I'm opening my dream pool room

Tom In Cincy said:
Dougie,

Only a very few of us remember this great comic and singer.

Seriously? Jimmy Durante is a household name. I'm only 27 and I not only know who he is, but I've seen his work on TV and heard his singing on the radio. I guess I can't claim to "remember" him since he died a year before I was born, but he's certainly not forgotten.

-Andrew
 
mikepage said:
56 tables (7 9-ft Diamond Professional, 9 9-ft Gabriel Signature Pro, 33 7-foot diamond pro-ams, 7 7-ft Gabriels)
QUOTE]
My take on your choice of tables. First of all, the Gabriel 9ft Signature Pro's. The slates are unbacked, so the backing is timber strand mounted to the steel frame. The steel frame has leveling bolts, that are used to raise the level of the slates at the seams to adjust the slates to level. When these bolts are used, and they will be used trust me, the slates sit on top of the leveling bolts instead of the timber strand frame attached to the steel frame. Now, here's the problem with that design. When you have the slate all nice and level, if you'll notice there's a little gap between the bottom of the slate and the timber strand frame. Now, when you bolt on the rails, the first second you start bolting the rails down tight, the rails are going to pull down the slate to the timber strand frame, because the heads of the rail bolts are being held on the bottom of the timber strand frame with huge washers. All that leveling that was done before the rails were bolted on...is a waste, because once the rails are bolted down, the slates will be out of level again.

Here's what you have to do to level a Gabriel 9ft table.

1) Go ahead and install the slates the way Gabriel wants you to.
2) Once you have the slates leveled, do not finish off the seams yet.
3) Do not install the bed cloth yet.
4)From this point, install the rails, but only the top rails, do not attach the side skirts as of yet. Tighten down all 18 rail bolts.
5) Now that you have the rails mounted and tightened down, check the level of the slates, when you find that the slates dip toward the rails, what you have to do now is loosen each rail bolt where the slate needs to be raised, and pound in a shim between the slate and the timber strand so when you tighten up the rail bolt again, the slate don't change level. You're going to have to go around the table all the way doing this, until you have a level slate with the rails bolted down.
6) After the slate has been leveled with the rails bolted down, then take the rails off, seam the slates, install the bed cloth, don't check the level of the slates at this point because they're going to read out of level.
7) Once the slate is recovered, reinstall the rails again, tighten the rail bolts, and check the level of the slates again, adjust as needed, same as before.
8) If at this point, everything is a go, then install the drop pockets, but be very careful as to not pull out the pocket bolt inserts when tightening the pocket bolts, they're only 1/2" inserts threaded a 1/2" into the timber strand frame, repair to a pulled out insert is going to be a problem!
9)With me so far?...OK, now go a head and insert the pocket liners. Then install the rail side skirts.

Note: If the side skirts are installed before the rails have been leveled to the slates, you don't have the room to insert wedges to level the slates to counter the piss poor design of the Gabriel frame and leveling system, and if you don't level the Gabriel 9ft this way....it's NOT going to be level.

IF...you have any questions about this process, feel free to call me, I'll try to explain it over the phone.

Glen 702-927-5689
 
I don't know about the Gabriel 7ft's, I've never seen or worked on them before, but I DO know about their 9ft's!!!!!

Glen
 
Mike, you have the start to a nice room, I can see that by how much thought you've put into your adventure, I just don't quite understand a few of your reasons on the choice of pool tables you've described.

Though I think Diamond Professional tables are a great table, play great and all, I don't feel that they belong in a commercial environment. A few of the reasons why are as follows.
1) The Professionals use leather baskets in the pockets, repeated over and over attaching of these flaps tears up the leather. The backing on the slates don't hold up over time when they're constantly being recovered, and this problem is not limited to Diamond tables, it's ALL tables in this kind of use.

2)Backing used today by almost all table manufactures is either particle board or MDF, neither of which will hold up over time in commercial use.

