I'd like to thank a few other table mechanic's....

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
for their never ending support of our pool & billiards industry. There's a few guys out here that a lot of you don't know anything about, what areas they work in, and what kind of work they do...and I'd like to change that a little if I could.

I came on here to AZbilliards by request, to check out the "Talk to a mechanic's forum" and when I did, there was very little going on, I think there had only been about 10 threads started or so. Over the last 4 years though, that forum has grown up into a full blown, very knowledgeable mechanic's forum...to where if you ask a question about something to do with table mechanics...if you don't get an answer to your question....it's because there is no answer...that's how good these guys are....because they talk to each other all the time...thanks to AZ. And, because of that they've all come together to network jobs back and forth for some of their customers that have moved from their back yard into someone else's...yet through AZ...they've still been able to look out for that customer....because they've talked with so many other mechanic's nationwide that they've really come together...I'm very proud of the work that they've done...together.

They've helped raise the awareness of working on pool tables and doing that work right, that all have benefited from their combined efforts. I couldn't have done anything with the mechanic's that have come on AZ if it were not for their help along the way.

My thing, as a lot of you already know...is public awareness, I've been very LOUD about that here on AZ...because I care, and because I think that a lot of home owners of pool tables really don't know the difference between paying for good work vs paying for bad.....because for the most part....either comes at the same price, but sometimes to cheap is just getting what you paid for. So, I've spent a lot of time showing all of you what kind of work I do, have done, and what I'm capable of doing...and yes to all those that would say that I PAT myself on my back....because I do...as I've busted my butt to get where I'm at as a master billiards technician....as I like to call myself....but, that's just a title that know one really understands...because most of you don't think to much about the jobs we do....because we're not building rocket-ships to the moon...funny thing about that...is that them same sicentests....can't level and set up a pool table correctly either...without some kind of training...so...I consider us to be even...in our perspective fields;)....but, you can bet that if we HAD decided to build rocket-ships to the moon...they'd be lined with Simonis 860HR Tournament Blue on the inside of the cockpits...and the seat covers as well...and not a wrinkle in it anywhere:grin:

Bottom line is this, I'd like for all of you to see the kind of work these guys do day in and day out...unlike myself....because I hate working on pool tables anymore....so...I'm not easy to pin down to get me to do some work:grin:...and these guys are on time I'd like to add as well, unlike with me....as I don't know which day I'm going to be able to work on your pool tables....unless I know which month that day falls on....AND...in which year...as I know quite a few of you have been waiting on me for quite a while now....but, as Fred up in Aspen, CO. was so nice to give me a t-shirt that has the words printed on it across the front...."I'll be there in 2 weeks":grin:.....just don't ask me what day that falls on and everything will be great....and I'll be on time....everytime:grin:

BUT....these guys, well...what can I say, other than they're the best at their jobs, some of them you may know aready....some may be new to you, but either way...these guys belong at the top of the mountain shouting out...."I'm the best"

So, I'd like to invite these friends of mine on AZ to post some of the pictures of their work, because a picture's worth a 1,000 words and I'd like for all of you to hear what these guys have to say because some of you might just live in their backyards and don't even know it....because they're not like me...they don't come on here showing their work off trying to change the world and wake people up to what's right or wrong with this industry today....no, these guys just do the grind day in and day out...in which I think is really unfair for them to not be known...and shouting from the top of the mountain..."I am the best" They've all earned the right to do just that, and besides...I'd like to see more of their work anyway, because I can appreciate great work being done on pool tables by other table mechanic's as much, if not more than most on AZ.

Glen
 
a starting point

Thanks Glen

Here are some behind photos of what some of us do to gp the extra mile.
The starting point unloading 14 tables.
poolhall014.jpg

poolhall013.jpg

Rethreading and making new floating nuts 14 tables.
poolhall028.jpg

cuephoric stripping and preping rails new rubber for 14 tables.
poolhall022.jpg


So you can see there is a lot more to breaking down and moving 14 tables then rebuild them load them up again and take them to Reno to set up the Junior national, wheelchair and USPPA tournament. I took a few finished photo's but there still on the camera.

Here is a good start to see what others go through to give a customer a perfect job everytime. May not take 2 hours but you can understand 5-8 hours or more for as close to perfection as we can get with new and 20-50 year old tables, some hacked on others worn out from to many recovers.

