WTB: 8-foot Gold Crown, Diamond or other quality table

Have you considered an 8' barbox? I ask because that would be the type of table to most commonly have a single piece slate. One piece slate tables are much easier to set up, so you can save money on a mechanic, and future recoverings. Also, they are much easier to keep level, since they usually have leg levelers.

You can also find some nice tables that are non-barbox style, but have a single piece slate. I've worked on some nice Fischer tables that have single piece slate, and are very easy to work on.

Another benefit to getting an 8' barbox is that you could always have a company like Ridgeback Rails or Penguin Amusements make a new set of rails for you, with whatever pocket specs you want, and the cost is generally under $200.

Whichever way you decide to go, I would still invest in a good mechanic. It will be money well spent. Just because a table has a single piece slate, doesn't mean it will always be flat. Some tables sag in the center, so you'll need a mechanic that knows what to look for.

Good luck.

bdorman said:

Our Community Center is undergoing a major renovation. I got the Board of Directors to include a new/used pool table as part of the budget. The president of the board is a pool player and understands that high quality used tables are better than new "furniture" tables.

Requirements: 8-foot high quality table. Please don't waste your time telling me why we should buy a 9-foot table; the room size won't accomodate it. Wide rails like GC/Diamond.

Nice, but not required: Larger than 4-1/2" pockets (most of our players are older, casual players; they'd hang me if I made them play 4-1/2" pockets, current table has 4-7/8" pockets). Drop pockets.

Usability of the cushions, cloth, etc. can be figured into the price.

Chicago area.

Timing: Here's the catch. The Community Center renovation won't be completed until late-May, early-June. We have no place to store a table until then. But if that fits your schedule, it could work for both of us.

Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

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I'm not sure what the budget to purchase a table for the community center is...but I'm sure there're not interested in wasting money. That being said...you may want to contact Jerimy Chambers...he's around the Chicago area.
He has some pro 8' Brunswick anniversary tables....now that would be a good looking table...and he can do his own work on the table to make it play and look great.
You may want to give him a call and get prices and some pics of what all he has to offer.
Worth a call....he's a great guy to do business with.
Jerimy chamber 708-574-9888

If you guys go with something cheap...with in a year or two...they're going to want to take the table out.

Good luck
Mark Gregory

I think you are barking up the right tree by looking for a Diamond or a Gold Crown, that is where I personally would draw the line as far as acceptable choices (I think Anniversaries and Centennials are basically old GCs). The commercial tables are so much better, as far as I know they all have leg levelers except some GCIs which can be easily converted to adjustable legs/feet. The Gold Crowns have and continue to pass the test of time and it looks like the Diamonds will too.

bdorman said:

Requirements: 8-foot high quality table. Please don't waste your time telling me why we should buy a 9-foot table; the room size won't accomodate it. Wide rails like GC/Diamond.

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The table size you chose, will have the same size playing surface, no matter what the rail width.
If your room size will accommodate a table with narrow rails, wider rails shouldn't be a problem.

Distances from the cushion nose to the wall is important. About 15' is needed for 9' table widths.
.

bdorman said:

Ralph,

Many thanks for the advice, but what I meant by "wide rails" is probably better worded as "not narrow rails like a furniture table."

Thanks again,
Bob

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Bob..
Got it. I thought you meant that "wide rails" wouldn't allow enough room for a 9' table. Carl