Table Setup

Otter Boy, if you wan't to see examples of Randy's work close to you, you can go to Club Underground, the largest Diamond table room on the west side, or he just did the tables at Big Al's in Progress Ridge today.

Why not just post up some pictures of his work, then we can all see.
 
Are bar table's setup the same as home table's? I thought most bar billiards table's were one piece slate, if so would that not make it easier to setup. I would not be able to get in Club Underground as I'm only 18.
 
When Diamond bar tables are installed, they already have the cloth installed. And believe me or not, no one in OR knows how to correctly work on a Diamond table, I'd bet $500 on that, so to those reading this....any takers?
 
Are bar table's setup the same as home table's? I thought most bar billiards table's were one piece slate, if so would that not make it easier to setup. I would not be able to get in Club Underground as I'm only 18.

OK understood. Why don't you go down to Big Al's and play for an hour or so. Randy just recovered those tables literally yesterday. (Please keep in mind that brand new Simonis plays funny- the balls will slide more than normal). Then come in to my shop, and bring your receipt and I will reimburse you for your table time. Then I can show you the cloth we have in stock and go from there.

-Mike
 
So, from the replies in this thread it looks like you got 3 choices that are mechanics that are recommended by other's. Doesn't seem like much for a metropolitan area of Portland Oregon. I tried by looking on my Angie's List and none were listed on there. Would the higher class billiards bar's be somewhere he could ask who they recommend, since they usually have several tables that have to be setup from time to time.

I could not find anyone to do quality work around the Milwaukee Metro area. I called some pool halls to find out who was covering their tables and also looked at some of the bigger "pool bars", when you see the "quality" of work or should I say lack there of on these tables it kinda makes you vomit in your mouth a little if you know what I mean. There will be nobody who touches my table until I see the quality of their work first. When a so called table mechanic does not even know what a machinists level is they have no business even recovering a table, much less doing a complete set up.
 
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And there lays the problem, most pool rooms and bars won't hire the best because they don't want to pay a premium to have their pool tables worked on first class, instead they're always looking for the most part, the cheapest they can find, which is why you hardly ever see the kind of work Mark and I do in locations like them;) don't worry though, a master mechanic has no problem letting ANYONE view their work, even if only to prove their work is done right, the first time, and every time!
 
And there lays the problem, most pool rooms and bars won't hire the best because they don't want to pay a premium to have their pool tables worked on first class, instead they're always looking for the most part, the cheapest they can find, which is why you hardly ever see the kind of work Mark and I do in locations like them;) don't worry though, a master mechanic has no problem letting ANYONE view their work, even if only to prove their work is done right, the first time, and every time!

To be fair, a good deal of these businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water and cannot afford "first class". Sad but true.
 
To be fair, a good deal of these businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water and cannot afford "first class". Sad but true.

Which is why I see so many older pool rooms losing their buts to newer opening rooms, with much better equipment to offer their new customers, whom we all playing pool somewhere else before the new room opened, and still charging the same customers to play on worn out equipment. When newer rooms open, the never build a new pool playing base of customers, they take them from everyone else in the same line of business;)
 
Which is why I see so many older pool rooms losing their buts to newer opening rooms, with much better equipment to offer their new customers, whom we all playing pool somewhere else before the new room opened, and still charging the same customers to play on worn out equipment. When newer rooms open, the never build a new pool playing base of customers, they take them from everyone else in the same line of business;)

Sadly, some have no competition.
So, they stick with the low-price mechanic and cheaper cloth.
Heck, now you have to ask for quality cue balls.
 
Which is why I see so many older pool rooms losing their buts to newer opening rooms, with much better equipment to offer their new customers, whom we all playing pool somewhere else before the new room opened, and still charging the same customers to play on worn out equipment. When newer rooms open, the never build a new pool playing base of customers, they take them from everyone else in the same line of business;)

'Round these parts we lose em faster than we gain em
 
Glen- Just SHUT UP!!!

Glen,

This thread started, innocently enough, as a request from an 18 year old kid in Beaverton who was looking for a recommendation for who to use to set up his newly acquired Vitale pool table. Some general advice was offered by forum members, then, predictably, Randy Smith was recommended by multiple members, who reside in the Beaverton area, as the table mechanic in town who does the best work and would be the best choice to do the job. Then you decided to chime in with this little gem:

"He sure is, if you want your rails spray glued instead of stapled. I can't name one credible table mechanic in Oregon, unless they're just passing through. Why do you think so many of the diamond tables in Oregon are recovered by Gordon Graham out of Washington St.?"

