6X12 Snooker pocket dimension Euro

wc_mechanic

New member
Hello everyone ,
Its cool to be here , My name is Lou I own operate a small billiard repair service in Los Angeles ..
I'm currently working on 2 snooker tables 6x12 's ,owner wants regulation on pockets , i've been trying to look up online but can't find .. Was hoping I can get some help from the site ....
Lou
 

Renegade_56

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The templates are what you will get. I have never seen the actual dimensions posted anywhere, only templates.
 

Vegas Al

Registered
The World Snooker official templates are a closely-guarded secret I believe. I've never seen them posted anywhere either.
 

Slasher

KE = 0.5 • m • v2
Silver Member
Depends on how they want it to play, most club tables are undercut and this is tricky if you have never done it before and don't have the block templates. (can be ordered from the IBSF but $$$)
The WPBSA pockets do not have any undercut and are similar to the drawings posted for steel block cushions.
 

Underclocked

.........Whut?.........
Silver Member
Can you open a .dwg file ? These links are to pages which have 3D drawings of both the side and corner pockets (supposedly the official templates in 3D). They might be useful

http://www.mediafire.com/download/1q05vw22texx05y/center+simple+3D.dwg

http://www.mediafire.com/download/ftcxuv7t2tcysis/corner_simple_3D.dwg

you can get a free .dwg viewer program at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=9078813

I have not viewed these downloads to determine how usable they are.
 

acesinc1999

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can you open a .dwg file ? These links are to pages which have 3D drawings of both the side and corner pockets (supposedly the official templates in 3D). They might be useful

http://www.mediafire.com/download/1q05vw22texx05y/center+simple+3D.dwg

http://www.mediafire.com/download/ftcxuv7t2tcysis/corner_simple_3D.dwg

you can get a free .dwg viewer program at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=9078813

I have not viewed these downloads to determine how usable they are.

I have tried to set my table as accurately as possible using simplified homemade templates based on borrowed IBSF templates from quite a few years back. These were gifted to me by a craftsman for which I am eternally grateful, but I don't really know for sure if I am on the tight side, loose side, or "just right". (For what it is worth, I am very pleased with the difficulty level of the table....not ridiculously tight like a "golf" table, but you can be sure that you did some work if you compile a nice break.) Most importantly, all the pockets are identical to their counterparts (middles and sides) so there is not variation in the pockets as you play around the table. I am sure that I am not the only one who has encountered "custom cut" pockets on tables where each one plays different (tight or loose) from every other one.

For work, I have a couple of powerful, industry standard CAD programs and I was unable to open the .dwg files. I can often open .dwg's but I have say that I have also had trouble opening certain .dwg's in the past with the resources that I have. There are obviously different types of .dwg's. The viewer will probably work, but I don't want to download and install it for fear that it may conflict with my existing software and cause me some trouble. If anyone can open these CAD files, whether with the viewer of some other way, please post to let us know how you did it.

As for the OP Lou, unless you can find a better way, I am sure you have full machine shop capabilities, so I would suggest that you fabricate your own templates based on dimensions in the .gif links first posted by Underclocked. You can make them out of hardwood, or maybe nylon/Delrin, or even aluminum if you really want to go high end. You may or may not be able to work with your pocket falls in the slate to achieve the dimensions shown but at least the openings will be pretty accurate. And having a physical template, whether it's perfectly accurate or only close, is better than working blind and/or relying on guesswork. And for the future, you can still use these templates to set up any client who would prefer their table to be more "generous"--simply layer as many strips of duct tape as desired onto your template and you will have an accurate gauge to open up all of the pockets the same amount.

Good luck.
 

Underclocked

.........Whut?.........
Silver Member
I took it upon myself to download the viewer program and install. It does open the .dwg files I linked but I don't know how useful they are without a legend or dimensions?? I suppose with one exact dimension, you could calculate the others as the template is supposed to be to scale. I will attach screenshots of each template (and I hope this works!).
 

