About Pool Tables

Roger King asked:


There’s nothing quite so attractive as a room lit by the warm, comfortable blow of a table lamp. Positioned on low sofa tables, on shelves, a chest, or a sideboard, a table lamp can be used to illuminate a collection, brighten a dark corner, or provide a pool of light for reading. Table lamps come in all shapes, sizes and styles, so it is easy to find something to suit your room. Lamps, which beam light downwards and sideways, usually fitted with a wide-based shade, are useful if you want to light a table top, or a corner.

Vase-shaped lamps wash light over the wall and ceiling, an attractive way to show off a painting or an interesting architectural feature. Tall standard lamps look best in a corner or behind a chair. A lamp with a traditional shade, or a shade which covers the top of the bulb, beams down, giving a comfortable pool of light just right for reading. Modern standard lamps are starkly stylish, adding interest to a simple, high-tech look room. Many of these lamps are up-lighters and should be positioned so that light washes a wall or the ceiling.

Floor-standing spot-lamps look best hidden behind a display of plants so that light shines through the foliage, throwing delicate leaf shadows on ceiling and walls. Before you buy lamps, look carefully at socket positions. You may need to have extra outlets installed for lamps to be positioned where you want them. Trailing cable is dangerous and tucking cable underneath a carpet or rug can cause a fire. Always have new sockets installed by a professional electrician.

A table lamp with conical shade beams light down, adding instant interest and comfort to a corner. This type of light is the ideal way to illuminate a collection of small boxes, plates or figures arranged on a table, or on a display cabinet. The perfect bedside lamp beams light over just half of the bed, so that one partner can read while the other sleeps. Lamps should be tall enough so that the light falls in exactly the right position for reading but not so that the beam hits the reader in the eye.



Carolyn

Steven Cancel asked:


Nothing brings new life to an old tired pool table, or livens up that boring game room, more than putting new felt on your pool table. Get rid of those scuff marks, tears, and stains, get rid of that boring old green, and try something bright and bold like a blue, gold or burgundy, or even try patterns and pictures. You’ll be amazed at what a change it will make to both your pool table and to your game room appearance.

Recovering you pool table is generally a pretty easy task that anyone that can use a wrench and a stapler can handle in a day. Here are answers to a few of the basic questions before you start.

How do I determine the size of my table?

Tables come in four different sizes. You’ll need to know the size of your table before you order the new felt. All you need to do is measure the width of your table between the bumpers. If it is 39″, you have a 7′ table, 44″is an 8′ table, 46″ is called an 8′ oversized table, and 50″ is a 9′ table.

Do I need to glue the felt down?

Most felt is held down by stretching it over the edges and stapling it along the bottom edge. On some tables, the felt is held in place by a band of glue along the edges of the slate.

How do I know which side of my new felt is up?

The smoothest side, usually with a manufacturer’s logo, is the top side.

Which pool table felt should I use?

Determining what brand of felt to buy to cover your pool table really just comes down to your budget. Available brands include:

Arcade by Forstmann is an economical felt. Arcade is a hard-wearing choice for high-traffic pool tables. This felt was developed specifically for the coin-op trade. If it can stand up to the hard use it gets in commercial environments, it will certainly last a very long time on home pool tables. It is a wool/nylon blend and comes in 8 colors.

Mali pool table felt is a middle-of-the-road felt. This is a 21oz wool/nylon blend. Mali felt comes in 16 colors.

A top-of-the-line felt is the SuperPro by Milliken. Using a blend of 70% Merino wool and 30% nylon, SuperPro worsted pool table felt gives you a smooth, long-lasting playing surface. All SuperPro felt is treated with SpillGuard protectant. SpillGuard is a special coating that protects every fiber, so it won’t swell, smell, or stain. SuperPro’s playing surface stays fast and responsive and looks good throughout the life of the felt. SuperPro pool table felt comes in 7 colors.

Generally considered the top-of-the-line is Simonis pool table felt. Simonis felt is used in most every professional tournament. Simonis felt is made in Belgium. Its combed worsted wool and high thread count assure long lasting wear. This felt is nap-free and will not pill or fluff. Simonis felt is available in both 760 and 860 versions. Simonis 760 is slightly faster than 860, and is best suited where 8-ball is the primary game played. Simonis 860 felt was developed especially for competition-level 9-ball billiards. It is slightly slower than the Simonis 760 blend. Simonis felt comes in 4 colors.

