Question regarding replacing rubber on table

A

Army_Gold

Howie Feltersnatch
I have a beautiful 3 1/2 X 7, claw foot oak pool table, with wine colored simonis felt and a 3 piece 1 inch slate, purchased new in 2003. I'm sure it's an import but have no idea of the brand. It rolls fine but the rubber in the cushions has dryed out and gotten very hard in about 90% of the cushion area. It's pretty crazy. The ball still rebounds, though piss poorly and it sounds like the cushions are made out of soft wood.

I've looked around on the internet and found several different companies selling the cushions for various prices. Problem is I don't know which ones are best. Can anyone steer me in the right direction on a good brand of cushions for this type of table, or a good internet retailer to purchase them from. I can do the felt job I just don't feel like buying the needed tools or messing with the glue to actually install the cushions. I'll get a table mechanic to do that part. I just want some opinions so I can purchase the cushions myself and save some of the mark up a mechanic would charge.
 
rails..

Army_Gold said:
I have a beautiful 3 1/2 X 7, claw foot oak pool table, with wine colored simonis felt and a 3 piece 1 inch slate, purchased new in 2003. I'm sure it's an import but have no idea of the brand. It rolls fine but the rubber in the cushions has dryed out and gotten very hard in about 90% of the cushion area. It's pretty crazy. The ball still rebounds, though piss poorly and it sounds like the cushions are made out of soft wood.

I've looked around on the internet and found several different companies selling the cushions for various prices. Problem is I don't know which ones are best. Can anyone steer me in the right direction on a good brand of cushions for this type of table, or a good internet retailer to purchase them from. I can do the felt job I just don't feel like buying the needed tools or messing with the glue to actually install the cushions. I'll get a table mechanic to do that part. I just want some opinions so I can purchase the cushions myself and save some of the mark up a mechanic would charge.
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save ur self some from running around trying to get cushions...the mechanic will just charge u more for the job if he is not making money on the sale....
it would be like taking your own brake pads to the shop to have em changed,
mechanics have accounts at wholesalers, and mark up the materials to m.s.r.p that we sell you....Ur not gonna save much if any.... wholesalers require a business account to purchase......
-you might be able to do all the work yourself..do u own a table saw?

+ask member> realkingcobra how u can buy his great new DVD on how to install cushions.

Rob.M

P.s call around for a price estimate on price and labor of cushions..
 
Army_Gold said:
I have a beautiful 3 1/2 X 7, claw foot oak pool table, with wine colored simonis felt and a 3 piece 1 inch slate, purchased new in 2003. I'm sure it's an import but have no idea of the brand. It rolls fine but the rubber in the cushions has dryed out and gotten very hard in about 90% of the cushion area. It's pretty crazy. The ball still rebounds, though piss poorly and it sounds like the cushions are made out of soft wood.

I've looked around on the internet and found several different companies selling the cushions for various prices. Problem is I don't know which ones are best. Can anyone steer me in the right direction on a good brand of cushions for this type of table, or a good internet retailer to purchase them from. I can do the felt job I just don't feel like buying the needed tools or messing with the glue to actually install the cushions. I'll get a table mechanic to do that part. I just want some opinions so I can purchase the cushions myself and save some of the mark up a mechanic would charge.
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What is "best" on any forum is a matter of opinion however most consider Artemis as top of the line.
Your table more then likely takes K66 cushions but you'll need to confirm that.
This should help - http://www.poolfelt.com/cushrepl2.html

Changing cushions is rather straightforward. An experienced mechanic should have it
done in around 2-3 hours.
 
Last edited:
Thank You

Thanks for the quick reply gentlemen. I didn't think about the wholesale to a mechanic issue. Makes perfect sense. I think I'll opt for just having the mechnic do all the work.
 
Army_Gold said:
Thanks for the quick reply gentlemen. I didn't think about the wholesale to a mechanic issue. Makes perfect sense. I think I'll opt for just having the mechnic do all the work.
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make sure he not buying the cushions from Imperial International, there cushions are the worst.
 
Dartman said:
What is "best" on any forum is a matter of opinion however most consider Artemis as top of the line.
Your table more then likely takes K66 cushions but you'll need to confirm that.
This should help - http://www.poolfelt.com/cushrepl2.html

Changing cushions is rather straightforward. An experienced mechanic should have it
done in around 2 hours for between $120-$150. Tack on roughly $75 for rail covering.
Click to expand...

wow Rick, I take over twice as long and charge nearly double.
 
sdbilliards said:
wow Rick, I take over twice as long and charge nearly double.
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What are you doing that it would take 4+ hrs to remove 6 cushions, scrape and sand 6 subrails and remount
6 new cushions, cut the angles, glue, tack and trim the facings?
Assume no cloth on the rails or staples to pull.
 