Craig
 
Completey agree with the sentiment that we are extremely fortunate to have such knowledgeable folks share their smarts.

I have been the beneficiary more than a few times- you know who you are- and I am in high ly aPPRECIATIVE.
 
What did I tell you about doing that job Craig?....I said RUN buddy...RUN:D You ended up doing a lot more work than what was called for...and I know the pay you received for the job did not reflect all the extra BS you had to go through to get that job done.

Never-the-less....my hats off to you for a job completed and well done. Taking on a project like what you took on, with the time-frame you were given to get it done....is kind of like jumping into a quicksand pit for a swim...only to find out that the rope you need to pull yourself out is just a little out of reach....so now, you have to fight like hell to get out. Meaning, now that you've taken on this job....how in the hell are you going to get it done....and...WHEN is this ever going to end! But, it does....because you don't give up, you keep pushing forward...inch by inch...until what seemed impossible....becomes the finished job.

A big thanks to you Craig and all those that helped...Reno happened because of YOU!

Glen
 
I took a few finished photo's but there still on the camera.

Craig

When you get around to it Craig, I'd really like to see the finished pictures buddy, as I couldn't make it to the Reno event, so I didn't get to see the finale outcome:D
 
When you get around to it Craig, I'd really like to see the finished pictures buddy, as I couldn't make it to the Reno event, so I didn't get to see the finale outcome:D

Don't worry Glen... I took alot of pics. lol (As usual) from the time we hit the containers to the time the tables were loaded up to leave Reno.
I'll get some posted up here when i get back from Nashville.
Good thread and post by the way!:thumbup:
 
Don't worry Glen... I took alot of pics. lol (As usual) from the time we hit the containers to the time the tables were loaded up to leave Reno.
I'll get some posted up here when i get back from Nashville.
Good thread and post by the way!:thumbup:

Looking forward to seeing them Shane, make sure you have some of Craig too...as I know he hates being in pictures:D
 
Don't worry Glen... I took alot of pics. lol (As usual) from the time we hit the containers to the time the tables were loaded up to leave Reno.
I'll get some posted up here when i get back from Nashville.
Good thread and post by the way!:thumbup:

Glad to see you post amigo, hope all is well....

Have safe travels....

Glen, classy post.....thanks to all you guys for your hard work....want to see more pics of the table magic :grin:
 
Here are a few more before and after of Reno .

reno207.jpg

reno208.jpg

old cloth when the tables came from Cambell Billiards
poolhall019.jpg

poolhall018.jpg


As for finished photos only one found so far truck was late so lights went up first taped of area for frames. just a teaser
reno210.jpg
 
Here a few Reno with the Junior national players.
4.250" pockets new rubber and facings.
reno4250.jpg

reno2.jpg

reno1.jpg

reno3.jpg

reno4.jpg
 
Nice post Glen! YOU have helped allot of players on this board understand the dynamics of pool table excellence. A few of us were lucky to get to know you and am always wondering who will work on my table when and if I need it again. I don't know of anyone in this area that you would endorse so if you end up moving on I will do it myself and live with the results:grin:. I mean how tough can it be?:rolleyes::smile:
 
That was one hell of a job Craig, how much help did you have, and how long of a time frame did you have to complete this project?
 
Don't worry Glen... I took alot of pics. lol (As usual) from the time we hit the containers to the time the tables were loaded up to leave Reno.
I'll get some posted up here when i get back from Nashville.
Good thread and post by the way!:thumbup:

So...who's project was this, yours or Craigs?...or was it a combined effort from both of you?...how did this even come about using Robertson pool tables?
 
Robertson tables were used beacuase Tony thinks they would be nice to play on american made equipment and he got them cheap thinking he could sell them at the tournament to the players.
The project was Tony's but none of his so called master table mechanics 3-5 of them said no way to rebuilding 13 robertson's and 3 gold crowns a 1' 2 & 3 in 7 days then set up in Reno. {Craigslist installers i found out after talking to a couple of them they thought i was crazy.}

Tony has never seen my work because most of the tables I do are residential or pool halls that dont like tony or tony wont frequent for location or quality of tables or kid banging pool halls. So i introduced tony to Shane to see if we could team up and by and sell tables but nothing really turned out it. Tony thought I was new as a mechanic but has seen me play pool for years and complain about how bad some tables played in Reno for years since 1997. Shane told him he would only do the tables if craig could help or do them all since he knew I was quitting cable installs to go back to tables full time we have been talking about teaming up and traveling all over.

