To Miami and Back

Posted by Pool Table King on August 26, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Here’s a perfect example of a family who loves their pool table. Back in 2002 we setup this eight foot Connelly pool table in South Orange County. After a few years the family was transfered to Barbados, so their pool table was disassembled and the slates were crated for protection. For the next couple of years the pool table sat in storage until another transfer came along. This time the family relocated from Barbados to Miami, FL. This is where their prized Connelly pool table was resurrected, the pool table was setup and refelted in Euro Blue. A few years and many enjoyable games of pool later, the family, yet again was relocating. This time, to beautiful Laguna Niguel, CA. So their pool table once again was disassembled and the slates crated for protection. This is where we come into the picture again. The family hired us to uncrate and setup the pool table again but they weren’t feelin’ the Euro Blue felt in their new home. So Mike and Nicolle came down to our showroom to check out some different felt colors. They liked the Camel, Evergreen, Mahogany and Burgundy. But after much back and forth discussion the two decided on the Burgundy. So Rory set their appointment and we showed up a few days later to resurrect their beloved Connelly pool table. There are only a handful of pool table manufacturers that I consider to be high quality. Connelly is by far one of the best, considering that this pool table was originally purchased in 2001 in Virginia, it has been taken apart and setup many times over. It’s structural integrity still sound. So here’s a look at the finished product, looks great, plays great. Hopefully the family will continue to cherish their Connelly pool table for another decade and beyond!

Out with the Old, In with the New

Posted by Pool Table King on August 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

We delivered this beautiful 8′ pool table to a cool couple from Costa Mesa, CA. The old “non-slate” pool table was being given away to one of the contractors doing work for the homeowners. John and Denise had recently inherited this 1960′s “non-slate” pool table with the home. John found about us and was originally just interested in refurbishing the old table by putting new cloth and cushions on. But after talking with Rory for a while about putting money into a pool table that wasn’t even slate. John decided to embark on a new pool table search. After visiting with a couple of Orange County pool table dealers and being really turned off by the “used-car” salesman-like treatment. John decided to buy from us, where he was treated with a “no-pressure” approach.

New Pockets Old Table

Posted by Pool Table King on August 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

Last week we went out to Anaheim Hills, CA to remove and replace some very old leather pockets. This was an old “Cooper” pool table named after the man who built and sold these highly unorthodox pool tables. Just a little history on the man named Cooper, I have heard from customers of his that he actually drove to the customer’s house with the pool table loaded into the back of a Ford “Pinto” station wagon. I have heard that he would actually build the whole pool table on site. Most of these “Cooper” tables were built around a one piece slate. Every one of these pool tables is a little different than next. From an installer’s standpoint, one never knows whats in store with a Cooper table.

For the most part these sub-par pool tables functioned rather well, considering the crude construction materials used. But I think that at the time, these tables were very affordable for most people wanting to own their own pool table. Let’s get back to this new pocket job. Basically the pool table was original except for the pockets. Our customer told us that he had the felt repalced once or twice in 30+ years and I’m sure he’d had the rubber cushions replaced sometime 10 or 15 years ago. I noticed that one of the cushions was starting to go “dead”. He told us that he and his grandkids just dink balls around once in a while and recushioning the rails was not necessary, but that his leather pockets were in need of replacing. So that’s what we did for him. Now all the pool balls will stay in the pockets and not on the floor, where they’ve been going for months. Yet another pool table resurrection by the pool table experts.

The Great Pool Table Trade

Posted by Pool Table King on August 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

We were called out to do an interesting job last week. A nice fellow from Costa Mesa, CA explained to us that he had a 7′ Brunswick pool table set up in his game room. He also had recently a acquired a pro.8′ Renaissance pool table from a friend  who he plays pool with weekly. Apparently he and the other members of the “billiards club” felt that playing on the current seven-footer was becoming less and less challenging.

So when we arrived in Costa Mesa, we disassembled the 7′ Brunswick “Glenwood” and loaded it up into our trailer. We then located all of the pieces to the Renaissance, uncrated the three pieces of slate. We brought the cabinet inside the the game room bolted the legs on then positioned it for optimum “playability”. The Renaissance  had “Simonis 860″  a.k.a. worsted cloth, a.k.a. pro cloth already on the rails so our customer purchased a new piece of simonis for the bed. After I leveled the frame to the floor we brought in the three pieces of slate and set them down and secured them to the frame. I balanced and leveled each piece of slate perfectly using my “Starrett 98″ precision machinist’s level. After leveling the slate bed I sealed the seams with bee’s wax for a smooth to the touch feel. After stretching on the simonis 860 we installed the rails and blind aprons.

Bob’s new old Renaissance pool table was ready for action later that evening. After finishing up Bob’s table we left Costa Mesa for Huntington Beach, CA. Thats where the new owner of the 7′ Brunswick lived. When we arrived in h.b. the room was ready for positioning the smaller pool table. The room was a little on the short side but luckily there were some shorter cues to compensate for the lack of space. We placed the frame in the room with enough space on three sides leaving the head of  the table a little tight on the two corner pockets, but no problem with the use of a 48″ “short cue”. We leveled the frame and slates, stretched the felt back on and installed the rails and pockets. We fastened the rail bolt nuts and secured the leather baskets and poof, the great pool table trade was history.