I'm an installer/mover of pool tables and thought I would give you some hints on what to look for when inspecting used pool tables. Pool tables are an investment both in property value and your personal leisure time. A table when properly set up will provide hours of entertainment for you, your family and friends. A table where the balls tend to roll towards one of the corners because it isn't level or a pocket that drops balls on the floor will only become excuses not to play.
TYPE: There are basically two types of cabinets available. The traditional style which have the netted pockets that are visible are more commonly used in the living areas of homes and the competition or contemporary style which have aprons (outer panels)under the rails surrounding the outside of the table and bucket type pockets. Those are seen more in pool playing establishments or in a your game room or garage. They all play the same, styling and color is up to your taste. Most tables are not just a recreational piece in the home; it is a fine piece of furniture where color, styling, whether or not the cloth matches the curtains or carpet is a key factor of importance to you. Whichever you select on a used table, here is some information that will help you select a better table for your monies spent.
SIZE: There are several. The nine foot table is the competition/regulation/tournament sized table. It measures 50” by 100”. This measurement is taken from the edge of the rail cushion where the ball contacts it to the cushion on the opposite side. There is also the “pro eight” at 46 x 92, the “home eight” measuring 44 x 88 (the most common size), and the “bar table” at 39 x 78. How much table you can or should buy is dependant on your room size. The nine footer needs a room 13’10”x18’, the pro eight 13’6”x17’4”, the home eight 13’4”x17’ and the bar sized table needing 12’11”x16’2”. These measurements are based on the use of 58” long cues. There are shorter cues available in 36”, 42”, 48” and 52” lengths if you have a room smaller than the requirements.
CUSTOM AND ANTIQUE TABLES: “Custom” could mean anything from the original owner picking out the style of the legs (there are several types), the color of the finish and cloth, and having their initials carved into the rails resulting only in a manufacturer picking the parts off a shelf to match their needs…..to a table totally build from scratch from the ground up (grandpa grew the tree the rails are carved from). Be careful when selecting and inspecting one. Most of the custom tables I’ve seen don’t have the quality of construction the mass produced units have. There are high quality custom tables out there for sale; you’ll just have to inspect them carefully. Antique tables are beautiful when they have been well cared for and or restored. The antiques to be wary of are the ones that show their age. Hardware can be missing, custom bolts and screws that hold the table together can be difficult if not impossible to find.
SLATE: This is the playing surface under the cloth. Most tables come with ¾ or 1 inch thick slate. There are even tables with 2 inch thick slate but these represent less than one percent of the tables out there. Most of the tables will have a three piece slate configuration, single piece slate tables nice but are extremely heavy and difficult to move. Just one of the three pieces on an eight foot table can weigh 225 pounds. It is also very hard to find someone to move a single piece slate table for you due to its' weight. If the slate is “backed” or “framed” (it has a layer of wood attached to the bottom side matching the perimeter edges of the slate), it is more resistant to warping and adds to the overall stability of the table. Properly setup, a three piece slate table will perform as well as a single piece unit. You can tell if it has three pieces by looking directly under the rails. There will be two seams where the three pieces are mated that can be seen under the rails that span the width of the table. On lesser expensive tables sometimes a material called “slate-tron” is used as a substitute for the heavy slate. This substitute is only high density particle board and actually more tedious to set up that the regular slate tables. Having just worked on one recently, I think that for the money, the only advantage to this is the weight savings. Then again you’re not supposed to move it anyway after the setup. I have been told that just the expansion and contraction of the particle boards due to the exposure to the humidity around here is enough to warp the boards so give in and buy a slate model, not this other substitute. Unless of course buying a slate-tron table was your original intention. Also any table can’t be expected to remain level if it is moved because the floor is never perfectly level. Moving a table even a couple of inches this way or that will cause the leveling to be off. When adjusting the level of the table, I will use just sheets of paper for the final adjustment if needed. This is how crucial the adjustment has to be for the near perfect roll of the ball.
BRAND NAMES AND CONSTRUCTION: You can't go wrong with brand name tables, there are many to choose from and are very reasonably priced when buying used. As the former installer for the San Francisco Brunswick dealer (closed now), it is my choice and have features that others don't. But then, it's hard to tell these differences when playing on the others also. I know I can't (for the most part), so don't let me steer you away from the other brands. If you care to look under the table the best is solid wood construction with bolt type fasteners, metal brackets for the legs and 1 to 2 inch thick beams. Smaller tables should have at least 1 inch beams. Plywood is used in some as is particle board. The stuff works but solid wood is better. On the sides of the table are panels with or without engravings. It is most likely a veneer if it does not have engravings (plywood or particle board with thin sheet of the finish wood) and solid wood if it has engravings. Some table frames are stapled together. Again not as good but it does the job. The more intricate the designs, the more it cost new. I’ve also seen and built the tables imported into the U.S. and most seem to be good tables. Some even have steel frame construction. If you are buying a table that has been disassembled (ie. In storage), it will be hard for you to determine if all of the parts are there. Most if not all of the hardware is available from the store unless the table is really old (50+years). You might want to have someone like me check for all of the parts before hand. A good time for this is at the pick-up of course and make it a condition of sale (don’t give up your money yet).
