Tag Archives: UK

Posted in News

New snooker club opening in Nottingham and GCL Billiards gets the work @ The Hidden Spot phone 07427155182 ask for Kal .

Today I have started the job of leveling and re-covering 12 Full size snooker tables.  The owners of this brand new club have erected the table frames and positioned the slates ready for re-covering by a qualified Billiards fitter, but they require moving and adjusting for level.

The reason the tables required moving was because they had put them too close to each other.  After a look around I gave them my thoughts on how they should position the tables and make a seperate room for two Burroughs and Watts match tables, one having steel block cushions.

I will be adding some photographs of the club late tommorow.  You will be surprised at how large these premises are.  They also have 8 UK 7×4 pool tables.

The name of the club… THE HIDDEN SPOT.  It is due to open at the end of April with table rates from £5 per hour.

***The club is situated on Denman Street East and North Kyme street just off  Ilkeston road near canning circus *** PHONE  Kal on 07427155182 for enquiries of booking tables

With very low cost parking nearby at £1 all day, what other clubs near the centre of Nottingham have that facility?

here are the photo’s of the club , there is a mountain of Blue carpet tiles to go down once all the tables have been positioned and covered

.Hidden spot 1
Hidden spot 2
hidden spot 3
the above photo is of the match room , table on the right is a Burrooughs and watts with new 1990s standard cushion table not steel block but with a good set of welsh slate and very good solid pocket plates with extra broad bow leathers and new nets fitted  , the table on the left a Riley square leg is being removed from the room and another burroughs and watts but this time a steel Block cushion table is being installed for the main N0 1 match table . both of  these Buroughs and Watts tables having 2 inch thick best welsh slate , and they are very good for level .
I am advising them to install match lighting rather than the coffin shades , they will also have long bench seats installed around the edge of the room  at a later date on a high plinth so that People can watch the games from a good view point .
the room will also be available for Private hire for snooker finals etc .
Hidden spot 4
Hidden spot pool area
the pool  table area , 8 pool tables in total , and they are thinking of installing an american 9ft pool table too .
the Hidden Spot is due to open this month , watch this space for more details .

Posted in News

Working away from home for a week in March, contact details while away

Clip Art Graphic of a Billiards Eight Ball Cartoon Character

I have just one day next week where I will be able to answer emails and home telephone calls and that is Monday the 4th of March.  If anyone wishes to contact me from the 5th to the 8th of March, please phone the mobile number 07753 466064.  If emailing me please wait until Saturday the 9th of March for a reply.

I have a day in Leicester, then three days on the East coast.  On Friday I have a re-cover and maybe re-rubber if cushions are dead at Tattershall in Lincolnshire on the way back from the coast, so a very busy fully booked week.

It may be that the cushions in Tatershall have not been screwed up tight enough, loose cushions will not rebound well.   If that is the case GCL Billiards will not try and get a re-rubber out of the job, I will just inform the owner that his cushions were loose and that will be good news for him.

The following week 18th to 22nd of March, I have three full size re-covers booked in and three installations of new pro lighting at another club.  I may have a spare day towards the end of that week if someone is desperate to have a table re-covered or work done.

From time to time I share some of my findings as a Billiards fitter.  Here is one about using speed cloth on UK pool tables.  UK pool tables have L shape rubber, American pool tables that speed cloth is designed for, have triangle rubber.  It is very difficult to fit speed cloth to L shaped rubber cushions without bending the rubber down when tensioning the cloth onto the cushion.  Where wool based napped cloth is much better for UK pool tables, I see no point in using speed cloth on them, but people still ask for it.  I think it is because it is a tough cloth and does not rip easily and lasts a long time.  But it suffers from cue / ball burn marks easy.

Wool based napped cloth, if mistreated, tears easy, but does not suffer the cue / ball burn marks like man made fibre speed cloths.  So you have the choice what cloth you want – speed cloth or wool based cloth, it does not matter to us, we fit both.
Sam K steel

A Sam K steel American pool table.  These have triangle rubber unlike UK snooker and pool tables which have L shape rubber.  Speed cloth is designed for triangle rubber as it bends L shape rubber over if it is a bit soft.