Comparable to Simonis is a felt made by Sterling. This quality pool table felt is worsted wool. Sterling is remarkably similar to Simonis 860. Featuring a high thread count and made from 90% wool and 10% nylon, it is guaranteed not to pill or fluff and is nap-free. It can give you consistent play over a longer period of time. Sterling felt comes in standard green.

For something really different, try an ArtScape pattern by Milliken. ArtScape pool table felt is a kaleidoscope of color and design. The eye-catching designs are the latest way to make a striking difference in your game room decor and make pool tables more exciting and fun. ArtScape layouts transform the playing surface of pool tables with vibrant, full-color patterns printed onto top-quality SpillGuard protected worsted wool felt. Pool tables become the center of attention and playing is more fun.

That’s generally all there is to it; measure your table, choose your felt and color, take your rails off, and get to it. You’ll be surprised how easy it is, and amazed at the difference it will make to your table and game room.



Clarence

getting older asked:


I’ve received a free pool table and I think I might replace the felt so it looks better. Can I use regular felt that I get at a fabric store, or do I need special ‘pool table’ felt?

Russell

Steve Porter asked:


OK so you’ve seen the hustler and the colour of money and you want to be a great pool player. To get the practice needed you will have to get a pool table for your home, so which one do you go for. Firstly decide what flavour of pool are you going to play, English or American and what size room do you have to put your pool table in. You’d better get these right before you part with your hard earned cash. But once you have the table in your new games room you can practice all those difficult shots without looking a complete idiot in front of your mates.

1/ There is American pool and English pool. The difference is in the size of the equipment. American pool is usually played on larger tables, up to 9 ft. You will see these in pool clubs like Riley’s. The balls used on these tables are 2 ¼ inches in diameter. American tables start in size from 7 ft up to 9 ft. English tables on the other hand are smaller at 6 or 7 feet and they use 2-inch diameter balls. They were developed for the pubs in the UK so they did not take up so much space. Most of the tables in the pubs are 6 ft with some 7 ft tables as well.

English pool is now very popular with its own association the EPA (English Pool Association) and they hold tournaments all over the UK. The tournament size of pool tables for EPA tournaments is 7 ft.

2/ Determine the room size you need for your pool table by adding 10 feet to each table dimension; a 6 foot table needs 16 feet by 13 feet allowing for cues as well as the table. A 7 ft table would need 17 ft by 13 ft 6 inches. The pool cues being 57 inches long.

Be aware the size of the tip on the pool cues are different for American and English pool. For American pool, the tip size for the pool cue is 12 or 13 mm and for English pool, the tip size is 8 to 9.5 mm the same as in snooker.

4/ The cheap pool tables like the folding pool tables and the fixed leg wooden tables are made from MDF which is basically fine wood dust compressed with a resin to produce very strong flat sheets, ideal for a pool table surface. The down side is being made of wood they are prone to warping after a while. They are available in sizes up to 7 ft and some of them are very good indeed and are certainly not cheap, like the black cat from BCE which has an 18 mm MDF table bed which is less prone to warping and the Phoenix from SCI that have steel rods inserted into the MDF to extend the life of the table and resist warping the best.

5/ If you can afford it, the best table to get is the slate bed version, either 6 or 7 ft English tables or the magnificent 8 and 9-foot American pool tables. These are more expensive with a starting price of around £600-£700 for the English tables and up to £4000 for the top of the range American tables. These definitely give the best game and will last longer than you.

6/ The pool balls come in different colours, 8 ball pool, which confusingly is played with 15 pool balls, can have 7 reds and 7 yellows and a black no 8 ball or the spots and stripes version has 7 striped balls and 7 solid coloured balls and a black no 8 ball. Just get the set, you like the look of.

7/ Make sure you have the correct sized rack for your pool balls. A rack for 2 ¼ balls is a different size to one for the 2-inch balls. Another type of game more commonly played on American pool tables is 9-ball pool, which this time is actually played with 9 balls numbered 1 - 9. You need a special diamond shaped rack for the nine balls. To rack 9-ball pool, the one ball goes on the spot and the 9-ball in the middle. All other balls are racked at random.

