Tag Archives: recover

Posted in News

Sam K Steels American pool table recovers – photos of each stage

This week I have been working on seven 7ft UK Winner Supreme pool tables and four 9 ball American Sam K steel 9ft tables.  These 9ft K steels are a little different to other pool tables and here are a few photos of the tables during strip down and the finished work.

Hunters Bar in Grantham, Lincolnshire, is one of the better run clubs which invests in a regular recover and maintenance program so that the pool tables are always in good condition to play on.  They have a regular client base, 7 UK pool tables and 4 American 9ft pool tables plus upstairs 6 full size snooker tables, two bars, food, TV and music.  It’s a great club to go to for cue sports in Grantham.
hunters Bar.
K steel well used
K steel cloth in cushions
K steel Cushions covered
K steel cloth off slate

Every staple was removed from these tables.  We did not recover over old staples, thus prolonging the life of the cushion wood and the slate lining.

Finished tables . ready for another seaon of use.
Finished tables ready for another season of use.

We removed every staple from the cushions and the bed cloth lining when stripping the table down, this prolongs the lifespan of the cushion and slate lining wood.  There’s nothing worse than having to strip 3 or even 4 sets of staples out of pool tables that other fitters have left in for speed work, rather than doing the job correctly in the first place.

I recover all tables that I work on with the intention that it will be me who strips it down next time.  I use 6mm staples that come out easily rather than use a compressor and fire 10 to 12 mm staples in that you have to dig out of the wood.  This is why so many firms that use these compressors leave their staples in recover after recover.

Posted in News

Snooker and pool table recover in Leicestershire – all pub and club owners & managers read on

We are acquiring snooker and pool table recovering work in Lincoln, Derby & Nottingham plus surrounding counties, but not enough work is coming our way from Leicestershire, so I am about to target that area for extra work.

We are an East midlands based company and would like to hear from any Secretery,  Club Managers or owners of bars, pubs, snooker and pool halls in the Leicester area.

We are busy, which shows that we are regarded as one of the best Pool and Snooker table maintenance companies with one fitter having served for over 37 years in the cue sports industry.  If your table is coming up for a recover, then please enquire about our pricing.  We can quote for any work you may require.

Why choose GCL BILLIARDS ?

We listen to our clients, we do not rush jobs and we strive to improve the table.  We may not play the game, but our most important aim is to please those that do.  We always use top quality cloth and rubber and supply such things as the new improved pro lighting that is sweeping the country at the moment.

GCL BILLIARDS are based in LONG EATON which is close to junction 25 of the M1.  From there we can go north, south, east or west and be in any of the 4 or even 6 counties that surround us within an hour or so, even less.

We are very proud to be recommended by the Nottinghamshire Billiards & Snooker Association.  This shows our expertise in the maintenance of Snooker and Pool tables and our work has been passed by the players and officials associated with the NBSA.  They would not just recommend any one !

We are also one of the main firms for Pub Pool table recovering to league standard in the East Midlands with our time served billiards fitting experience.  We apply the same high standards to our pool table work.  We do not operate amusement machines, we are 100% Snooker and Pool.  We know one of the most moaned about jobs that is never put right is the simple job of leveling a pool table.  We take our time and include leveling as well as cleaning the ball runs inside the table of all grease from sweaty hands and cloth build up that forms a hard black wax on the ball rails making some balls stick.  Players pick up one end and smash down resulting in broken feet or legs.  We do a full service on the table and this helps stop all the abuse that can be the cause of a sticking ball.

We always check for level twice, once using a very accurate engineers level and then double check using a digital level.  Using a £20 note to show our clients that the table, if 0.1% out, is only out by the thickness of a £20 note.  However we strive for 0.0%.

WE ALSO RENT TABLES OUT with two recovers a year in the contract for Summer and Winter league starts.  We think we offer the best hire rates localy that operates a proper maintenance schedule.  As stated above we are not amusement, sweety machine, or gambling machine operators, we just do cue sports tables.  We are good at what we do.  There is nothing worse than a recover from a fruit machine mechanic, believe me we have seen enough loose cloths and wrinkled and loose cushions, never mind the level if they ever get round to doing that.  As for the inside of the table, take a look at the photo below of one ball rail that a fruit machine engineer had left.  How do balls roll down that filth without sticking ? There is also online gambling and variety of game that one can enjoy and according to USGS they are as good as going to an actual casino.

PHONE GCL BILLIARDS TODAY for a proper professional service of recovering, rerubbering, new cushions, level and accessories.  Balls, cues and even pro lighting can be supplied.

Below: same table with Dirty ball rails

Dirty greased rails

Posted in News

SPECIAL NEW YEAR OFFER: Pool Table Recovering in Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, Newark and Leicester

We will recover in genuine Strachan cue sports cloth any 6×3 or 7×4 UK pool table and include a dust cover, a set of balls, 12 blocks of chalk, new triangle and a brush for just £165.  We have three main colours of cloth available – green, blue or burgundy.

This offer is for the month of January 2013.  Please phone 07753 466064 or email c.large@btinternet.com quoting GCLB3 offer recover/acesspack.

