I recently bought a 1928 brunswick for a bar-pool hall.I was going to put it in there for a look back in the old days where you could go and play on good table in a bar.Well I have 4 other 7 footers in there for league play but, I am wanting a 8 footer for some other action.I was told even being refelted and new rails, pockets etc that the design of the bolts on the rails it wont play as good as a newer table.Is that true or the local table dealer wanting me to buy a new table.Anyone have a older table.How does it play.I might end up getting a 1970's gold crown 3 9 footer if i have the room also.
Antique table play
- Thread starter lacey6783
- Start date
when properly restored they can play well ,when i say restored i mean,new cushions,facings,860 simonis,all imperfections in the slate repaired,all the screw holes repaired and all new hardware.i have several happy customers with these tables,and with a lil luck i may end up with one.
the design of the new stlye rails of today must be better or they wouldn't have changed it,the problem with the old stlye t-rails is they loosen up in the slate and spin when adjusting them,or the rails need to be shimmed so they are in line with one another,often this isnt done so people assume they dont play as well
lacey6783 said:
Depends on the table. I grew up in a pool room with several brunswick tables made between 1910 and 1920. That room is still going with 2 of the original snooker tables, the rest were sold and had no problems. The rails bounce fine. Some of the rails have been repaired, but it depends on the usage of the table, it may be ok as it is. The rubber doesn't go bad, it just kinda comes apart from the wood if it's been recovered and stapled too many times and the wood is worn away underneath, which could need professional repair. If it was a home table, it might not have that problem at all. The pockets are huge on some of the old tables though and might need to be shimmed up - not an easy job, took me forever to do a good job, I'd definitely try to find someone experienced to do that, cause a bad job is worthless.
I play on an older table (50's maybe) with side bolt rails that plays fantastic. They make a little more noise, but the rails are actually more live than a Gold Crown or a Diamond and bounce and bank very true. Just be sure not to overtighten the rails and break off the bolts in the slate, which is partly why they changed the designs of the newer tables, so the bolt goes into the rail. I got all new bolts for mine.
My advice is if everything looks good, try it. I wouldn't replace any rubber unless it's obviously screwed up. If it's come unglued, just glue it back if there's still wood to glue it to. The side bolt rails shouldn't be a problem, as I play professionally and wouldn't trade my rails for anything else, they are not a problem at all. Of course my table is not as old as yours, but they are side bolt rails.
unknownpro
Thank god your a Pro pool player and not a pro mechanic... I have never seen an older T-rail bolt break. The most common problem is the slate breaks or the insert strips or comes completely out of the slate. I couldnt see getting enough tourqe to snap a 3/8" or 1/2" bolt without breaking the slate first.
Some cushions do go bad... Oxidization of the rubber results in hard or non resiliant rail cushions. Many variables determine how long a cushion will last. If the conditions are right and a gum rubber cushion is used without fillers its very probable that the cushions will not need to be replaced, atleast for a long time. What do you mean the wood goes bad behind the rail?
I agree with Mech/Player. If done correctly your antique could play just as good as a brand new table. Maybe better because of weight and overall mass. Good luck!
Some cushions do go bad... Oxidization of the rubber results in hard or non resiliant rail cushions. Many variables determine how long a cushion will last. If the conditions are right and a gum rubber cushion is used without fillers its very probable that the cushions will not need to be replaced, atleast for a long time. What do you mean the wood goes bad behind the rail?
I agree with Mech/Player. If done correctly your antique could play just as good as a brand new table. Maybe better because of weight and overall mass. Good luck!
I grew up playing on a Brunswick table made from 1893 to 1905. It was originally a billiard table used I assume for 3 cusion play. My grandfather cut pockets in it about 40 years ago and is has been in my family ever since. It still plays well today. I think because of the 1.5 inch think slate it rolls as good or better than new tables. Do they still make slate that thick today?
jacob said:
I have seen slate up to 2" thick used for pool tables. Commercial snooker and carom tables usually have thicker slate than american pool tables. The process of mining slate today is more efficient then it was in the late 1800's. Therefore, the surface is more precise and diamond honed to stay within tolerance. Your table probably has slate from Vermont or some other state. Not necesarily the worlds best slate but obviously good enough if the table is 100 years old. The slate on your table is probably 1 5/8". That was a typical measurement for slate in those days. Interesting to hear your grandpa converting a carom table to a pool table. That surely took alot of time and hard work. Is your table a Wellington?
