Scale Billiards Tables
- Thread starter jviss
- Start date
Glen, while it is obvious that you have all of the expertise in the world when it comes to table work, you lack tact when it comes to replying to people. You can impart wisdom without the attitude.
I guess it just bugs me when someone come into the mechanic forum and leads with, "hey, I have a 3D cad program and I can design a pool table on it because i have a college education and i want to design and build pool table" If were only that easy, the world wouldn't be filled with so many junk pool tables....born from the ideas of someone else that has no idea what they're doing.
Instead of starting out with, hey, I'd like to design a smaller pool table, built to proportion but I have no idea what to do, but I do have a 3D cad program, does anyone have any idea where to start? Maybe I'm just feeling my age, and the same old repeat beginnings with new members are getting to me, MAYBE I just need to go fishing for some steelhead and kick back and let all this pass over my head....meanwhile I'm stuck in Portland, OR trying to fix a Diamond 9ft ProAm someone else worked on that was an expert....couldn't get the one piece slate out of the house because the house was finished AFTER the table was installed....so, they busted up the slate with sledge hammer, and NOW I'm retrofitting it with a steal plate joined 3 piece slate just so the customer who bought the table can play on it. But, before I can even think about reassembling the table, i FIRST have to fix the cross threaded nuts and bolts from the first EXPERT who delivered and set the table up....36 years of this, fishing ALL the time is looking better and better!!
But, I guess if I can't say anything nice, then I won't say a word....as long as no one asks me a question....and WANTS a response:thumbup:
But, I'll ask you nicely, which screen name is this, your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th?
You have ZERO expertise in building a pool table. RKC does and he is the best. Ask him for advice and he'll give it.
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Yeah, this isn't your first screen name on AZB!
It certainly is my first, and only screen name, account here. What are you getting at? Why are you now harassing me?
Deleted thanks to RKC.....LOL how old are you? I think this is the old ThinSlice!:thumbup:
Harassing you...LOL I can't get into your account and delete your messages, only YOU can do that, so don't blame them being deleted on me buddy:grin: I'll tell you what, you come back and I'll play nicely with you, no more ruff stuff....I promise, I'll be as gentle with you as a new born baby.....oops, nope, I can't say anything about diapers, but I swear, you can have the play ground swing:canoodle:
I think but I am not positive because I am certainly no table mechanic, but the reason sub-rail thickness is critical is because you can roll the nose of the cushion up or down with different sub-rail thicknesses to get your desired nose height but there is only 1 sub-rail thickness/angle cut that plays properly. It is not just a simple matter of write down the sub-rail thickness and cut the proper angle to get desired nose height.
Hey Glen,
This guy is a good dude. I've been chatting with him. He's a pretty sharp guy, and he's just trying to learn. Not looking to reinvent the wheel, or to commercialize a new pool table. But, he has an interest as a hobbyist, and is looking for a bit of support. With a solid engineering background, he has a huge leg up on a lot of the posters that we see around here. Granted, he doesn't yet know all of the nuances of a pool table, but that's why he's asking the questions. Never once did he say that he already had the answers.
I have no reason to believe that he has been a prior member here, under any other alias.
I'm not trying to get in the middle of anything here, but I don't think this gentleman deserves to be treated harshly. He only asked questions.
This guy is a good dude. I've been chatting with him. He's a pretty sharp guy, and he's just trying to learn. Not looking to reinvent the wheel, or to commercialize a new pool table. But, he has an interest as a hobbyist, and is looking for a bit of support. With a solid engineering background, he has a huge leg up on a lot of the posters that we see around here. Granted, he doesn't yet know all of the nuances of a pool table, but that's why he's asking the questions. Never once did he say that he already had the answers.
I have no reason to believe that he has been a prior member here, under any other alias.
I'm not trying to get in the middle of anything here, but I don't think this gentleman deserves to be treated harshly. He only asked questions.
Thanks, Geoff. I'm happy to continue the thread if we maintain a civil atmosphere.
Thanks for your reply. Here's the approach I took, so far.