To show Tony we knew what we are doing we fixed a few table's in his pool hall that his mechanic just fixed sid he fixed. loose bolts ralis screwd down with no washers, dents in the rails from cloth streched to tight the wrong way all classic problems from newbies.

We all sat down and talked about the budget because the WPA yearly meeting, junior nationals, wheelchair and USPPA events were all at the Peppermill the same 2 weeks plus an open poker tournament free ride for pool players for a seat in the WSOP.

All together Shane, Gilbert and myself did 80% plus of the work Tony had a few employe's help out and a few old school players help out stripping and prepping rails for the 3 of us to put them back together. We all took turns covering rails, glueing rubber and fitting facings. glad to say Shane and I have never missed a dead line no matter how insane it was.

Shane went home or turkey day so he wasnt around for set up in Reno but this was a doozy.
Gilbert and I get there around 10am fri. tourny starts on monday, All day no trucks or tables show up plus elevator was broken repair men didnt fix it until 6 or 7 at night. first truck breaks down with a small load gets to reno about 8pm unload 2sets of slate 1 frame and 3 sets of legs and parts for the tables not on truck. Main truck shows up around 1or 2 pm saturday with it stacked wrong first off rails, frames, small parts then legs and slates Basically 6pm sat. Gilbert, Jeff Heath and myself are building leveling slates and running around trying to find parts all the small pats are on another truck or burried deep still in truck number 2 see I sent arunner to buy about $400 in nuts bolts slate screws and any thing else needed till we find the small parts. Tony had his own helpers load and off load the trucks totaly jack ass style 12+ hours to off load it all in no set order actually backwards. Three tables had slates that didnt match the fram cross members for center screw to screw doe=wn to so at midnight we went looking for pallets to cut up to add wood to the frame so we could get some of the crowning out of the slates.

WE had a couple of guys build frames and rails. Jeff and I leveled slates, Gilbert installed cloth mostly ran around locating parts in the truck trying to get stuff coming out in a natural order as we needed it by importance. Then you have the lookyloos that want the table assembled to what they think is right and as you walk around the table the bubble moves from the floor being shakey.

39 hours to have 13 tournament tables ready and had 1 gold crown left to be built when the junior nationals tournament started on Monday.

Some put in a lot of time others just a few but it all worked out,so we Had Jeff Heath, Gilbert, Shane, Al, Riley, Chris, Donnie and Steve and his wife a few more cant think of thier name and Julie Hunter should up out of the blue and brought lunch and ran around to locate nuts and bolts for us, She even loaned a few score boards for the streaming tables.

It was a fun project but next time I need to have an a cronological order of how things are to be done. To most of us its common sense to others it takes longer to see it or anticipate what order thing need to go in. I put a lot of trust in Jeff and Gilbert and they didnt let me down nor did we but heads we went about it for one common goal to be done in 39 hours.

Unloading a backwards loaded truck is what slowed us down and sleep other then that it was hectic but smooth.

I will start taking more pictures i stopped because some installers are taking someone elses photo's and claiming this is what there work looks like on craigslist. as long as i put a business card next to the photo no one would copy them claiming it to be theres. Plus i dont think about it till i leave and relax then i go man that table came out nice.

Some of my photo's are on http://www.myspace.com/n10spool
http://www.facebook.com/#!/n10spool

Thanks I enjoy talking more then typing any questions call me or pm me.

Craig
 
Craig, if Tony wanted to hold this event on American built tables...why didn't he just use Diamond tables...instead of putting everyone through this nightmare?
 
Here's a Gabriel I recently did. Check it out.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=206290

I remember that table Donny, that's the one you took Zach with you to deliver and setup when I was at your shop. Great work I might add on your part taking them thick as hell factory facings off and extending the rails the right way to tighten the pockets....Gabriels could learn something from you when it comes to sending their tables out with so called ProCut pockets. It grips me that they as a manufacture would rather, instead of extending the sub-rails...use the old trick of doubling or tripling up the facings...only they must think it's OK the way they do it....because it's only ONE facing....so what if it's thick as hell, and causes the pockets to play dead. Good job Donny....wish more mechanic's were like you and Craig and show your work more often....the world would be a better place to play pool if they did;)
 
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