Solly's Baby: Day 1

Solartje

Solartje

the Brunswick BUG bit me
Silver Member
Hiya al,

SO, the big day has arived! I went to get my pooltable in holland yesterday. A old diamond (they are VERY hard to find in europe. especially a used one) that i got from a top female player, who didnt want to sell the table to just a rich guy who wants to brag. So we got in touch, we talked alot, and she was really happy to see the table go to someone as pasioned as they are. someone who will take good care of it. She gave me a VERY good price. 1600 instead of the usual 2.5k+ they sell for.

Rented a minivan, got the pooltable, drove back home, put all the woodparts in the woodworking place of a artist, and putted the slates on the 1st floor in my apartment. (we where 2, and im VERY skiny, but we managed to get it upstairs. 250lbs is HEAVY when u weight 110lbs for 6ft high... :rolleyes: but im stronger then most suspected.

ok so, i slept like a rose that night , dreaming, and today i got started.

I first started to remove the cloth from the rails. I was happy to find championship cussions in excellent state underneath of it. The removal was pritty easy and fast. Peace of cake.

az1.jpg


I prepared the rail ready for sanding, taped of the logo, fixed it on the bench and ready to rumble.

az2.jpg


then 3 hours later (YES its a damn hard work) this is the result. Now i had to use very fine sanding paper. 100 roughness. if i used heavyer sanding paper, i would make groves (?) in the wood. it would sand quicker but its just distructive. i want a baby-butt smooth surface. And after i started i discovered an AMAZINGLY nice figured oak, that looks SO much nicer then the original peace...

Ill probably ebonyse (so it becomes like cocobolo, black but not platic black. Just enough black to still see the figures of the wood) the feets and the blinds, and just use transparant vernish on the toprails.

az3.jpg


ps notice how the ivory inlayed diamonds where yellowish colorised by the light. after the sanding, its back to the nicest white there is. :) now u can really SEE the diamonds.

I think it will probably take me 1 month at least to sand all the parts. (has to be by hand and very slowly), but its worth every penny. AND at the end ill be like Popey with HUGE armmuscles en pectorals.

greats, from the happyest man on earth!!! :D
 
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hi purdy,

u will dont worry. Ill be posting pictures of all the important changes, and ofcourse ill be glad to show you pictures of the finished product. At least no one will be able to say i didnt earn the table :) im working my ass off, but its ALL worth it.
 
Solartje,
Very nice; congratulations. Nothing will help your game more than having your own table (assuming you have the dedication to practice properly). We can't wait to come over and play - hurry up.
 
Williebetmore said:
We can't wait to come over and play - hurry up.
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Speak for yourself Willie. Considering that I will not walk for three weeks to get to your basement for a lesson, there is no way I'm gonna swim for two months to get a lesson from Solartje, ... but I'm positive the table will get lots of use even without my smiling face to encourage play. Have fun Sol, have a table in your home is one of lifes great pleasures imho.

Dave
 
DaveK said:
Speak for yourself Willie. Considering that I will not walk for three weeks to get to your basement for a lesson, there is no way I'm gonna swim for two months to get a lesson from Solartje, ... but I'm positive the table will get lots of use even without my smiling face to encourage play. Have fun Sol, have a table in your home is one of lifes great pleasures imho.

Dave
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Stop being such a puss, DaveK! The guy could use a bit of support, now that he's got his own table. Start swimming.;)
 
thats the only down part !!

i cant wait to play on it :D

ok day2: finished the 2 short blinds and the 2upperrails. its starting to go alot quicker, once uve got the right technique and right sanding paper.

a 120 to start with the finish, once the finish is almost off, i use a 100 untill the oak is fully exposed. then damp the wood with a wet piece of cloth to raise the wood...thingy :D, and then resand with a 80. Its smooth as i wanted, and its SO nice.

btw oak is a DAMN HARD wood !!!!
 
Hey Solly did you get the new diamond rubber and simones ordered from Brian at Diamond ? here is the number 812-288-7665 I wish you were over here playing the ghost on my Diamond now so I could come play on the oak monster someday, and finish sand all the top rails with 500 grit for a really slick surface. If you need help send plane tickets.--Leonard
 
Solly ....

Real happy you got your table. I know you will do everything to make it perfect. Just tell yourself you only have to do this once (that's how I get through big jobs) .... LOL

Are you still planning on the Blue Simonis for the table?
 
this is after day 2. i made big progress. 4parts are done. (the2 small upperrails and the 2 blinds). im hoping to finish the 2 large toprails today.

az4.jpg


and the nicely renewed long rail :D

az5.jpg


i have NO idea yet no the colour combo's.
the only thing thats fixed, is that the side's and legs will be ebonised using a dye with a iron and vinegar solution, that was a old method used in the old times to make oak look like cocobolo. ive seen some examples and it looks amazing.
A cocobolo diamond is my dream ! :D

here is a picture of ebonised oak used

ft2.jpg


but, after sanding this very nice light coloured wood came out.. so i might want to keep just the upperrails in there original colour and the rest ebonised. i did a test on a small part to check what the colour would be with the clear vernish (from boats) and it looks alot darker. :s To bad i cant make the oak look as clear as maple. another idea is to make it scherry-black so the colours look like a gabriels. but id love to keep the lightness of the sanded oak. the colour with vernis wont be a nice combo with black blinds and blue cloth i think...

po0040.png


for the cloth 3 choices: electric blue, power blue, or grey. i cant fint the right combo yet.

so basically. im just sandig, but i havent descided yet on the colours.
Im open to sugestions ofcourse. :D

PS ive got a deal for artemis internation No66 K55 profile cussions for 165€ (only price quote i could find), but the cussions on the table seem to be in perfect state. i dont think i will be changing them. The cussions and facings seem to be well placed (need to check the ° of the openings, but they seem to be well done.) Ill probably keep the original cussions, and place a simonis on it. (prices of somonis seem to be pritty the same everywhere. 60€/meter)

PS2 Scott!!! our team won on sunday the state team championship !!!!! (the 11y old played amazingly !!). now if we win vs the winner of the 3 other states, we got our ticket to the european championship !!!!

:D :D

if ive got to give myself a poolhappyness score: 2050326132132 out of 10 :D
 
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