FALSE! In reviewing the thread, I did realize that the obvious was never stated so I am stating it here and now: Randy has NEVER, and WILL NEVER spray glue rails (other than Valley bar rails) instead of staple. I don't know where you are getting this information from , but it is absolutely 100% FALSE. PERIOD.

Then, as myself and other forum members jumped to Randy's defense of this outrageous, venomous, and false accusation, you decided to turn this thread into yet another self-proclamation rant about your own expertise and superiority as a table mechanic, technician, installer, whatever word you care to use. Throughout the thread you repeatedly make false and damaging statements about Randy- someone whom I know you have met on one occasion, but clearly do not know anything about. Below are a few examples:

"As far as all those names, Dan Louie, Harry Plattis, Mike Zimmerman, Hobbs....I've played against most all of them, and Randy don't do the work on any of their pool tables."

FALSE! Randy has in fact worked on Dan Louie's personal table.

"What big action room are you referring to, Malarkey s in Tacoma, or the Golden Fleece in Seattle, because those are the main action rooms, and he don't do any of the work on them."

FALSE! Randy has, in fact, recovered the tables at The Golden Fleece. In addition, as evidenced by a Facebook post about, and involving Scott Frost, and the aforementioned players, The Paradise is now the big action room in the Seattle area; and again, as per the Facebook post, Randy's work there is nothing but lauded and raved about.

"And believe me or not, no one in OR knows how to correctly work on a Diamond table, I'd bet $500 on that, so to those reading this....any takers?"

FALSE! Randy has recovered MANY Diamond tables in the area, including the 5 at Club Underground on multiple occasions. I am unwilling to take your bet, because I am certain that no matter how much evidence and testimony is provided, you will dream up some sort of way that those tables were not worked on properly....perhaps the wrong sized staples would have been used, or maybe the work was done on a Tuesday, and it's not right to recover a Diamond on a Tuesday, or maybe the spot was not installed while Randy was hopping on one foot.....God only knows, but you would find some way of snaking your way out of it, living up to your self-applied moniker. I will however like to leave you, and all the entertained readers of this thread out there with this quote from Brian Miller, the Director of Sales for Diamond Billiards: "You guys have the ability to properly deliver and install ANY diamond table out there". In case you are wondering, I was discussing with Brian our impending status as the Diamond dealer for the Portland area. Now, I have not doubt that Glen will now respond with an elegantly phrased rebuttal, wherein he will proclaim that Brian Miller, Director of Sales for Diamond, <<dont got no clue bout how to work on no Diamond.>>. Fire away Glen, I can't wait to read it!

Lastly, Glen, as to your repeated requests for us to "post up" pictures of Randy's work, I have 3 comments:

1) Randy is not a pompous, narcissistic troglodyte whose main goal in life is to document and display his own prowess as a pool table mechanic. He simply shows up on time, does the work, and goes home. No photographs are needed….the job well done and happy customer are his reward. As such, I apologize that neither myself, nor Randy have stacks of photographs of covered rails and balls sitting in closed-up pockets to show how tight there are lying around that we can "post up".

2) Do you honestly think that a picture of a table is a better way to judge how well the work was done than the testimony of the people who play on them? WORLD CLASS PLAYERS? Really? What on earth can you tell about how a table plays from a PICTURE!!!

3) Neither Randy, nor myself, for whom Randy does a TON of work care what your opinion is in this matter, as you have clearly shown that your opinion is entirely based upon misinformation, conjecture, spite, insecurity, and bravado, and not any knowledge of the subject at hand.....who in Beaverton is the best mechanic to assemble this Vitale table. As such, no pictorial response will be forthcoming to your repeated asinine request.

Glen, my wife once gave me some great advice and I'm going to pass it along to you. "When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is STOP DIGGING."
Glen- put down your shovel, mind your own business, and see if you can show up to your next job on time.

-Mike
 
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Glen,

This thread started, innocently enough, as a request from an 18 year old kid in Beaverton who was looking for a recommendation for who to use to set up his newly acquired Vitale pool table. Some general advice was offered by forum members, then, predictably, Randy Smith was recommended by multiple members, who reside in the Beaverton area, as the table mechanic in town who does the best work and would be the best choice to do the job. Then you decided to chime in with this little gem:

"He sure is, if you want your rails spray glued instead of stapled. I can't name one credible table mechanic in Oregon, unless they're just passing through. Why do you think so many of the diamond tables in Oregon are recovered by Gordon Graham out of Washington St.?"