I found this resource:
https://www.pooltablefeltcloth.com/k-66-tour-edition-cushions-1-3-4.html
After a bunch of reading around, I decided on a cushion nose height of 61%. At that time I was set on 1 1//2" balls, now I'm re-thinking that to maybe go to 1 3/4".) I found I could lower the entire structure while maintaining the angles, and get the nose down to the 61% point on the 1 1/2" ball.
Here's the reference for 2 1/4" balls:
Here's what I sketched up for 1 1/2" balls:
This works, I think, the only caveat being that the characteristics of the rubber might not suit the much-reduced mass of 1 1/2" balls, which are nominally 50 grams, whereas 2 1/4" balls are 160 to 170 grams.
Alright, first of all, you have to quit thinking K66 cushions. Your first cad drawing of a 1 3/4" sub rail thickness and 1 3/8" lose height would have had the balls hopping like crazy. Forget K66 and K55 entirely, they don't use that profile cushions on snooker tables for a very good reason, because they play snooker with 2", 2 1/16" and 2 1/8" balls, on the same table, so the changing nose height don't work. With northern L style step cushions you can scale down the recommended nose height for snooker to fit the nose height of the balls you want to use and forget about the bevel to mount the cushions on, or any of that.
Do what you want, but that's my Professional advice.
Do what you want, but that's my Professional advice.
So take the required 1 5/8" sub rail thickness for 2" snooker balls, then scale it down 25% to work for balls 1 1/2".
Since i'm supposed to be out in the shop working on another project, naturally thinking about pool tables is more interesting. 
Have you settled out on a projected playing area and total table outside dimensions? Seems like it would be an interesting project. Are you going to build it yourself?
Materials and slate, other than maybe cloth and rubber, should be relatively reasonable (moderate expense) because small pieces of natural materials are generally less costly per volume unit than large pieces of the same quality. Pockets and pocket liners could possibly be contrived of available commodity items (plastic pipe and modified fittings, e.g.) or even 3D printed. My local library has a "maker space" that will allow a person to download files and laser cut wood patterns, or 3D print actual usable parts in at least 2 plastic formulations. (Cost is subsidized, and based by pound of material consumed). They also have a 3D scanner, though i don't know what the size limits are. (point being, if you don't have other resources in this area, check your local library, they are becoming common in upstate, NY, at least)
Have you calculated if 3/4" slate would be thick enough? Assume single piece top?
Overall, though, the price to have one built would probably exceed the cost of a really nice (used) GC or Diamond if it's all farmed out. Even in batches of say 20 or 50, they would not be cheap, but someone could create a market. Even eventually a tournament series, aka miniature golf.
While it does not appeal to me personally to own one in lieu of a full size table, I love the idea of building one. Fascinating concept whether dead end or not. I refrained from commenting because of RKC's known propensity to jump on ideas that didn't originate with him or his own interests. He seems to have either settled down, or someone stole his screen id. ("The kinder gentler artist formerly known as RKC")
smt
Have you settled out on a projected playing area and total table outside dimensions? Seems like it would be an interesting project. Are you going to build it yourself?
Materials and slate, other than maybe cloth and rubber, should be relatively reasonable (moderate expense) because small pieces of natural materials are generally less costly per volume unit than large pieces of the same quality. Pockets and pocket liners could possibly be contrived of available commodity items (plastic pipe and modified fittings, e.g.) or even 3D printed. My local library has a "maker space" that will allow a person to download files and laser cut wood patterns, or 3D print actual usable parts in at least 2 plastic formulations. (Cost is subsidized, and based by pound of material consumed). They also have a 3D scanner, though i don't know what the size limits are. (point being, if you don't have other resources in this area, check your local library, they are becoming common in upstate, NY, at least)
Have you calculated if 3/4" slate would be thick enough? Assume single piece top?
Overall, though, the price to have one built would probably exceed the cost of a really nice (used) GC or Diamond if it's all farmed out. Even in batches of say 20 or 50, they would not be cheap, but someone could create a market. Even eventually a tournament series, aka miniature golf.
While it does not appeal to me personally to own one in lieu of a full size table, I love the idea of building one. Fascinating concept whether dead end or not. I refrained from commenting because of RKC's known propensity to jump on ideas that didn't originate with him or his own interests. He seems to have either settled down, or someone stole his screen id. ("The kinder gentler artist formerly known as RKC")
smt
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