BILLIARD TABLES:- RE-CONDITIONED,
REPAIRED AND RE-COVERED
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BILLIARD TABLES:- RE-CONDITIONED, |
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Illustration at right...
a cushion in the process of being recovered.
Depending upon amount of use or accidental damage, you may not need to have a new cloth fitted to your table for many years. However in a club situation, it may be necessary to replace the cloth more often depending on the amount of use the table gets.
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Recovering or fitting of a new cloth takes place 'on site' in your home or on club premises. One of the aspects of keeping billiard tables in good condition is maintaining the cloth, in the case that it is worn out it needs to be replaced, which is known as recovering, but if the cloth is still serviceable it can sometimes be re-stretched in order to extend its life. Recovering involves replacing the bed cloth and the cloth on the cushions and when done by an expert like Harvey Mitchell will result it the table performing 'like new'. The recovering process involves removing the existing cloth from the bed and cushions, checking for level and adjusting as required. Cleaning the surface of the slate bed as well as checking for and repairing any minor damage. Inspecting all cushion parts and replacing any that are not in perfect condition. Covering the cushions with new cloth and inspecting the pocket nets and leathers. Fitting new cloth to the slate bed including brushing, ironing, line marking and spotting of the new cloth. Finally re-assembling the table. |
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Strictly speaking the cloth that is used for billiards and snooker is known as 'English billiard table felt'.
The cloth exists in a number of grades and specifications, several of them go under the group heading of 'West of England'.
It is important for club officials to understand the variation in quality and durability of the different grades of billiards cloth, because in awarding a contract for the recovering of tables it is important to get 'value for money' by getting the most out of a new cloth.
Harvey only uses the best grade of cloth that is suited to club use, and that is 100% pure woollen felt, which will give thousands of hours of top quality play, so long as it is brushed and ironed at regular intervals.
This means that a club committee can set a price on the light meter such that the recovering cost is adequately covered in the first 2,000 hours of playing time. It is not possible to do this with inferior grades of cloth which may deteriorate more rapidly, while at the same time not delivering the best standard of play for those that are paying for the table time.
This re-stretching process both prolongs the life of a cloth and improves the standard of play that can be achieved on the table concerned.
Cloth being re-stretched
Written... 02, 03 June 2009,
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