Tag Archives: recover

Posted in News

special offers on pool table re-covers from just £165 for Higher quality Branded Strachan cloth POOL TABLE RECOVERING SPECIAL OFFERS FROM £145 in Nottingham , Lincoln ,Newark , Derby , Leicester . and all East midlands Area.

We are haveing a special offers run upto Christmas for all UK 6FT AND 7FT sized Pool table recovers ,
We will Recover youre UK 6FT OR 7FT sized Pool table in Quality Strachan West of England cloth

**** THIS OFFER EXPIRED ON DECEMBER 22nd 2012 **** but please enquire if we have any more offers on by phoning Geoff on 07753466064 please try and phone between 9am and 6pm , we stop answering the phone after this business opening time but you can always email Geoff at c.large@btinternet.com
 cloth starting at £165 .
Also we have in a range of three colours of Burgandy red , Royal blue , or Standard Green all at £165

allthough we do the red and the blue we always recommend the Green cloth as it is the most restfull colour for the eye’s , it is a natural colour and that is why most UK cue sports tables have used the colour of Green for many years , red and blue is an american thing . there are other colours that we can use for example Purple but these are extra charge and are POA .also Strachan speed cloth at extra charge POA.

and it gets better , we will also knock off a further £10 for every other 6ft or 7ft uk Pool table you have at the premises if recovered at the same time .

to qualify for the above offers please quote ( 88pool offer 165 OR 185 or £10 off for two in same premises  ) to c.large@btinternet.com or phone 07753466064 or 01159725355 , this offer expires on Dec 22nd 2012.

all pool table recovers are being done inbetween the main jobs that we have allready booked in , the recovering of the pool tables is to take up any slack days we have on our run upto the busy christmas period . ensuring we have continuous work for each week . we will do some Recovering work in the evening and on Saturdays if Possible

Please note ,when booking a UK pool table recover , check youre cushion bounce , you may require a re-rubber or new cushions and fixing bolts, which we can supply at extra cost . if you know the make of youre pool table please state it with the size 6ft or 7ft , all tables above this size are charged a higher rate
if you do not know the make , please send us a photo , as all Pool tables are not the same , and rubber are differant types and shapes .
If you require extra cues or more chalk or even a spare set of balls we can also add this to youre order . Pockets and ball rails charged extra if required, but are fitted free at same time as a re-cover.

We always clean the inside of youre table removing years of grease and sweat build up . making sure youre table looks as good inside as the new re-cover outside . we then re-level useing an engineers level and a digital electronic level . leaving youre table for match play . and as good as new .

We have many satisfied testimonials of our work , we have personal experience in the cue sports industry as fitters for many years , we value our reputation and value youre custom and repeated custom , that is why we strive to do every job to perfection .
we are an NBSA approved firm , youre guarentee of professional workmanship, not all firms carry this recommendation .

Posted in Archived Posts

Table now located for buyer (re: wanted full size table on a budget)

A TABLE HAS NOW BEEN LOCATED BY THE THE BUYER. If you require a table please use our wanted section of the GCL BILLIARDS blog.  Many people are reading this blog and sellers and buyers are out there.

It is FREE to advertise.  All we ask is that you recommend GCL Billiards to do any work involved, eg. moving, setting up, recover, rerubber.

Geoff Large
www.gclbilliards.com
www.88pooltables.com

Posted in News

LET GCL BILLIARDS RERUBBER OR REPLACE YOURE SUPREME POOL TABLE CUSHIONS BY A QUALIFIED BILLIARDS FITTER

 

A set of the new black rubber cushions .

This week fitting in between work , I am rerubbering 4 sets of 7ft Supreme Pool cushions 2 sets for a client and one for myself to use on a rental table the other a spare set for stock  , I will be useing the new Black rubber which lasts far longer than the original red rubber used in the manufactureing of Supreme winner and prince tables for many years, 
Supreme recently have changed to use black rubber now because of the problem with the hard dead red rubber which happens to tables around 4 to 5 years old or where a table is kept in a cold room , if you are suddenley experiencing a dead cushion or two , then the others are not far behind , the only solution is to rerubber the whole set of  cushions or buy brand new set of cushions from the Factory which will cost you around £120 /£140 per set , which we can also supply.
If the woodwork of the cushions are good then a rerubber is the most cost efective way of solving the problem of dead cushions , I carry a stock of old cushions with good woodwork that I will be rerubbering for exchange with youre old cushions at just £80 per set with the guarentee of the better black rubber being used
. the old red rubber is not good so avoid firms useing this.

