubber
photo4 corner pocket opening showing a 1.3/4 inch ball , the table will take upto 1.7/8ths balls


A riley diner lifting mechanism with adjustable level knurled wheel , the thread has been regreased as they had become very stiff to adjust .

Posted in Archived Posts

MODERN LIGHTING FOR SNOOKER AND POOL ,

GCL BILLIARDS now sell the modern lighting strip lights with daylight and soft white tubes , these are 58 watt per tube , and give a light that is close to professional as you can get . REPLACE that old coffin shade and realy see what you are aiming for .
Example photo below are the actual units and the owner was that impressed he has replaced most of the table lighting in the club with these lights . 3 snooker tables and two pool tables .
these lighting units are realy catching on around the UK .pretty soon all serious cue sports clubs will have them as standard equipment .

Priced at £229 includeing postage for a 12ft table = 2 x 5ft units
and for a pool table £130 includeing postage = 1 x 5ft unit
all units come complete with tube’s.

Another club that has also Seen the LIGHT !

Posted in News

Relocating a full Size Snooker Table from Mansfield to Lincoln

Yesterday we completed a re-location of a full size snooker table from Mansfield to Lincoln, the client is highly delighted with the work , and he is delighted that he found the table at a very reasonable price and local to him through our search for sale system which is in our blog section.
If you are looking for a table , be it a full size like this one or a 3/4 or an 8ft quality made snooker dining  table , then we have all these for sale direct from the seller , no middle men fees you deal direct with the seller , all we ask is you consider GCL BILLIARDS for any relocating work and any renovations and spares etc .

1st photo of the table in it’s Mansfield home , before dismantle and any work to cushion , Re rubber etc .

 

on installation 2nd photo , we where met with a house that was being renovated and extended , with three steps down from one level to another , we managed with a little help from the Builders who where still on site to get the slates down the three steps.
a photo of the table before leveling and reclothing , note the huega floor tiles , we always recommend these for snooker rooms as you can replace the carpet tiles but never have to replace the unwalked on tiles under the table , saving you the costly expense of having a table dismantled every time you want to replace a carpet or floor covering .

The 3rd photo of Completed install of table , which had the following work carried out , New Northern rubber fitted to modern template openings , New 6811 tournament west of England strachan cloth , New nets leathers and ball rails , one full set of cushion buttons turned , plus a new set of accessories of Scoreboard , 5 cues ,2 push on telescopic extenders ,  2 sets of Aramith balls of 1 set engraved pool and 1 set of snooker premier quality , heavy duty dust cover , all rests and hooks , New dowsing Billiard Iron , pure bristle brush , 2x free standing chrome cue racks etc , and a new set of modern lighting .

Posted in News

CLEAN OUT POOL TABLE ON EACH RECOVER

Today I have re-covered a local pool table in Derby with strachan cloth , the owners had the last cloth torn ,and they had only just had the table re-covered by a firm up north in american speed cloth , which the players of the pool team did not like.

I got there to find the cloth had been fitted correctly and to a high standard  and the rip/tear was no fault of the fitting , but they had left the rails system with years of muck and grime still on them and the inside of the table with bottle tops years of dust and staples from previous re-covers , the grease of sweat and dust build up on the rails was causing balls to stick , but there was another more serious problem with the cushions they had fitted that they had done 4 weeks ago so read on .
It was one of the worst cases I had seen of not making sure that the table was left in a servicable use you have to take into account that the last recover was only 4 weeks ago ? , the next photo is after I had vacummed and washed all the rail system out prior to putting the slate back in .

the owner had told me just before I started to strip the cloth off the cushions that they had paid over £300  for a recover and brand new cushions , I had a shock for them , the cushions where second hand and had been re-covered at least 4 times in their life . the photo shows at least 4 sets of staple holes .

Posted in News

BUTLINS WORK ON AMERICAN 9ft POOL TABLES with ARTSCAPE DESIGNED CLOTH

Today we have been working at Skegness Butlins .
Every November we are to take the American 9ft Pool tables down and store in a back room , the room is then used for other busy weekend events such as 18 to 30s weekend , or 70s /80s theme weekends etc .
as you can see from the photo they where recovered in Plain purple cloth on the last recover.
At the end of November we shall be putting the tables back into the room and then recovering in ARTSCAPE cloth , this is a printed designed cloth , that can also be custom made to incorporate a clients name or venue , in this case it will have the wording BUTLINS also printed on the cloth .
We will on completion take another Photo of the pool tables with this new smart designed cloth , in the meantime have a look at these sample tables which have had the Artscape touch .

http://www.wsptextiles.com/artscape