''Thank god your a pro player and not a pro mechanic" 
, i am a big fan of the older tables, however there are alot out there that have been butchered and modified to the point of almost no return.
, i am a big fan of the older tables, however there are alot out there that have been butchered and modified to the point of almost no return.
I don't claim to be a table mechanic, but I do know a little about pool tables, and I'm just trying to save someone from having his table butchered. If the rails are fine, they are fine, no matter how old they are. Replacing perfectly good rail rubber is a waste of money, and won't necessarilly make the table play better, they might well play worse if it's done badly. The very old tables I referred to have been played 6 days a week for 90 years or more. Mine for 50 years or more in a busy poolroom. Quality pool tables are built to last. Age is not really an issue, it's the condition of the table that counts.mechanic/player said:''Thank god your a pro player and not a pro mechanic"
Any serious repair of rails should be done by someone with a lot more experience than me. Unfortunately, in many cases, it's not. The only reason I even mentioned shimming the pockets is because he was talking about an action table, and sometimes the old pockets are way big, and you will notice I didn't recommend a do it yourself job. It took me 2 weeks to shim mine and I did a fairly good job, but not a great job.
I don't mean to be stepping on anyones toes, but it's similar to pianos. A music store will tell you an 80 year old piano is worthless and needs to be completely rebuilt to be of any value why they try to sell you a new model that is a cheap piece of junk. And it's not true in many cases for pianos or pool tables.
I highly recommend an EXPERIENCED table mechanic for any serious repairs, as I think I said before. I don't want anybody butchering old tables either. Just trying to prevent that.
unknownpro
Poolschool said:
I never broke a bolt in the slate, but I have seen one broken off in the slate, and the slate was broken, that's my point exactly. I replaced my bolts because they were old and rusted and I wanted to be sure they would come back out sometime.
What I meant about the wood is that after they are recovered many times, the staples and tacks can wear away the wood at the pocket ends to the point where there is nothing left to staple the cloth too.
unknownpro
I apologize. I must have misconstrude what you said about the wood under the rails. I thought you were refering to wood behind the cushion. I understand and appreciate your concern for others. There have been alot of people that have gotten burnt...pianos, pool tables and just about any type of service work. Knowledge is the key, so thanks for taking the time to share. I still thinkthe pro player thing was funny. What kind of table do you have (50 yr old?)
Last edited:
unknownpro said:
this is very true,that wood needs to be replaced/repaired when they get that bad,add all the extra work/money involved and its easy to see why people do it themselves or they just get a new table. people that care and work on thier own tables , who have the time/paitience to get them right are rare, props to you unknownpro. maybe you can be unknown table mechanic?
Since we are on the topic of antique tables... I just finished up with a nice Centennial D/C for a local guy here in town. I'll get some pics uploaded but I have a crappy camera. Anyhow, the table looks great and plays real well. It has taken the owner some time to adjust to the new cloth (simonis 860) and the new rails but I played a few games and was amazed. It pocketed balls very well. Speaking of pockets... Anyone know where to find Centennial drop pockets? I thought they were GC style pockets but obviously not.
I put Accufast rubber, facings, feather strips and Simonis 860 on the rails. The ribbon in the slate was not a factor so the slate was not resurfaced. It leveled up nicely...
I put Accufast rubber, facings, feather strips and Simonis 860 on the rails. The ribbon in the slate was not a factor so the slate was not resurfaced. It leveled up nicely...
i set one of those up last xmas for a lady who wanted it in her garage. it had a ball return, but a hawthorne/artsian/mission/montelbello is the same type of pocket with a different rolled type lip,unlike the gold crown pocket that fits into the pocket casting.
Last edited:
Do you know a distributor who carries them?
I also heard a Centurian pocket fit the Centennial? Thats what a guy at the big "B" store here said...
only the dealer i work for, i'll get a price for you on monday and i'll check my other resources for you.
i've only done ball return centurions so i dont know for sure, i dont think thats the one you want.
No, but if they have pockets to fit a ball return they probably have the drop pocket. If you could check that would be great.
Here are some of the pics I took of the rails while I was stripping and replacing the rubber...
I tried to clean the glue up for the pic which I dont and wont do again. That was a pain... Its alot easier to cut if it sets up thicker and it wont stick to the rubber. I had to use a very small amount of Xylene to get the glue off of the rubber. You live and you learn.
I tried to clean the glue up for the pic which I dont and wont do again. That was a pain... Its alot easier to cut if it sets up thicker and it wont stick to the rubber. I had to use a very small amount of Xylene to get the glue off of the rubber. You live and you learn.