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Underclocked

.........Whut?.........
Silver Member
Corner pocket. I have to add that not making those pocket template drawings readily available for download is just plain sick.
 

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acesinc1999

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I took it upon myself to download the viewer program and install. It does open the .dwg files I linked but I don't know how useful they are without a legend or dimensions?? I suppose with one exact dimension, you could calculate the others as the template is supposed to be to scale. I will attach screenshots of each template (and I hope this works!).

From what I gather, it looks like some engineer/draftsman basically reversed engineered a presumably correct table to create these 3D models. In other words, I don't believe this is "authorized" or even necessarily perfectly accurate information from the WPBSA or IBSF. It is some interested individuals own interpretation of the pocket sizes by measuring them as accurately as he is able, and then storing that measurement information in these CAD files. This looks like it should be usable information (perhaps the individual has his own snooker table which was fitted by a professional fitter using authorized templates), but to be useful to the OP wc_mechanic Lou, this information needs to be converted into graphic information (paper drawings) for a machinist to then use to fabricate physical templates to then be used to properly fit his tables. To be clear, the term "template" refers to the PHYSICAL thing, the actual wood, plastic, or metal block that the table mechanic will use to shape the pockets. These computer files are "3D models" which are only in cyberspace, not real. These files are useful, but only to someone with the wherewithal to use them to fabricate the physical templates.

Also, these 3D models are not actually models of the templates......they are models of the actual snooker table pockets. It is kind of a "round peg in a round hole" situation....here you have the correct pocket information so from that you create physical templates and with those you can the RE-create the correct pocket dimensions on your table. It is like when they find Bigfoot's footprints. They make a plaster cast (template) which can then be used to create a copy of the footprint whenever and wherever they want.

I have not used AutoDesk programs in a decade so it's a bit hazy, but the tools look about the same as always. You can see a "Measure" tool on your screenshot so you should be able to click that, then click various "snap points" in the drawing to get measurements (kind of think in your head as you click, "(click) Measure, (click) from here, (click) to here." then it should display the dimension for the points you clicked. Might be in standard (inches) or millimeters, or possibly some other unit (like centimeters).....all depends on how the file was originally written. Then (you may or may not realize), this appears to be a three dimensional model......you can look at it from different points of view: from the front, from the top, from the side, even rotate it to any angle you want (this is the same principle by which "Hawkeye" works by the way).......then take various measurements using those different views. For instance, with a side view, you should be able to click to measure the exact height of the top of the rubber cushion to the slate bed. To see different views, you should try clicking on the various icons in the tool bar section labeled "View". It looks like these models even contain the steel block information, though I am not certain of that at this time (I think the steel block is the brighter gray lines I see in the corner pocket model.)

Underclocked, you should just play around with this viewer program a bit and you may be surprised by some of the things you can do. Have some fun and expand your horizons. wc_mechanic Lou, you have some good information here, but you still have a long way to go to accomplish what you originally set out to do. Feel free to PM me if you are confused by what I said here or if you think I can help in any way.
 
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Underclocked

.........Whut?.........
Silver Member
You are quite correct. I didn't begin to play with the tools but you can determine dimensions with the Measure tool.

I got a corner pocket opening measurement which was very close to the 3.313" on the other template. Consider that I had to guess as to where to start and stop the measuring tool which easily accounts for the difference. I think someone could safely use that view tool and those .dwg files to get templates very close to the international standards. The viewer allows measurement of distance, radius, angle, area, and volume.
 

Alan Morris

U.S. Snooker Association
Silver Member
Hello everyone ,
Its cool to be here , My name is Lou I own operate a small billiard repair service in Los Angeles ..
I'm currently working on 2 snooker tables 6x12 's ,owner wants regulation on pockets , i've been trying to look up online but can't find .. Was hoping I can get some help from the site ....
Lou

I am pretty sure that a Board Member of the United States Snooker Association located in the Bay Area of California has a set of the IBSF pocket templates.

If you would like to contact me about it, please send me a message through the contact form on the SnookerUSA.com website and I would be happy to try and help you.

Best wishes.

Alan.
 
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