Dartman said:
What are you doing that it would take 4+ hrs to remove 6 cushions, scrape and sand 6 subrails and remount
6 new cushions, cut the angles, glue, tack and trim the facings?
Assume no cloth on the rails or staples to pull.
Click to expand...

2 x coats of adhesive remover
scrap the subrail
hand sanding subrail
Prep cushions
apply glue
wait for glue to dry
apply cushions
put pressure on cushion
mark my angle
cut angles
belt sand angles
prep facing
apply glue
wait for glue to dry
apply facing
staple facing
cut facing
sand facing

and of course, on the job that I would rush there would be white glue or when removing the cushion wood from the subrail comes off. there no way I can do all that in 2 hours, I spend 60 minutes total waiting for glue to be ready to use.
 
Dartman said:
Are you doing each rail individually? You would shave time by gluing up all
6 cushions and subrails at the same time, wait 10 minutes and apply.
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no, I wait 30 minutes for the glue to dry for the cushions and then 30 minutes again when doing the facing.
 
sdbilliards said:
no, I wait 30 minutes for the glue to dry for the cushions and then 30 minutes again when doing the facing.
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3M10 is ready when dry to the touch - ususally within 8-10 minutes. I'm sure you know that.
Nothing wrong with waiting 30 minutes as that is your choice. All I'm saying is the job can be
done in around 2hrs (spelled 2-2.5hrs).
 
Work on rails

sdbilliards said:
wow Rick, I take over twice as long and charge nearly double.
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I really do not think anybody should be posting prices that does not do the work every day. No offense, Rick but a PM would have been more proper. I charge higher to do this. Also if you are having the table recovered then you need to make an adjustment in the rail recovering, because that would be included in the recover price.
Ron
 
LCCS said:
I really do not think anybody should be posting prices that does not do the work every day. No offense, Rick but a PM would have been more proper. I charge higher to do this. Also if you are having the table recovered then you need to make an adjustment in the rail recovering, because that would be included in the recover price.
Ron
Click to expand...

All were talking is straight up cushion replacement labor (per the OP).
Someone hands you the rails and new cushions, you do the work and hand them back.
Pricing at $60-$75 per hr is surely in the ballpark for a labor charge. Some charge more, some less but
just depends on where you are and who you get to do the work.

If you're referring to me as not doing the work every day then you are correct as I do very few tables these days since closing the business in TN several years ago. I have done my share of installs, recovers, recushions, moves, etc between '95 and now so I think that is sufficient qualification to make a general statement about recushioning rails and suggesting a ballpark price for that job. Regardless tho, I have no problem editing the post in question.

Rick
 
re: cushion replacement time

Depending on how you do the cushions, you can technically do them in less than 2 hours if you do a lot of cushions. I take longer because I won't use a table saw when working in my shop nor a door planer. The picture below is from yesterday where I rerailed 2 sets of Brunswick 9ft tops with Diamond black cushions in the time it took for the other mechanics to recover the slate. Of course there was plenty of bs'n, though we were done in 6 hrs anyway. What do you think of the chop box? can do 143deg each way since I machine the base of the dewalt.

This week I did a total of 7 rerail jobs... mostly for other mechanics
1022091257.jpg
 
Rails.

TableTek said:
Depending on how you do the cushions, you can technically do them in less than 2 hours if you do a lot of cushions. I take longer because I won't use a table saw when working in my shop nor a door planer. The picture below is from yesterday where I rerailed 2 sets of Brunswick 9ft tops with Diamond black cushions in the time it took for the other mechanics to recover the slate. Of course there was plenty of bs'n, though we were done in 6 hrs anyway. What do you think of the chop box? can do 143deg each way since I machine the base of the dewalt.

This week I did a total of 7 rerail jobs... mostly for other mechanics
View attachment 113337
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Looks like a lot of set up. I grab my 5" razor blade and dremel. Two hours is about correct. The problem is when you do a lot of different tables. That is time and setting up the saw. Everybody has there own way. I like the razor.
Thanks, Ron
 
I agree. A straight edge, pen, sharp knife and belt sander. I could ride my bike(shwinn) to the job and get it done faster than it would take to set all that up
 
i believe some of the best rubber out there now is artemis, but im sure there are other brands that may be comparable.
 
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