- Listed below are the most frequently asked questions about billiards, snooker and pool tables. Including how to care for your table, the names and descriptions of components.
Are dust covers beneficial to the life of my Billiards table?
We recommend the use of dust covers as they prolong the life of your Billiard cloth. Strong light and dust can fade & break down the wool fibres. Dust covers made of cotton, linen or some other breathable fabric can be complementary to décor as well. Where pets or children frequent a water-proof cover may be advisable. Large selections of dustcover styles are available at Harry Evans & Sons.
Can you re-mark & re-spot my Billiards table?
Yes, we can. This procedure involves the re-drawing of the ‘D’ and baulk line onto the billiard cloth. To replace the lines, we use a 2B pencil and a special marking out tool. The spots are a silk glue on type. We always have them in stock. But if we don’t you can use the pencil to draw the spots. A competition table doesn’t use spots as they sit proud of the cloth. this can interrupt the path of the ball. However, the spots do protect the cloth. There are strict dimensions when respotting the table. These dimensions vary of each size table. We recommended you seek the expertise of billiards technicians. Like us!
Do you re-tip cues and replace the brass ferrules?
With regular use tips on cues become worn or drop off. Ferrules may split or come loose. Harry Evans & Sons provides a re-tipping service. A selection of new high-quality leather tip and ferrules are available. We can also give helpful hints on tip shape and good tip maintenance.
How do I Brush my Pool table?
We recommended regularly brushing of your cloth. brushing the table between games and whenever you finish. This removes excess chalk & dust. It’s best to use high-quality horsehair or Billiards brush. The technique we recommend is to use short firm strokes. Start at the ‘D’ end or Baulk and brush in the direction of the ‘nap’. Never brush the table against the nap. Brush down the table in one straight line. With the next ‘run’ to slightly overlapping the previous run. Remember to brush under and around the top of the cushions in the direction of the nap. Harry Evans & Sons include cloth brushing as part of a general table service if required.
How do I level my table?
Following re-location or due to climatic changes billiards tables may need levelling. This service is part of our general service by Harry Evans & Sons. Adjusting the threaded toes or feet at the base of the table legs changes the table height. Other tables have packers under the legs.
What are the benefits of ironing the cloth?
The purpose of ironing cloth is to lay the ‘nap’ flat to increase the speed of the balls in play. To do this use an iron-on ‘wool setting’ or medium-dry heat with a billiard iron. To prevent damaging the cloth keep the iron moving at all times. place the iron on the bed cloth and twist it to a 45-degree angle. this will reduce heat marks. If unsure seek specialist advice.
What are your opening hours?
We are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. We observe all public holidays.
What is the nap?
The nap is the direction of the cloth. The fibres of the material lay flat in this direction. If you softly stroke the cloth with your hand you will feel that it’s smooth one way and rough in the other direction. It is important to brush the table in the direction that lays the fibres flat. Consistent with the established nap of the cloth.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary
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Billiard table or Pool table cloth.
The cloth is sometimes referred to as ‘felt’. This is incorrect. Felt is a matted compressed material. Billiard cloth is a dedicated woven fabric used in Snooker, Billiards and Pool. The cloth is 100% wool. It’s available in different weights for the different applications. There’s a selection of colours and patterns available. these range from the traditional to more modern designs.
Fully-Housed Frame.
This means the construction of the frame is using a Mortise and Tenon joint. A “mortise” or groove and “tenon” or tongue slots into each other as matched pieces of timber. (see diagram below). The strength of this style of joint makes it ideal for use in framing and general furniture work. The tenon must be a tight fit into the mortise for a strong joint. The tenon width should never be more than one third the width of the timber in which it’s cut.
Hand-ground.
This is a method of achieving superior flatness. Grinding the slate is a technique that takes great skill to achieve a close tolerance. All our tables are hand ground for supreme flatness and accurate roll.
Kiln-dried furniture grade timber.
Kiln drying timber stabilizes the structure of the material. All our timber is hand-selected from available sustainable supplies. We use Kiln dried timber because of its quality and aging properties.
Slate.
A sedimentary rock selected for its soft pure properties. We prefer slate mined from Italy for its high quality. The correct measurements for traditional & competition tables. Click here to view the table sizes and room requirements guide.