3) Unless you find an outstanding mechanic in ND, 3 piece slates have a problem coming apart at the seams, I've seen enough work up in that area to know...you're going to have to keep looking for a mechanic;)

4) You didn't mention requesting Dymondwood on the rails of the Diamond Professional tables, but the 7ft ProAms come standard with these rails. Hope you're planing on requesting the Dymondwood rails on the Professionals, or know of someone that can refinish the rails on the 9fts about every 4-5 years or so, as natural wood finished rails will NOT hold up to the test of time in a commercial environment.

5) And I think last, but not least, a business plan going into business, should also include an exit plan, should things not go the way they were planed. An exit plan would include the resale of the equipment if it came down to it, and if that be the case, you're going to have a much harder time selling off Gabriel tables, when compared to the Diamonds.

Personally, I'd purchase all Diamond ProAms, considering the fact that most players up in your area would be more inclined to buy a Diamond before a Gabriel, and sell the tables out of the pool room, and replace them on a continued basis, that way the Diamond tables in your room are always being replaced;)

Glen
 
Games

You probably should have some of those games like the ones at Billiards... isn't there always somebody playing on the one there!.. and they don't take up that much space unlike a big annoying full size video game...
 
Kudos to you Mike on your dream hall. Awesome.

A nice feature to consider is a few small sinks to wash your hands.

One thing I noticed is a possible lack of seating near the league area. 20 tables x 2 teams of lets say 8+ shooters including significant others = 320+ customers.

Best of luck with your venture.
 
I guess you're a little behind Mike! :p I know the weather and the flooding has not kind to Fargo, but I'm hoping you'll open up soon! How about a progress report and an estimated opening date? :p Do you have a menu yet?

It was great to finally meet you in person a few months ago down here at The Billiard Den in Richardson. I'm going to try to make it up there for your opening!
 
I wish you all the best with the new room. Great to hear the low volume part of the music. Its always been kind of a nuisence at our local establishment. Good luck!!!
 
Mike, I know you wanted to have the new room up & running by the 4th. How is it coming along? I can't wait to take a trip up to Fargo & check it out!

Dean:D
 
Mike, I know you wanted to have the new room up & running by the 4th. How is it coming along? I can't wait to take a trip up to Fargo & check it out!

Dean:D
I really want to go there and check it out. I think it's awesome that someone is getting to do what he loves. Let us know when the grand opening is going to be I would like to be there. Best of Luck.
 
Hey Mike,

Congrats on your new pool room, and thanks for letting my new table hitch a ride with the rest of the Diamonds that went your way!
 
New room

Congratulations on a well thought out game plan.i would try to take some of the advice given on this thread.
It is called Fargo billiards,so you should have at least 1 billiard table.
I would also reconsider so many 7 footers.
i live near Boca raton Fl.and there is a place called Gatsbys here with the bar up front private rooms in back and about 30 9 ft. tables.
They also serve food.large screen T.V.s for Espn and PPV fights
They have been packe since they opened quite a few years ago.

Good luck with your new venture.
If it takes off like you suspect Pm me and maybe we can do a joint venture down here,
Bob
 
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Hey Mike,

Looks like you're getting ready to dig in and start living the dream. I wish you luck, I don't think people from other parts understand the barbox dominence in the upper midwest. From what I've noticed about the business over the years is that you have to be flexible and kind of go with the flow as far as what is in style at the time. 3 cushion, snooker, big table 9 ball, 10 ball, 14.1, one pocket, bank pool, etc. Maybe starting an annual pro-am would be something to consider?

Take care

Joe Trombetta:smile:
 
I stopped in and took a tour of the place with Mike the other day, and it looks great! Mike's dream is almost completed. I wish him all the best!!
 
Hey Mike,

Looks like you're getting ready to dig in and start living the dream. I wish you luck, I don't think people from other parts understand the barbox dominence in the upper midwest. From what I've noticed about the business over the years is that you have to be flexible and kind of go with the flow as far as what is in style at the time. 3 cushion, snooker, big table 9 ball, 10 ball, 14.1, one pocket, bank pool, etc. Maybe starting an annual pro-am would be something to consider?

Take care

Joe Trombetta:smile:

Thank you kindly Joe.

You'll have to come up and check it out.

Do you remember the last time we played? I'll give you a hint. It was a scotch doubles tournament.
 
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