Cost to replace cushions and cloth

L

livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello... 1974 Brunswick Windsor 8 ft table...

How much should it cost?

- replace cushions with Brunswick Superspeed or whatever is good (balls bounce upon strike now)
- replace cloth with Simonis (which one?)
- leveling

If you ask for certain cushions, is there a way to identify them as such? (For me to confirm that this is what is going under the cloth.)

As for Simonis cloth, it is stamped, is it not?

Does it do me any good to buy my own cloth? Cushions? I would know what I am getting. Or can a tech buy cheaper? (I am just a consumer, I don't have a pool table supply account.)

I would like to get my table in great shape. Intermediate player.

Can anyone recommend a tech for my home table near Shreveport, Louisiana?

Can anyone recommend what questions I should ask to determine the skill level of the tech I am speaking with?

I found a company that has a 'table crew' and cost is $695 for Championship Euroblue cloth intalled, $200 extra for new cushions. I am attracted to Simonis Tournament blue color, I guess Euroblue is similar. Another $200 extra for Simonis cloth. Not sure which Simonis that is. Seems high to me, I don't recall it costing that much when I checked into this a couple years ago. Is it a fair price? This company would be $1095 for what I have stated above. Assuming they would install Brunswick Superspeed cushions, I would need to confirm.

Advice is appreciated; don't think I know much cuz I don't, lol.
 
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See my response in the Main Forum.

I would recommend Superspeed cushions. If you want to save some cash, MBS cushions play very nice, and are a fraction of the cost.

For cloth, I would recommend Simonis 860HR, as that is the most commonly used grade these days. If you want to save a few bucks, you could go with 860. I also feel that the slower speed of 860 is a bit more suitable for an 8' table, though the difference is not really drastic.

In order to properly install new K-55 profile cushions, regardless of which brand you choose, the sub-rail angles would require updating. Since there are not that many people around who know how to do the work properly, you may not want to request this of your local installers. Fortunately, you will not notice a huge difference between having the work done, and not having it done. Installing K-55 cushions without modification will result in slightly shorter bank angles. Most notably, your play area will shrink 1/4" in both dimensions (43 3/4" X 87 3/4"), making it no longer a 2:1 ratio. Not the end of the world.

The biggest hurdle that I can see with your table, is that it hasn't been worked on in quite a long time. Slate sags, if not properly supported. Since the frame is made of wood, it will expand and contract. This causes the hardware to loosen, over time. With that, the frames tend to sag. With the substrate sagging, the slate inevitably sag as well. Sometimes, this can be easily corrected. Most times, it can't. I would recommend that all hardware be tightened/inspected first. I would also recommend removing all slate screws and shims, and starting fresh on the set up. I would scrape all of the (likely) plaster from the seams, and bond the slates together with strips of drywall tape and super glue. I prefer beeswax on the seams, though some use Bondo. Anyone who still uses plaster is not up to date.

For a quality job, you are looking at $1050+, depending on who does the work. If you have a reputable technician to perform the work, there is no need for you to supply materials. It will almost always be cheaper to have the contractor supply materials. Seek references, and look for referrals. You may want to contact any local pool halls, to see who they recommend. Try to find internet references for the recommendations.

The quote that you received seems a bit wonky.. $700 for basic cloth replacement seems high. However, the cushion replacement price is low. I might seek additional quotes.
 
I forgot to address the color difference... Euro Blue is a dark blue. I'm not really a fan... Simonis Tournament Blue is a lighter shade, which is very nice on the eyes. The Championship equivalent is Championship Blue.
 
bradsh98 said:
I forgot to address the color difference... Euro Blue is a dark blue. I'm not really a fan... Simonis Tournament Blue is a lighter shade, which is very nice on the eyes. The Championship equivalent is Championship Blue.
Click to expand...

@bradsh98 Thanks much for your info, including the Euro Blue not being what I thought it was. Although, I had leaned toward Simonis brand anyway and I really like Tournament blue.

Say, you said:

"For cloth, I would recommend Simonis 860HR, as that is the most commonly used grade these days. If you want to save a few bucks, you could go with 860. I also feel that the slower speed of 860 is a bit more suitable for an 8' table, though the difference is not really drastic."

Your saying that the slower speed of 860 is a bit more suitable for an 8 ft table... why do you say that (and you said it about an 8 ft table), that's over my head.
 
Your table is an 8' table, so my comments were specific to your table. For a 9' table, Simonis 860HR seems to be the most commonly used grade these days. 760 is a bit faster. Some like it faster, some don't. However, with smaller tables, faster cloth is not ideal. In fact, I believe that the slowest of Simonis grades, 860, is still too fast for a 7' bar table. Though, many pool halls will use 860HR on their 7' tables.. It's all a matter of preference. For me, I prefer the speed of the cloth to be progressively slower, as table size decreases. Often times, I prefer a non-worsted cloth on a 7' table, such as Championship Mercury Ultra. Therefor, if 860HR is the standard for a 9' table, an 8' table is an 'in-between'. You could use 860HR, 860, or even opt for a bit slower, such as a non-worsted.

One thing to be careful of: worsted cloth (such as any Simonis blend, or Championship Tour Edition) will make any off-spec level more dramatic. I already mentioned the difficulties that you will likely have with a table that has not been touched in 46 years. While it's possible that it could level out fine, I might guess that there will be some questionable areas. That said, you may be better off going with a bit slower grade of cloth. In this case, Championship Mercury Ultra, or even Championship Invitational (slightly slower yet) will not be a bad choice. However, you will not see the same durability that you would with a worsted cloth.

Aside from that reasoning, sometimes people prefer to match the speed of play to other tables that they may play on. If you ever intend to play in a pool hall, you should likely go with 860HR, as that is most typically the speed that you will see in that setting. If you intend to play more in a bar room, you should probably use Mercury Ultra, as that will be the most common speed in that setting. If you only intend to play at home, the speed doesn't really much matter. Durability will be the bigger issue. With casual play, Mercury Ultra should last a few years for you. With heavy play, you might be looking at maybe 2 years, before it looks dingy. With a good worsted cloth, you might be looking at 4-5 years, with heavy play. This assumes proper maintenance, of course.
 
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