8/ Pool table cloth is usually nap free or “speed ball” cloth and you can get it in many different colours with red and blue being the most popular. There are even some cloths with logos on and naked ladies etc, but bear in mind you could probably do without the distraction, go for a solid colour and green is still the best to play on.

9/ Why not consider an outdoor pool table for your decking if you are short of room in your house. These come in wood and fibreglass. The wooden table is made of pressure treated wood the same as your decking and have a slate bed covered with water resistant cloth. The outdoor fibreglass pool tables have slate playing surface and waterproof cloth as well. These models are designed for outdoor use, and the wooden model comes with a full cover for the winter.

10/ When buying a pool table check on delivery costs. The slate bed variety of pool table is very heavy and is usually delivered by specialist companies, which means they are expensive. Expect a price of £120 + for delivery and maybe an extra £50 or more (much more for the multi slate American tables) to do an installation in your home.

I hope you can now make a more considered decision when buying your new pool table. Good luck and enjoy!



Ricardo

porsche w asked:


I push the pool table to the other side of the room to move so items past it. I was told that a screw was stripped because I moved it and now un balance. Someone please explain.

Martin

everneverwhere asked:


On a pool table that you have to put coins in to play, how does it know to send the Cue ball out whenever you scratch?

Gloria

Janie Smalls asked:


It was the Christmas of 1977, I was 9 years old, and my older brother got an air hockey table from Santa. We were just at the age when we were pretty sure that we knew the truth about Santa Claus and were determined to stay up and catch him in the act. We lived in a tri-level house, and my brother’s room was on the first floor, right by the entry way and the family room. He had bunk beds, so I slept downstairs in his room with plans not to sleep that night. We laid in our beds and chatted excitedly but quietly (Christmas Eve is not the time to get in trouble, just in case Santa was real!) Every now and then we would quietly open the door and sneak up the stairs to peak into the living room. But always it was the same, quiet and no change. It was going to be a long night.

I guess we must have fallen asleep, though I still don’t remember actually sleeping. It was around 4:30 in the morning when Matthew and I snuck out of the room. We crept upstairs, and sure enough, Santa had been there while we were sleeping! Santa always brought us one present each, and we easily located my gift and the gifts for our two little sisters, but nothing for Matthew. As we went back down to Matthew’s room, we spotted something in the Family Room. Yes, and air hockey table–we were so excited! 

My parents always had a rule on Christmas morning. We could get up early and play with our Santa gift, but we had to wait until 8:00 before we could wake them up. So here it was, about 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, and Matthew and I were playing air hockey and having a blast! But my mom’s memory of it isn’t as fun. It just so happened that our parent’s room was on the third floor, right above the family room (typical tri-story house layout), and of course, the heating vent ran right from the family room to their bedroom. So Mom and Dad had been up late and were trying to finally get some sleep, and all they can hear is a clickity-click-click-click! Needless to say, we were sent back to bed and had to wait to play until later.

But that air hockey table was the most popular and memorable Christmas gift of all time, one that I still remember more than any other. It provided hours of family fun. As kids we would hold tournaments, and the more neighbor kids involved, the better. Our home was always one where everyeone hung out anyhow, so the air hockey table was an added bonus. We probably didn’t play with official rules, but we had a lot of fun, making up our own rules and games as only a child can. But  unlike child’s toys, there was no age limit to those who enjoyed playing, and the game never got old because new opponents brought on new challenges.

For great family time, air hockey tables can’t be beat. I know that it brought us hours of fun when I was growing up, and brought us together as a family. Plus, we still enjoy the air hockey table with the telling of the story, and laugh at Matthew and I playing very early on Christmas morning and waking up our parents with a clickity-clack!

 



Alvin

Randi Foerde asked:


A billiards table is a table on which you play billiards or simply pool. Regulation billiard tables or Pool are exact rectangles and has the playing surface that measures at least ten by five feet. You may see other tables that are smaller or bigger, but the standard table is ten feet long and five feet wide. When you play pool you will play games like eight ball, nine ball, one pocket, and so on. The name will usually imply the rules of the game. Like with eight ball, you don’t want to sink the ball until all of your colors have been hit in a pocket. If you sink the eight ball before your ready, you automatically lose the game.

