Newbie and the Process

iacas

iacas

Drill Sergeant
Silver Member
I'm a newbie. I've played pool for as long as I can remember... so long as you define "played pool" as "when we went on vacation and our hotel had a pool table, I'd play a few games." I recently lived in FL for 3 years and had a pool hall in front of my apartment complex, so I got some good play time in there. Just goofing around with friends, mostly.

I've decided to get somewhat serious about it now that I own a house (Erie, PA) and have spent the last week or so reading just about everything I could. (This will continue, of course - I don't want to imply that I'm done reading or learning!) I still know nothing about technique, as I've been focusing on finding a table within my budget that isn't crap. I trust myself to know that when I'm determined to do something, I follow through with it, so spending what amounts to a "prosumer" amount seemed good to me.

We have a house that has a room over the garage that's not been finished. It's just empty space with some support beams. We're looking to finish the room (it was an option the original owners decided not to add to the house) and to make it a gaming room. It should be about 20 x 20 when it's done (23' x 23' unfinished now) - so it'll fit a 9' table and maybe a little bar or something...

The only real dealer here in Erie, PA sells Legacy pool tables. I quickly learned that they are crap, despite their $3500 price tags (on at least one model anyway). Next, some people recommended the Diamond Pro, but at $4700 + $900 in shipping and setup from Indiana, that was pushing the budget a little bit too far.

In all of my searches, the Olhausens seemed to get high remarks. I love the BYOT on their site, and I've configured a table I like quite a bit: 01C-201-4E001-008-1G8.

Today I drove two hours to visit West Penn Billiards in Pittsburgh, PA. I put together a fairly decent setup, I think:

Code: 
Olhausen Huntington 9' Oak          $ 3695
MOP/Ebony Diamond Sights Upgrade       275
Simonis #860 cloth (prob. burgundy)    150
Upgraded Kit (cues, cover, etc.)       100
Padded Ping Pong Top*                  150
Delivery/Installation                  150
Tax                                    316
==========================================
Total                               $ 4836

* Wife says this is non-negotiable. If I get a table, we have to be able to play ping pong on it too.

The folks at West Penn were quite nice. They suggested I put some money down soon (before XMas) to reserve this price because they go up after XMas a few % points... They'd submit the order but tell Olhausen not to build it until we started construction on the room.

Before I do that, we've gotta get the whole loan thing going and get the quotes in from the builders. It could be anywhere from $6k to $8k to $20k. I think something around $10k is the sweet spot - and my wife and I will do a lot of the finishing stuff - carpet, chairboards (panelling), etc. The way the ceiling (roofline) comes in at about 4.5 feet in height, it may be an interesting room…

But anyway, at this point, I like to step back and ask myself (and you fine folks) if I've, so far, gone on the right path. Have I picked a good table? Is the price good? Should I bother upgrading the kit (slightly better cues, better balls, etc.) or will they be something I would just toss after six months anyway (I kinda figure my guests could continue to use them...)? What questions should I be asking right now?

Any and all help is tremendously appreciated. I look forward to contributing more here as I learn more, and learning as much as I can in the meantime. Hopefully by April or May I'll be rackin' 'em up!
 
it looks like you've made some good decisions to me. just to let you know though, you dont have to spend that much on a new oak table. you can go out and find a good used brunswick gold crown that if taken care of plays just as good years after purchase. you might not want to get the more expensive pool cue package either. because more than likely, once you start getting into pool, you'll want to spend a little chunk of change on a good quality cue. and those ones that came with the table will be right out the door
 
2arm_bandit said:
it looks like you've made some good decisions to me. just to let you know though, you dont have to spend that much on a new oak table. you can go out and find a good used brunswick gold crown that if taken care of plays just as good years after purchase. you might not want to get the more expensive pool cue package either. because more than likely, once you start getting into pool, you'll want to spend a little chunk of change on a good quality cue. and those ones that came with the table will be right out the door
Click to expand...
For $100 (normally $150, I think), I think it might be nicer to have the nicer cues for the guests. I don't know... I have a hard time waffling over $100 on a $5k purchase.

Thank you for your thoughts. I will consider it, though.

Now I just have to make sure I can convince the wife to do the renovation THIS year and not NEXT year.
 
What about the used Gandy tables near you?

iacas...You mentioned on another forum that you were going to visit a room near you, that one of the owners generously posted about having some Gandy tables for sale, where you could check the construction, as I advised you to do. It sounds like you've made up your mind to buy new, without checking those tables out. Is this the case? BTW, nothing wrong with that. Ohlhausen tables are great. But you claim to want to have all possible info before making a choice, and you mentioned again here that you're going to put a ping pong table top on of it anyway. If it were me, I'd be looking very hard at used tables, especially the ones near you.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Scott Lee said:
iacas...You mentioned on another forum that you were going to visit a room near you, that one of the owners generously posted about having some Gandy tables for sale, where you could check the construction, as I advised you to do. It sounds like you've made up your mind to buy new, without checking those tables out. Is this the case? BTW, nothing wrong with that. Ohlhausen tables are great. But you claim to want to have all possible info before making a choice, and you mentioned again here that you're going to put a ping pong table top on of it anyway. If it were me, I'd be looking very hard at used tables, especially the ones near you.
Click to expand...
I'm not really interested in used tables. If I have the budget for a new table and the used ones would only be a cost savings (not an improvement in quality), I'll take the new one.

I'm still going to visit the pool hall near me, but I've read enough everywhere that seems to back up Olhausen as a reputable, quality brand. Any trips I make to that pool room will be to learn more about pool tables and playing pool, likely not to look for a used table to purchase.

