How to tell the difference between a good, and bad table mechanic.

[realkingcobra]

I guess if I start showing everyone how to tell if a so called table mechanic knows what he's doing or not, BEFORE you waste your money on hiring them, then maybe it'll help some of you determine how to select a table mechanic.

Besides the old saying that pictures speak a 1,000, more so than that, they expose the truth if you know which pictures to request when you want to check out a mechanics skills without having to PAY first, find out later!

 

[realkingcobra]

This is the work Heather paid for when she hired a so called table mechanic out of Carson City, NV.

She paid $585 to have one of her Diamond 7fts recovered with Simonis 860HR tour blue, BEFORE i took over recovering the Pocket in Boise. This is her lease tBle at the Oak Barrel Restaurant in Boise.

I found out about this work when I had to go exchange the rail skirts with that table for one of 7ft Diamonds at the Pocket, because they got mixed up while being recovered there, before the table was moved out on lease. I can't stand when tables are not done right, so it was on me to make them right again.

When I got to the Oak Barrel, took the rails apart, I noticed a few things wrong with the work performed.

First off, the cloth on the table was Simonis 760, NOT what Heather paid for, the bed cloth was spray glued on, and covering the leveling system, and then stapled down to the plywood cross members as well, and the living system not used at all, even though the mechanic TOLD her he knew how to level a Diamond table. There was a wrinkle across the side pocket, and puckers everywhere under the rails, the bed cloth was also loose.

 

[realkingcobra]

If table mechanics looking to get your money were required to show you the pictures of their actual work done, and NOT just the best looking pictures they have to show of the tables they've done in the PAST, completely finished and assembled, and you were shown THESE pictures of work, to get hired to work on YOUR pool table(s) would you still have hired this so called table mechanic?

 

[realkingcobra]

If in your talks with a table mechanic, and you were interested in possibly hiring that person, but just to make sure you're not getting ripped off, let's say you ask to see what their staple work looks like on the rails, so they sent you these pictures, of an Olhausen AND Diamond rail work, would you still be interested in spending your hard earned money?

 

[realkingcobra]

Would you be ready to open up your wallet and pay for this Diamond table mechanic, if you saw these pictures BEFOREHAND?

 

[realkingcobra]

Let's say you have a Gold Crown, and you'd like to get it recovered, and you're talking with the friend of a friend who recovers pool tables on the side, but says he's real good, and fast! Then you asked to see some of his work, not the finished jobs done, then he sends you these pictures of the GC rails hr spray glued AND stapled, would you still be inclined to hire the friend of your friend that recovers pool tables on the side?

 

[realkingcobra]

Yeah Lou, you're right, I'm an arrogant ass, but I guess thats the price I have to pay for giving a shit about this industry and the posers to rob the customers daily impersonating being pool table mechanics! I'm 65 years old, still working on pool tables 40 years later, and DON'T see the table mechanic business getting any better, I actually see it getting worse!

Some people on here think Rasson and Predator pool tables are going to help make this industry better, I tell Chad at Diamond all the time to not waste a minute thinking about them as competition, because this industry, with all its poser table mechanics working it to death, WILL chew those tables up and spit them out like garbage in no time at all!

I can't help the rest of the tables or pool table mechanics around the rest of the US, but in MY backyard, yes, you bet I'm going to do everything I can to get our pool rooms and bars up to the level they should be so customers can still enjoy playing on great pool tables, while still delivering Diamond tables throught the PNW as I do have a few trained mechanics that I support 100% as they support me as well. Even i know I can't get to every bar and tavern pool table in the PNW, but I CAN how ever take care of all the pool tables in the pool rooms and at least take away that lunch money from the hacks!!!!

 

[realkingcobra]

And because like Lou like to refer to me as an arrogant ass, of course i have to problems showing me work, been doing it for 17 years on AZB!

 

[realkingcobra]

More work to compare.

 

[realkingcobra]

I don't HIDE my work behind pictures of finished tables, I put them right out there in the open for anyone to see, in the hopes that you'll see the difference between good and bad work, BEFORE you pay for the BAD!!!

