My Gold Crown IV was installed yesterday and it can't be played on it until I repair the poor work done on it. I thought I was going to have my brother over tonight and play some pool. I don't have the desire to fix this right now. I've spent a lot of money to have a great playing pool table. Here's the story...
I think I do everything right. I buy a very nice GC IV that has never seen commercial use. I've got to take it apart and get it out of this guys basement. I dismantle the table and find all but 2 of the the slate frame bolts have been cross threaded. I buy all new hardware and retap the captured nuts in the frame. I reinforce the frame to prevent corner sag. I send the rails to Mark Gregory for new Superspeeds and pro cut pockets. I get the correct ball box, ball return track, and gully boots to convert it from drop pockets. I purchase a Centennial ball set and Delta 13 rack. I think I'm ready to go. I'm not using the guy that installed the table originally. I'm hesitant about him after I see what he did to the frame bolts. I've got an install guy based on a strong recommendation from a room owner. I should have talked to the original guy and voiced my concerns.
Now to the install. I'll preface that i can be a perfectionist and typically I do nice work. I talked to the guy and specifically told him what I had. The guy and his helper shows up. I tell him there's a well stocked hardware store less than a half mile away in case he needs anything. I have already built and placed the base. The slate frame is already built. The rails are ready to go and covered by Mark. I have everything neatly placed and orderly. This guy can clearly see this isn't some $999 homeowner special from the local game store. One guy works on the slate and cloth. The other assembles the rails, corner castings and blinds. I notice the rails clearly marked F for foot seem to be opposite of where they should be. They say iy doesn't matter. They at least have the rails assemble as numbered by Mark. When the cloth is going on I question in my head if it's going on correctly and think the guy's a little sloppy with his cuts at the pocket openings. The cloth is on and now they're installing the ball return track. The guy refuses to go to the hardware store and uses any miscellaneous hardware he has. I think in my head wtf and wouldn't it be better to get the rails and boots set first? Now they place the rails and install the gully boots. They clearly don't look right due to the rail extensions.The guy is fine with it and looks easily corrected with some trimming with a razor knife. I mean I already had a large portion of the table assembled for them. I decide I should do this because I'm afraid of what the boots will look like after they do it. they attach the boots and leave them as is. Now it's time to put the ball box in. More whatever hardware they can find and relocation of the hidden brackets. Claims all of them are don this way. They're really hard to assemble where they are at. Now it's time to try out the table. Ball return doesn't work.The balls are getting caught under the side pocket gully boots. I'm done with these guys at this point. I tell them I'll fix it, pay them and they leave. I'm ****ing aggravated but I have to go to the eye doctor and then out with my wife. I don't have time to really look at the table.
I return home for the evening and first thing I notice is a smudge of what looks like grease or maybe chocolate. The table hasn't even had a rack played on it and it's stained. There's no way you would have not known you did that. Then the pocket openings aren't centered on the side pockets(I might be overly critical, maybe not). Then they leave a mess. I cant really use the table until I fix the return and get the box installed a little better. I'm about to give up on my pool table dream. Seems nearly impossible to find someone who takes pride in what they do.
I think I do everything right. I buy a very nice GC IV that has never seen commercial use. I've got to take it apart and get it out of this guys basement. I dismantle the table and find all but 2 of the the slate frame bolts have been cross threaded. I buy all new hardware and retap the captured nuts in the frame. I reinforce the frame to prevent corner sag. I send the rails to Mark Gregory for new Superspeeds and pro cut pockets. I get the correct ball box, ball return track, and gully boots to convert it from drop pockets. I purchase a Centennial ball set and Delta 13 rack. I think I'm ready to go. I'm not using the guy that installed the table originally. I'm hesitant about him after I see what he did to the frame bolts. I've got an install guy based on a strong recommendation from a room owner. I should have talked to the original guy and voiced my concerns.
Now to the install. I'll preface that i can be a perfectionist and typically I do nice work. I talked to the guy and specifically told him what I had. The guy and his helper shows up. I tell him there's a well stocked hardware store less than a half mile away in case he needs anything. I have already built and placed the base. The slate frame is already built. The rails are ready to go and covered by Mark. I have everything neatly placed and orderly. This guy can clearly see this isn't some $999 homeowner special from the local game store. One guy works on the slate and cloth. The other assembles the rails, corner castings and blinds. I notice the rails clearly marked F for foot seem to be opposite of where they should be. They say iy doesn't matter. They at least have the rails assemble as numbered by Mark. When the cloth is going on I question in my head if it's going on correctly and think the guy's a little sloppy with his cuts at the pocket openings. The cloth is on and now they're installing the ball return track. The guy refuses to go to the hardware store and uses any miscellaneous hardware he has. I think in my head wtf and wouldn't it be better to get the rails and boots set first? Now they place the rails and install the gully boots. They clearly don't look right due to the rail extensions.The guy is fine with it and looks easily corrected with some trimming with a razor knife. I mean I already had a large portion of the table assembled for them. I decide I should do this because I'm afraid of what the boots will look like after they do it. they attach the boots and leave them as is. Now it's time to put the ball box in. More whatever hardware they can find and relocation of the hidden brackets. Claims all of them are don this way. They're really hard to assemble where they are at. Now it's time to try out the table. Ball return doesn't work.The balls are getting caught under the side pocket gully boots. I'm done with these guys at this point. I tell them I'll fix it, pay them and they leave. I'm ****ing aggravated but I have to go to the eye doctor and then out with my wife. I don't have time to really look at the table.
I return home for the evening and first thing I notice is a smudge of what looks like grease or maybe chocolate. The table hasn't even had a rack played on it and it's stained. There's no way you would have not known you did that. Then the pocket openings aren't centered on the side pockets(I might be overly critical, maybe not). Then they leave a mess. I cant really use the table until I fix the return and get the box installed a little better. I'm about to give up on my pool table dream. Seems nearly impossible to find someone who takes pride in what they do.
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