RAILS: Push down on the edges (not too hard though) where the ball contacts the rail. It should be pliable and not feel hard as a rock. Take a ball and roll it into several spots along the rail. The ball should have good rebound, not thud or pop up or not rebound weakly in respect to the force the ball hit the rail. Do this for all of the rails and the results should be consistent for all six. The location of the table at the seller's home is important also. If the rails are exposed to extreme or prolonged sunlight, they will dry out and become hard prematurely. Check the ones nearest the windows and compare with the other rails to be sure. New rail cushions are expensive to buy and costly to replace. Not your "do-it-yourself" item either. An improperly installed cushion will cause the ball to jump up or die (lack of rebound action) when it contacts the rail. (A quick note: If the table has a stain finish, the sides exposed to the sunlight could be faded and the color difference will likely be more noticeable in your home than in theirs because of the lighting so check carefully.)
POCKETS: If they are the netted kind, look under and check for torn webbing, deterioration from multiple installations and the loose stitching in the leather. A new set of leather pockets are over $100, the actual price dependant on the styling. If they are the bucket type, check for tears and missing chunks of plastic. They are otherwise foolproof. A note about automatic ball returns systems. The open wire type are best (look under the table), wood runners and plastic tubing tend to keep balls from returning when a piece of chalk falls into the system. Not necessarily a reason not to buy it, just what you'll run into with that type of system (How did you get your arm stuck in a pocket?).
CLOTH: If the cloth on the used table is still in good condition, it can be reused without much difficulty. If not, then new cloth can be installed for an additional cost for the labor and cloth. The thickness of the cloth determines its’ quality and is graded by weight. 21oz material is sufficient, 22oz being the top graded cloth. Simonis cloth (both a brand name and a different type of woven cloth) is considered the best and is generally used in pool establishments and in competition play. Both types come in a variety of colors and pricing starts at 100 bucks and goes up from there.
ACCESSORIES: You will almost always inherit anything related to pool with your table purchase. If it needs work or replacement, you’re probably going to have to pay for that as well. A cue losing a tip is one of the most common problems you’ll run into (I also re-tip cues). Next are the missing balls and usually in combination with “There are two two balls in the rack because we’re missing the seven ball, OK?” Balls can be purchased individually for about seven to ten bucks each. 15 balls make up the set plus one cue ball (in case you didn’t know). You should have (or buy) at least three to four cues in different weights (18-21oz) and possibly a short cue for shots where the standard cue is too long due to not having enough room between the walls and the table. A triangular ball rack, cue rack, table brush, table cover, chalk for the cues (matching the color of the cloth) and a cue bridge should end the list of needed items for your table.
MOVING AND INSTALLING: Get eight guys and if you’re careful, it will only break in two or three places and only one or two of the guys will be suing you for breaking his foot. A typical pool table weighs 800-1200 pounds and the rails were not designed to be handles for the table. They WILL break. I went to a home to level a table moved by the owner and his friends. I guess they twisted the table too much and two of the slate sections were cracked in half. Slate is brittle and is sold only by the set (they have to match) and they cost about six hundred dollars a set plus shipping. I’m trying to help you, not scare you. It’s your table. The table needs to be disassembled for the move and then reassembled at your location. The frame then needs to be leveled and the slate then installed and not only leveled but the surface top edges matched between the three pieces so there is no unevenness between them. Incidentally, a pool table moved as a single unit will lose that match between the pieces of slate causing the table top to have a step in the surface (not always but if you see shims falling off the table when you lift it, you now know why). The cloth has to be stretched properly to avoid wrinkles and to ensure a smooth playing surface. The whole process can take up to 5 hours, 3 is average for the installation.
I hope that the information presented will help you make a wise choice for your pool table. I enjoy the game of pool immensely and a table with problems is just is no fun to play on at all.
Did I mention that I install pool tables? I have an ad titled “pool table moving, setup and re-felting service - $1” in this same category. I work anytime including evenings and weekends if that suits your schedule.
I have references from customers that I have moved and installed tables for and will be happy to give them to you via phone or email. If you use me for the move and install, great! I’ll even teach you a trick shot that is very cool (six balls at once!).
I’d like to know if this information has helped you whether or not you use me for services. If I am incorrect in the information presented please let me know so that I can correct it.
Thanks again for your time,
Jeff
phone (415)812-7480
References will be happily provided upon request!
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