 

[realkingcobra]

More pictures of my work, you WON'T see this from the posers! But these are the pictures you SHOULD be asking to see, to make sure you're not going to get ripped off!

 

[gazman100]

Really enjoyed this post.
When I see a cloth install done like this, I get inspired
Thanks.

 

[mrpiper]

Thank you for this very helpful lesson in what to look for. I am in Atlanta and planning a re cover / new cloth service and have NO IDEA how to find a reputable worker. This gives me some clear direction.

 

[GoldCrown]

Bring your arrogant ass to Florida and run a mechanic school. Is it fair to say most mech’s never learned from the right person. And sell their services as buyers do not know what they are getting until they got it unless the mech has a first class reputation… such as yourself or a handful of mechs around the country. Pictures shown are on Diamond Professional from an authorized Diamond dealer. Authorized?? and I think the duct tape is brand X not 3M.
The recourse was having the cloth replaced out of pocket at a great expense but happy I could get it straightened out. The recourse from where I bought…. Don’t want them back. And they never got back to me regardless. Thanks for the thread RKC…. You’ll help out a lot of people here.

I was in a local room in Florida. I might get a tetanus shot before I go back. The staples in the pockets are sharp and dirty.

 

[boogieman]

This is the work Heather paid for when she hired a so called table mechanic out of Carson City, NV.

She paid $585 to have one of her Diamond 7fts recovered with Simonis 860HR tour blue, BEFORE i took over recovering the Pocket in Boise. This is her lease tBle at the Oak Barrel Restaurant in Boise.

I found out about this work when I had to go exchange the rail skirts with that table for one of 7ft Diamonds at the Pocket, because they got mixed up while being recovered there, before the table was moved out on lease. I can't stand when tables are not done right, so it was on me to make them right again.

When I got to the Oak Barrel, took the rails apart, I noticed a few things wrong with the work performed.

First off, the cloth on the table was Simonis 760, NOT what Heather paid for, the bed cloth was spray glued on, and covering the leveling system, and then stapled down to the plywood cross members as well, and the living system not used at all, even though the mechanic TOLD her he knew how to level a Diamond table. There was a wrinkle across the side pocket, and puckers everywhere under the rails, the bed cloth was also loose.

Yikes. I've only did my one furniture grade Olhausen and I'd not be satisfied with that at all. Me, as a first timer have better side pocket folds than that (thanks to the Simonis DVDs). That loose cloth at the side pocket is unforgivable for a self install, let alone paid job. Those staples look like they would be real fun to remove in the future, they seem set way too deep not to mention they two over top of each other.


Loving the posts on this thread. These guys don't even look like professional cloth stretchers let alone mechanics. A guy has to start somewhere, but these are guys being paid to do a job professionally, not someone learning to do their own stuff.

If this were related to pool cues, this would be the level of expected work for a guy first learning to re-tip on an old warped house cue in their basement, but charging a customer to do it to their good cue, and keeping a straight face about it.

By showing the bad stuff, you're actually showing anyone who wants to learn what the difference is between correct and hack work. Learning what not to do definitely helps.

 

[PracticeChampion]

Would you be ready to open up your wallet and pay for this Diamond table mechanic, if you saw these pictures BEFOREHAND?

Atleast the customer got there money's worth in staples

 

[1969mako]

Glen, Good reading. You should put a "Do's" and "Dont" post in this thread.

 

[realkingcobra]

Glen, Good reading. You should put a "Do's" and "Dont" post in this thread.

Oh rust me, I'm going to put together a whole question and answer chest sheet for customers to refer to so they can avoid hiring these hacks out here, one way or another!

I'll title the thread something like, "How to avoid hiring a hack to work on your pool table(s)" for home owners, bar, tavern, and pool room owners alike!!

 

[1969mako]

^ Cool...

 

[clydeNbonnie]

Oh rust me, I'm going to put together a whole question and answer chest sheet for customers to refer to so they can avoid hiring these hacks out here, one way or another!

I'll title the thread something like, "How to avoid hiring a hack to work on your pool table(s)" for home owners, bar, tavern, and pool room owners alike!!

Like how tight to tighten down the rail bolts?
A. Really tight
B. Hand tight
C. Off hand tight
D 15 foot lbs of torque