FALSE! In reviewing the thread, I did realize that the obvious was never stated so I am stating it here and now: Randy has NEVER, and WILL NEVER spray glue rails (other than Valley bar rails) instead of staple. I don't know where you are getting this information from , but it is absolutely 100% FALSE. PERIOD.

Then, as myself and other forum members jumped to Randy's defense of this outrageous, venomous, and false accusation, you decided to turn this thread into yet another self-proclamation rant about your own expertise and superiority as a table mechanic, technician, installer, whatever word you care to use. Throughout the thread you repeatedly make false and damaging statements about Randy- someone whom I know you have met on one occasion, but clearly do not know anything about. Below are a few examples:

"As far as all those names, Dan Louie, Harry Plattis, Mike Zimmerman, Hobbs....I've played against most all of them, and Randy don't do the work on any of their pool tables."

FALSE! Randy has in fact worked on Dan Louie's personal table.

"What big action room are you referring to, Malarkey s in Tacoma, or the Golden Fleece in Seattle, because those are the main action rooms, and he don't do any of the work on them."

FALSE! Randy has, in fact, recovered the tables at The Golden Fleece. In addition, as evidenced by a Facebook post about, and involving Scott Frost, and the aforementioned players, The Paradise is now the big action room in the Seattle area; and again, as per the Facebook post, Randy's work there is nothing but lauded and raved about.

"And believe me or not, no one in OR knows how to correctly work on a Diamond table, I'd bet $500 on that, so to those reading this....any takers?"

FALSE! Randy has recovered MANY Diamond tables in the area, including the 5 at Club Underground on multiple occasions. I am unwilling to take your bet, because I am certain that no matter how much evidence and testimony is provided, you will dream up some sort of way that those tables were not worked on properly....perhaps the wrong sized staples would have been used, or maybe the work was done on a Tuesday, and it's not right to recover a Diamond on a Tuesday, or maybe the spot was not installed while Randy was hopping on one foot.....God only knows, but you would find some way of snaking your way out of it, living up to your self-applied moniker. I will however like to leave you, and all the entertained readers of this thread out there with this quote from Brian Miller, the Director of Sales for Diamond Billiards: "You guys have the ability to properly deliver and install ANY diamond table out there". In case you are wondering, I was discussing with Brian our impending status as the Diamond dealer for the Portland area. Now, I have not doubt that Glen will now respond with an elegantly phrased rebuttal, wherein he will proclaim that Brian Miller, Director of Sales for Diamond, <<dont got no clue bout how to work on no Diamond.>>. Fire away Glen, I can't wait to read it!

Lastly, Glen, as to your repeated requests for us to "post up" pictures of Randy's work, I have 3 comments:

1) Randy is not a pompous, narcissistic simpleton who's main goal in life is to document and display his own prowess as a pool table mechanic. He simply shows up on time, does the work, and goes home. No photographs are needed….the job well done and happy customer are his reward. As such, I apologize that neither myself, nor Randy have stacks of photographs of covered rails and balls sitting in closed-up pockets to show how tight there are lying around that we can "post up".

2) Do you honestly think that a picture of a table is a better way to judge how well the work was done than the testimony of the people who play on them? WORLD CLASS PLAYERS? Really? What on earth can you tell about how a table plays from a PICTURE!!!

3) Neither Randy, nor myself, for whom Randy does a TON of work care what your opinion is in this matter, as you have clearly shown that your opinion is entirely based upon misinformation, conjecture, spite, insecurity, and bravado, and not any knowledge of the subject at hand.....who in Beaverton is the best mechanic to assemble this Vitale table. As such, no pictorial response will be forthcoming to your repeated asinine request.

Glen, my wife once gave me some great advice and I'm going to pass it along to you. "When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is STOP DIGGING."
Glen- put down your shovel, mind your own business, and see if you can show up to your next job on time.

-Mike

Well Mike, all I got from this dribble of yours is that there won't be any pictures posted, and I'll gladly take your bet....any day of the week, I'm not to far from Portland, and will be passing thought there soon enough. I will also bet Randy installs the cloth on the Diamonds using spray glue, which is NOT how I designed them to be recovered, want to bet some more?
 
Don't worry though, I'll take the time to teach Randy how to recover the Diamonds correctly, with your money for pay, no problem!
 
As it turns out I just happened to snap a couple pics during a recent install of an Olhausen table. For your enjoyment. And like I said, not interested in the bet because there is no version of this universe in which you would own up to being wrong.
 

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In case you didn't know it already, freshly installed cloth don't show much of anything at first, that's why the older the job, the more it really shows the skill level of the work done;)
 
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