We can also quote as an extra for a new set of cushion rubber.  Please send a photo of the type of Pool table you have to c.large@btinternet.com

We also stock pool cues, rule sheets, cloth cleaning spray, other types of pool balls spots and stripes budget quality to high quality, also high quality reds and yellows and chrome free standing cue racks.  Plus we also do the new pro twin tube lighting.  If you would like to upgrade your order to include any of these please ask.

We do not just turn up, do a fast recover and scarper.  We clean the inside of the table and check pockets and ball runs etc.  We also level the table up and iron the cloth ready for play.

When looking for people to work on your Pool table we are second to none in the cue sports industry for recovering and re-rubbering all cue sports tables of any design or make. .
So book us in confidence that your table is in good hands and that the workmanship and materials used are of top quality.

We are time served billiards fitters with over 37 years experience on UK Pool / Snooker / Billiards and 8 ball cue sports tables.

We offer the complete package.  We are not experienced in one part of maintaing cue sports tables, we are experienced in all !

Posted in Sold

HIRE RENTAL 7 x 4 SUPREME PRINCE TOP OF THE RANGE POOL TABLE

We have a top of the range Supreme Prince Pool Table for Hire / Rental contract , £15 per week ,which includes two recovers a year , just been refurbished in Burgundy Red strachan cloth , but can change to another colour if you wish , new cushions and virtually unmarked brand new condition cabinet and legs, ready to start earning money for Pub or club Site , set on 50p but can be changed to £1 or any combination .

A set of club standard and Aramith premier match play balls with this table , we are cue sports hire specialists and we understand that most pubs and clubs have pool teams playing in winter and summer leagues , so we recover every 6 months , that way the table is at it’s best at the start of each league season .
Table will be maintained by a time served billiards fitter who takes his time in getting the table to play level just like in the photo below of the digital level reading a perfect 0.0  , unlike some firms who just dump a table in and forget about them until the landlord moans , we do not hire out slot gaming machines so all our attention and expertise is 100% on youre pool table ,
We prefer to rent our pool table’s local in the Nottingham and Derby area if possible .
If you are having problems with ypoure current table and you are not satisfied with the service they do , and are not tied to them , then please get in touch , we are sure you will not find a better Cue sports rental / hire firm than GCL BILLIARDS and our rental side of the business in DOUBLE 8 POOL TABLES.

Contact Geoff for further details on 07753466064 or email c.large@btinternet.com

Posted in News

Rare 10ft Snooker table to re rubber and re cover + pool table renovated in Nottingham and Newark

Just a couple of photo’s to show a couple more that have come in for a renovation of bed and cushions .

1st a Supreme Prince 7ft Pool table that was fully renovated with new black rubber in the cushions and new Burgandy strachan cloth , and a new set of engraved Aramith Premier Quality spots and stripe 2 inch Pool balls .


digital level reads 0.0 this table is perfect for Play . even at 0.1 it would only be the thickness of a £20 note out of true .

And the 10ft Billiard table which has 4 x 1inch thick slates and is circa 1870/1880 , I think a Thurston table with tulip leg design , these 10ft are pretty rare to find these days , and always hold their price on resale due to the rarity of trying to find one .

the photo is taken before any renovation work of a re rubber or recover plus new nets and top plate leathers, plus supply new set of Aramith premier balls.
over the next couple of days we have a 6ft riley dual height dining billiard table to re-rubber and  re-cover in Derby . a photo of the finished table will be posted soon .

Photo of 10ft after Re-rubber and Re-cover in Hainsworth Match plus new nets leathers and a new set of Premier Aramith balls  , table re-rubbered to old billiards sized pockets at 3.1/4 inch at the drop , a very tight pocket ,this table is very old at circa 1870s /80s .

Posted in News

Another Busy week for GCL BILLIARDS SNOOKER AND POOL TABLE MAINTENANCE, Re-Rubbering , Recover etc in Nottingham and Lincoln

This week we are that busy that we have to work on Saturday and Sunday ,

we start the week off on Saturday with a Pool table sale and delivery ,
on Sunday a match table with steel blocks recover in Hainsworth match cloth and new nets and leathers ,in  Nottinghamshire
Monday another match table with steel block cushions recover in 6811 T strachan and nets and leathers ,in Lincolnshire
Tuesday , strip down and load a full size table for London and work on Riley dining cushions re rubber in the workshop , in Sandiacre.
Wednesday  A re- rubber full size cushions in Derby
Thursday Recover full size cushions in Derby and finish Riley dining cushions off in workshop
Friday , Riley dining table recover in Derby.

you may note that we do not recover the cushions on the same day as a re rubber if useing UK made northern rubber , this is because I like to leave over night for the glue to realy bond , this prevents the rubber being pushed off the wooden block it is glued to  when you tension the cloth over it as we recover the cushion .
Some of the lower cost import rubber has a canvas back to it and this can be recovered in the same day as a re rubber . as the canvas backing tends to bond quicker than Northern rubber which has no canvas backing , I always recommend UK made Northern rubber made in Retford Nottinghamshire, rather than imported rubber as it lasts much longer , upto 25 years before the next re rubber . imported rubber can go off within only 5 years use.

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