American pool rubber
American triangle shaped pool rubber.

jan 2011 rubber

Northern Rubber the best you can buy to fit to snooker and some UK pool tables.

Posted in News

Glover Cues, UK made hand crafted cues, if you want the best this is the Pro Master cuemaker you want to make that special cue

Tony Glover at work

Tony at work in the workshop in Moira located at the Moira furnace near swadlincote Derbyshire.

Now and again I get referrals from Glover Cues for snooker and pool table maintenance work, I even had a phone call today from one such client.  So now is the time I repaid that gesture with a small write up about what Tony produces.

Just click on this link to see his web site and products.  Although a visit to his workshop is the best thing you could do if choosing a design and build for that custom cue, but phone first for an appointment.  Tony gets really busy, his cues are really sought after.

http://cues.co.uk/

Tony has made cues for many well known professionals.  He has a regular workload from keen semi-pro and amateur players who strive for that perfect custom made cue and even the Chinese market has sought him out to supply cues, which I find very strange that the UK gets flooded with Chinese goods but when the Chinese require quality cues they come to a master cue maker in the UK.  That tells you something!

Tony is also well known for his replica cues of past manufacturers, so if you wanted say a Burwat Champion cue or a John Roberts Jnr Facsimile cue, Tony could make you one and it would be an exact copy of the cue in every detail.

Ccustom butt badges are another speciality from Glover Cues.  You could have your name put on the butt badge like this one below.
tony glovers name plates custom made
tony glover custom made snakewood
An example of a snakewood splice in one of Tony Glover’s hand crafted cues that was on ebay second hand for £350.  They do hold their s/h value too, so a good investment.
tony glover example of spliceing
An example of splicing work on a Tony Glover made cue, some exotic woods used here and a total of 16 splicings in rows of 4 all hand spliced!
tony glover copy b&w champion cue
An example of Tony’s replica Burwat Champion cue butt badge.

Prices of Tony’s cues start at £250 for a one piece cue.  You can pay that for a mass produced top of the range cue from say Peradon or Cue Craft even some Chinese imported cues cost in excess of £150 retail.  If you want that special cue made in the heart of the UK by a craftsman, then Glover Cues is the place to go.  You could even have a meal or snack/coffee at the local cafe which is also situated close by.  Conkers is next door, which is a local tourist attraction.  You can have a huge input in your specifications of the cue including such woods as Snakewood, burr walnut , Ebony & Tulip wood etc.  Iveroid replica badges are also available, also grained bone butt badges too.

Phone Tony today, tell him Geoff from GCL Billiards sent you.  I am not on commission, it is just a return gesture of recommendation.

Contact Glover cues
Unit 6
Moira furnace
Moira
Swadlincote
DE12 6AT

Telephone 01283 550551 daytime
01283 760409 after 5pm and weekends

email mail@cues.co.uk

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

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

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

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

Very busy month for November, but we are still taking bookings for work


Looks like we are about to get very busy for the month of November.  Some of the work booked in:

  • 3 re-rubber + re-cover snooker tables.
  • 6 american pool table dismantles, then put back up plus re-cover all 6.
  • 3 local full size snooker re-covers + another re-rubber to match size.
  • 1 total renovation of 10ft snooker table re-polish and re-rubber, nets leathers
  • 3 tables dismantle and load.
  • 1 table move from Nottinghamshire to Lincolnshire.
  • 1 re-cover and one stretch.
  • 1 pool table sold and deliver local.

Plus loading various snooker tables around the UK for their slates to use on a kitchen floor.  It’s a shame but the slate is now worth more in scrap value than trying to sell the table as an item for use on ebay.

Add to this list our special offer of pool table re-cover and re-rubber work which is bringing in regular work now the winter pool leagues have started.  Looks like it’s a 7 day week for the whole of November and thats good news for GCL Billiards and Double8pooltables.

I did say all the work would come at the same time and it always happens just before Christmas.

Many thanks to our clients for entrusting the work to GCL BILLIARDS