Mark Gregory Rails, RKC Set Up. Awesome!

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Sometimes in life you make the perfect decisions and this was one of those times. I bought an old Brunswick Anniversary a couple of years ago and it came with the big pocket openings and the formica rails. I commissioned Mark Gregory to make new rails out of walnut with 4.5" corner pockets. We moved into our new house 6 months ago and excited to have my table set up, I called on a local mechanic that does 7' bar tables. I just assumed he would be the best around but was I ever wrong.
I was ignorant and didn't know what to look for. After a million staples and incorrect stretching of the Simonis 8650HR, I finally had a table to play on. Because he knew nothing about how to stretch the cloth, the table played super short and slow (NOW I know this). A few months ago I posted about this condition and in my ignorance mentioned my woes in an AZB post. Everybody jumped on that maybe the cause was the Mark Gregory's rails and I didn't know enough at the time to refute that but I do now.
RKC set up the table by bringing a trade out Anniversary frame and trade out Italian slate and both had his phenomenal 42 point leveling system . By agreeing to swap out the frames and slates, we saved days of his time by allowing him to use his tools and jigs at home in his shop rather than do it in my driveway in his truck. Anyway, he put on new Simonis 860 HR in blue tournament and the table in now super fast (just right for 8,9,10 ball) and the rails are perfect in every respect. I can NOT give a HIGHER recommendation for these two guys! They are both one of a kind and the premier craftsmen in their fields. If you are considering new rails for your table, just get the best while you are at it and call Mark. If you are luckily enough to get RKC to set up your table, you have the best of all worlds and possibly the best playing table for many a mile. Be careful letting the local yokel table mechanic anywhere near your baby! I had to learn the hard way, now you don't have to.
 
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Sometimes in life you make the perfect decisions and this was one of those times. I bought an old Brunswick Anniversary a couple of years ago and it came with the big pocket openings and the formica rails. I commissioned Mark Gregory to make new rails out of walnut with 4.5" corner pockets. We moved into our new house 6 months ago and excited to have my table set up, I called on a local mechanic that does 7' bar tables. I just assumed he would be the best around but was I ever wrong.
I was ignorant and didn't know what to look for. After a million staples and incorrect stretching of the Simonis 8650HR, I finally had a table to play on. Because he knew nothing about how to stretch the cloth, the table played super short and slow (NOW I know this). A few months ago I posted about this condition and in my ignorance mentioned my woes in an AZB post. Everybody jumped on that maybe the cause was the Mark Gregory's rails and I didn't know enough at the time to refute that but I do now.
RKC set up the table by bringing a trade out Anniversary frame and trade out Italian slate and both had his phenomenal 42 point leveling system . By agreeing to swap out the frames and slates, we saved days of his time by allowing him to use his tools and jigs at home in his shop rather than do it in my driveway in his truck. Anyway, he put on new Simonis 860 HR in blue tournament and the table in now super fast (just right for 8,9,10 ball) and the rails are perfect in every respect. I can NOT give a HIGHER recommendation for these two guys! They are both one of a kind and the premier craftsmen in their fields. If you are considering new rails for your table, just get the best while you are at it and call Mark. If you are luckily enough to get RKC to set up your table, you have the best of all worlds and possibly the best playing table for many a mile. Be careful letting the local yokel table mechanic anywhere near your baby! I had to learn the hard way, now you don't have to.

Thank you for the kind words on my work....but this thread belongs in the main forum as that's where the whole rail thing started.
But I'm glad you posted somewhere and people don't think I made you a bad set of rails.
I don't know anyone that could have a better playing table than you now have.....my rails and RKC table set up.

You hit the lottery.....not really....it cost you enough to have a great playing table.
Hope you enjoy playing on it now for yrs to come.

Mark Gregory
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thank you for the kind words on my work....but this thread belongs in the main forum as that's where the whole rail thing started.
But I'm glad you posted somewhere and people don't think I made you a bad set of rails.
I don't know anyone that could have a better playing table than you now have.....my rails and RKC table set up.

You hit the lottery.....not really....it cost you enough to have a great playing table.
Hope you enjoy playing on it now for yrs to come.

Mark Gregory

Hey Mark,
One slight correction; I posted under this particular column asking "why tables play differently" and I along with others were speculating without really knowing the cause. All I knew is that the table was playing short and slow. I was leaning toward bad stretching of the table bed cloth and rail cloth but was too ignorant to know for sure until Glen showed up. He showed me how he could bunch up wrinkles from side to side proving the "mechanic" (not sure he deserves that title) stretched it from end to end first. And he said that is producing all the troubles. I never believed it was your rails as I knew you produce the best product available. Others, however, were quick to jump on that possibly, seemingly hoping and praying the troubles might be traced back to your rails. I gave the vultures that opening and I'm sorry for that. Such is the nature of AZ Billiards.
Now we know.


s.
 
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