I have recently experienced tables where just one cushion was replaced by the last fitter or firm , this is not going to stop the other 5 going rock hard soon after , and is false economy . youre takings wil also go down as players refuse to play on a table with no bounce in the cushions.
Being a time served billiards fitter , I have been trained in the art of Rerubbering in not just pool tables but such games as Bar Billiards , Bagatelle , bumper pool , American pool with triangle shaped rubber, and Full sized snooker tables to match template pocket openings . 
Youre pool table will suddenly play like new once a rerubber and recover has been completed by GCL BILLIARDS.

***GCL BILLIARDS also rerubber other makes of pool tables , but we do not have spare sets in stock to get ready so have to do all work on site rather than exchange ( unless they are brand new from manufacturer ) , please call for a quote . also some tables use smaller rubber such as super league which is 5/8th rubber and not full size like supreme tables ***.

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 .

 

Posted in News

Snooker table for Sale? Snooker table wanted? Free selling and buying service!

As a Billiards/Snooker firm we get a few phone calls from people wishing to sell a full sized snooker table.  We also get clients requiring a snooker table.  Over the years the market has changed in table sales, due to many clubs closing and large snooker club companies shedding clubs that do not pay.  The market is now flooded with full size tables and this reflects on the price that one can expect for a table.

At GCL BILLIARDS we do not buy full sized tables for resale, but we do run a service whereby if a person requires to sell on a table and a client is looking for a table we will put the two together to work out a sale between them.  This generates business for GCL BILLIARDS in the transport and any work required such as rerubber and recover etc.

Only this last week I had a phone call from a customer in MANSFIELD who wanted to sell on his table after many years of ownership.  I explained that we do not buy tables of that size but would look for a person to buy it from him.  I had just the person for him, a client in LINCOLN who had contacted me about 4 weeks previously.  I had been looking at tables on ebay for him, to try and find a good one amongst the many bad ones that you can buy.  I put the two people together and they have worked out a deal whereby the seller gets his room back for other uses and the buyer gets a good table for the right price.

We got the work of transporting and a re-rubber plus recover nets and leathers plus supply a few spares etc.  Everyone is happy at this result and nobody paid a commision for selling or buying.

We do charge an inspection fee though if that is required for peace of mind.  Such things as slate trueness and build quality, pocket openings, condition of rubber and polish, cloth condition and any problems I may see with the table.  The inspection fee covers travelling expenses and time and is calculated on the distance that I have to travel.  This is money well spent as a qualified billiards fitter’s eye over a purchase such as this will save money if you can avoid the bad buys from the good ones.

We do not charge a commission for putting clients together, it is a free service.  All that we ask is that the seller or buyer puts work our way in return for the free service.

******Please note********
I only pass on information about the seller whith his or her permission and normally only pass on emails or a telephone number for the first introduction, not the address.  Any table condition cannot be guaranteed unless inspected at first hand by a GCL BIILIARDS qualified billiards fitter.

An introduction is not a recommendation of the table but to find out if that table is suitable for the buyer’s needs.  I do of course study the table photos and if I think the table is not suitable to pass onto a future buyer, I will inform the seller of this.

Posted in News

Shocking pool table recover, but it has now been sorted

 


Yesterday I was called out to re-level a Pool table that is based very local to me here in Long Eaton about 1 mile away, the table was a Supreme Prince with the round legs , when I got there I could not believe the state of the last recover , the bed cloth was almost off the slate , they had used inferior spray on glue and it had not stuck , I explained to the owner that in my opinion , the charge for leveling would be better put towards a full recover as the cloth was also inferior low grade.

They gave me the go ahead to recover the table , when I removed the cushions and cloth I was even more shocked to find that they had rerubbered the old cushions in old snooker rubber that had been removed from a full size table , not realy shocked at that because it can be done for a lower cost option than brand new cushions,but more so that the rubber was not in one piece , they had used two bits of rubber and the joint could be seen through the cloth, also the rubber was falling off the wood, and they had recovered over three sets of staple, this fitter was not hanging around he was in and out within a hour maybe less?, I always take every staple out of the cushions and tape the rubber just as I would a full size snooker table . this makes for better easier recover on the next visit. and I always do a job with the intention that I will be the one coming back to do it again, it is never a bodge it and scarper job like the last fitter.

I had with me another set of Supreme cushions with the modern blue Rubber on although they where a used set but not very old, they where 100% better than the set that I took off , I then proceeded to take the cloth off the slate , I moved the slate over to one side and the state of the inside of the table was a mess, they had spray glued the slate in situ , and the overspray had gone all over the ball pocket runs and inside the table , also the inside was full of muck and old bits of recover cloth from previous recovers.