When it comes to the pockets of the table, you will notice that there are six pockets. You have four corner pockets and two side pockets (one on each side). You may find that pool tables aren’t prefect rectangles, but come in many shapes. They are not the standard table and are custom made.

You will also notice that the table as rails or cushions. It might be rubber, but the purpose is to rebound balls without losing the energy of the ball. The surface itself is covered in felt. Under the felt is usually slate. The top of the pool table is one solid piece of slate that can weigh hundreds of pounds. The slate is usually an import from Italy, Brazil, or China. If you have a cheap table the surface will be made of Slatron which is basically wood. If you don’t go for the slate, you will most likely find your table wearing out easily.

People play pool for money and a billiard table is well worth your time, money and energy. If you notice, many professionals will practice daily in their home. A good pool table needs to be level though, when you are training for a tournament, people practice for all different types of levels so that they can be prepared for anything. People who aren’t professionals play for money too. Pool is the most often game that is played for money next to cards. People will lay their money on the pool table and then they will rack and play to the end.

Experienced players will be able to even call the pocket in which they are aiming for. If you call and miss, you look like a fool. Many people do not call their hits so that they can avoid the potential embarrassment as well as not lose any money over it.

Pool is a game that everyone can play and uses glass balls and wooden sticks. The object of eight ball is to place all of your balls in the pockets without getting any of your opponent’s balls in or sinking the eight or black ball. Once you have all your balls in and all you got is the eight ball you must sink the ball without scratching, if you scratch you will lose the game.



Christina

Gerald Njuguna asked:


When a break is executed well on the pool table, it gives the player a better advantage over the other player. Also, when one is consistent in breaking well on the pool table, it results with the cue ball having a better striking position with the other balls. With this, the player gets a better choice of sending the other balls in the pockets with the next shot that he executes.

There are various ways which one can break in a billiard game. One needs to have good physics when striking the ball. Its believed that different pool tables might determine which break will turn out to be the best. Power and Speed are considered to be essential but don’t forget that control is needed to handle the power that you put behind that shot.

With much practice, a player will be able to determine how to best make the shots. There are other tricks that one can use to improve their break on the billiard table and ultimately improve their overall game.

Power Break

Power is considered to be crucial and important just as having full contact with the first ball. Most pros in the billiard profession agree that a good break moves at about twenty miles per hour. If you can break faster than 20 mph then the better. In the billiard game the fastest break is considered to be at thirty miles per hour. Your break should be powerful enough but without losing control.

Tips on Achieving a Power Break

Their are various methods you can use to execute a power break. The important thing to note here is that you want a proper transfer of your body weight to help your shoulders and arm strength in wielding the break.

One good technique you can apply is by rocking your body back and forth which assists in transferring the weight from your front leg to the back leg. You might notice players lifting their front legs before they strike. This helps them to transfer their weight to their back leg and then stomp that front leg down on contact to do the reverse.

Breaking better on the 8/9 ball game

One technique you can use on the 8 ball game is to shoot the cue ball between the first ball and the thrid ball at a slight angle almost parallel to the triangle’s adjacent side. This is executed from a distance far enough to give the pool player enough space to transfer most power.

On the diamond 9 ball rack, its common to hit the head 1 ball parallel to one of its adjacent side. As you practice more and more on your break, you will discover which stance and power suits you best in as yo play to drop in the wing ball.

The Break Cue

Some billiard players cannot play without the break cue. As you use the break cue, the tip of the cue will get altered and deformed and with time you will need to to replace the tip because it will affect your game. The weight of the cue also matters a lot.

Most professional players usually go for lighter break cues. This is because when the cue is lighter, its much easier for the billiard player to wield it with more power and speed.



Jeff

fountainb asked:


We’re thinking of selling a 9-ft pool table with ping pong top. It’s several years old but in relatively good shape - not a chintzy pool table. I don’t know how to price it for sale–don’t want to undercut ourselves but don’t want to price it too high as buyer will have to pay for it to be moved.

Vera