Tim at West Penn said that there's no problem putting a ping pong table on top, as he does this himself with his. His table tops are padded and the kit comes with a cover. He said he's never seen a scratch, and he seemed like an honest fellow.

I wrote up more on the game room itself just recently. I don't have any particular questions, but I'm linking it for completeness.

Thanks again for your opinions, advice, and ideas.
 
I play several nights a week in different places. I play on Diamond, Brunswick Gold Crown, Olhausen, Gabriels, and some Valleys, but we won't talk about them. All of the tables play well if properly set up, have the correct cloth (I like Simonis) on them and are well maintained. Diamond tables are the most consistent, but they are expensive. Used Gold Crowns are a great value and play great, but if you want new and don't like the style. stay with what you like. I also like Gabriel tables...very nice playing surface and deep, tight pockets. The Olhausens I play on are not well maintained, and have a tremendous amount of drift/roll-out on them, but I have played on some good playing Olhausens, also. Any of the name brands are good tables IF PROPERLY SET-UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.....find a really good set-up guy and pay the difference for that part, then you will be happy with whatever table you get.
 
Good luck in your search, etc. I'm also building a room, but the table's already there, with approval from the spousal unit though without entire understanding of what the whole deal would entail, sob, sob ... which woulda killed the project right off.

But one thing to think about is, before you buy that new table, just realize that a good used one, with simonis (and rubber if need be, though my 40-year-old Gold Crown didn't need it) will be indistinguishable from a new model costing 3 times as much ... unless the old one plays BETTER because it probably has a thicker slate, heavier frame and such.

And though the budget may be there for the new table, realize there will be all sorts of things while working on the project that will cost more than you thought they would at first, probably a few thousand more. I'd save the dough wherever I could ... might want it for insulation, wall coverings, wood for the bar, installation of a heater, or fixing up that jukebox you bought on eBay!

Lotsa luck!
 
Most tables use similar slate.

Most tables use similar if not identical slate. So as long as the rails are true and well glued and the tables are setup properly, you're going to get a similar play out of most tables. The only exception might be with the diamond pros, and that's because they have one piece slate, making proper alignment of the slate and setup a moot point. If the rubbers are the same, the table is setup properly and the rail guidings are true, you'll have a top quality playing table.

Hell, you could buy the slate and build the table yourself if you have a router, to cut the grooves for the rails. Me and my buddy used to make custom tables all the time.

I'm about to either get a used GC or buy the slate and build one myself here shortly after I get back anyway.

Since I have a family now, I'm going to have to spend less time in the pool halls, and I'll need a table to try out my cues as I finish them.
 
Travis Bickle said:
But one thing to think about is, before you buy that new table, just realize that a good used one, with simonis (and rubber if need be, though my 40-year-old Gold Crown didn't need it) will be indistinguishable from a new model costing 3 times as much ... unless the old one plays BETTER because it probably has a thicker slate, heavier frame and such.
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I've outlined the table model and whatnot that I currently have picked out. It's 1" Italian slate, solid wood construction, etc. etc. Considering that you've not said anything bad about Olhausen, I still have yet to hear any disparaging remarks about Olhausen's quality of building.

I'm not keen on moving a pool table. Something may play fine somewhere and not play as smoothly after a move if it's not handled with extreme car and set up by a good install man. West Penn is probably one of the best pool setup teams in PA, from what I've heard...

I live in Erie, PA. Finding a used table would be difficult. As someone who values my time (I'm a freelance software/web developer) at $150/hour, it wouldn't take long before I'd used up any of the extra money buying new would cost. That's a big part of how I've justified buying new (and I now realize I have failed to mention it thus far).

Travis Bickle said:
And though the budget may be there for the new table, realize there will be all sorts of things while working on the project that will cost more than you thought they would at first, probably a few thousand more. I'd save the dough wherever I could ... might want it for insulation, wall coverings, wood for the bar, installation of a heater, or fixing up that jukebox you bought on eBay!
Click to expand...

Our plans for the game room are to have the framing (including a/c, heating) and drywall done by a builder. We'll install the flooring, which should be around $1k. Every other decision can wait - wall treatments, decoration, etc. Laws re: quotes and contractors/builders will protect me from the budget miraculously increasing during construction, of course, and if I delay any and all other decisions and take them one step at a time, we shouldn't see much of a problem because the budget is just for the builder + table + the floor (carpet or hardwood, yet to decide... but obviously needs to be done before the table comes in). The rest can wait.

If we had a pool hall nearby (there's a bar, but it opens at 4pm, and there's a pool hall 25 miles away in my old hometown) that I could visit during the day, it'd be a lot easier to wait. Heck, I wish my gym had a decent pool table! I'm a golfer. Winters are hard. I get stir crazy. :-)
 
Diamond Pro tables have 3-piece slates

Jaden...Diamond Pro tables come with 3-piece slates, not one. The Diamond Smart table (available in 7' & 9' sizes) comes with 1-piece slate.

Scott Lee
 
the biggest difference in slate.

The biggest difference you notice in slate is whether or not the slate has wood backing attached to it.

If it doesn't have backing, then whoever sets up the felt has to use contact cement. I prefer to use a staple gun. If it has a wooden backing you can use a staplegun to attach the felt. I just prefer this method, less messy, don't have to wait a specific time. just stretch and shoot.
 
Jaden said:
The biggest difference you notice in slate is whether or not the slate has wood backing attached to it.

If it doesn't have backing, then whoever sets up the felt has to use contact cement. I prefer to use a staple gun. If it has a wooden backing you can use a staplegun to attach the felt. I just prefer this method, less messy, don't have to wait a specific time. just stretch and shoot.
Click to expand...
The Olhausens have a wood backing. I was sure to check for that. :-) It's one of the few things I can honestly say I've learned so far.
 
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