I vacumed the table out , washed all the ball rails down , washed the alloy ball tray and inspected the coin mech, I then recovered the slate making sure that it was done with good contact adiesive which was not the sprayed on type, the cloth will now stay on,I then noticed that the legs where also loose, so retightened the nuts back up to stop the table wobble,I then turned my attention to the slate dip.

Pool tables are not made in the same way as a Snooker table , they have a 7 foot lenth span and the body of the table tends to dip in the middle this will also make the slate dip in the middle, some people pack the slate with beer mats, this is not a good idea because you are then leaving parts of the slate unsupported and the risk of slate breakage is always there, I use thin strips of cloth staple placed on the main long middle supports I build them up gradual to form a pyramid , this way the slate is supported along its total lenth and the dip is rectified making level of the table much better.

It is a bit of trial and error getting the dish out of the slate , the slate may have to come out two or three times before you can get it level, but once done it is much better to play on, the customer’s asked me to recover the table in the same cloth and in the same way as the local snooker clubs pool tables which are also in this pubs league,of which I also maintain with regular recovers for summer and winter league, this snooker club is regarded as having the best pool table in the league by most players, I would also now put this table as one of the best to play on in the league provided that they brush and iron it every day like the snooker club , that realy is the secret of a good table , the  brushing and ironing. if you leave a cloth without maintenance it will form balls of fluff and ridges in the cloth , the brushing will remove dirt and the iron will keep the cloth flat and fast to play on,

Now thats not the end of the story when I had finnished, the landlady told me who had done the last recover, I was shocked to find out I knew the Guy , I know they can produce better workmanship than this ! she aslo informed me that they had paid for brand new cushions on the reciept, not bodged two piece old snooker rubber, needless to say she is pursuing the matter.

Posted in News

Repeat Bookings for Recovers

Today I had a repeat booking from a client.  They were delighted with the standard of work and quality of materials used and also the way I went about doing the recovers,  taking my time and refilling the slate joints, checking and adjusting table level, replacing the odd net here and there etc.

The client has a multi tabled club in the midlands and in July I recovered two snooker tables and he has just rebooked me to recover another 2 snooker tables in September, with the possibility of doing 2 recovers of snooker tables every 2 months . I got this repeat work not only for the standard of workmanship but also for the price structure I have put in place for multi tabled clubs.

Another repeat booking also coming in for August for a customer in a private house.  Add to this two pool table rental agreements of 2 years for two separate clubs.  These pool table rentals will of course be backed up by a good service schedule of having the slate out, vacum inside cabinet, wash down internal ball rails and wood work including ball tray, clean outside cabinet and ball window, remark or recover (which ever is in the contract), check coin mech + springs and lubricate mech, last of all recheck level of table.  This makes for a trouble free table. A yearly or 6 monthly recover option is also available.

Geoff

Posted in News

Special rates for Snooker and Pool table recovering in August

My first half a month trading as GCL Billiards , and I have been pretty busy , 8 Full size Recovers , 1 table dismantle and store , 2 stretch bed cloths , 1 open pockets up and recover cushions , + 2 more recovers just been booked in ,

Now is the time to get a special rate for a Recover from GCL BILLIARDS rather than waiting for the Winter Season to Start , so Why not email or Phone Me to get your quote now .
August is always a slow month for Billiard fitting it is the last month of the summer before the Season realy kicks off for Pool and Snooker .
I expect September and October to be realy busy with clubs all requiring Recovers or cloth Restretching at the same time , avoid disappointment , Have
your Table Refurbished in August , the Players will be better prepared for the Winter by getting used to the New cloth a few weeks before .

After a recover , New cloth will be slow with plenty of nap on from new , unlike the worn out cloth that is now approaching the end of its lifespan , the old cloth must play like glass and be very fast , players like fast cloths but on a worn out cloth it is very difficult to control the cue ball for back spin and side swerve , this is down to the cloth having no grip unlike a new cloth with good nap direction , a new cloth has to be played on and the players will adjust their game based on a few weeks of play , they will be better prepared for any snooker or Pool league .
I always check and adjust the level if required when Recovering , the slate is also cleaned off from all chalk dust ,and the joints are checked for gaps and filled .
this is something that speed fitters are renowned for not doing , one thing you can be sure of the time and effort will be put in on each table by GCL BILLIARDS .

Volume or speed work is not a word I like to hear , you never rush a game of Snooker and Billiard Fitting is the same , I also treat all my customers on an Equal footing , I do not go by their house post code or what Car they Drive to assess the price to be charged , my rates are all the same for everyone . but of course multi tabled snooker clubs may get a better rate for repeat work .

Geoff