Moving A Pool Table Yourself: The Pros & Cons

At this time of year, we often receive many calls for pool table service work. People are buying a new house and want to move their pool table, they’ve bought a new house and want to sell their current table because they don’t have space, they want to move their table to the cottage; so many different types of services are available.

Lately I’ve heard many customers tell me they want to move their pool table themselves (or have their moving company move it) and just have us put new cloth on and re-level the table. Here is what is involved in dismantling and moving your pool table yourself:

1. Labeling all of the parts and keeping track of all of the screws, nuts and bolts. When our installers come out to dismantle a pool table, they have a system so they don’t loose any parts and so the table will go back together, they will often label the pieces as they come apart. We once had a customer who had to purchase all new hardware for her pool table because the moving company she used discarded all the screws, nuts and bolts for her pool table. This was incredibly frustrating for her since we had to order a few things in that couldn’t be found at the local hardware store.
2. It is important to wrap all of the pieces to ensure that nothing gets scratched or damaged during transport. Our installers have large blankets which they roll up the rails and legs in and also protect the frame itself.
3. Removing the cloth can be tricky – especially if you want to re-use it when the table is re-assembled. Our installers can remove the cloth in such a way that it can be re-used when the table is put back together. Installers that simply cut the cloth off the table only do that if it is in really bad shape or they are too lazy to remove the staples. There is no need to replace the cloth unless you no longer like the colour or it is not in good condition. If you are planning to replace the cloth, now is the time to do it since the table is already apart and will need to be re-leveled anyway.
4. Properly dismantling a pool table requires not only the legs to come off the bottom and the rails to be unscrewed from the slate, it also requires the slate to be unscrewed from the frame and removed a piece at a time. Most standard 8 ft or 9 ft pool tables have 3 pieces of slate which are joined by either wax or putty and are attached to the frame of the table in some way. You will damage your pool table or the slate if you try and move it with the slate still attached.

Some 10 ft and 12 ft tables will have up to 5 pieces of slate and each piece will weigh anywhere from 250 to 350 lbs. If it is one piece of slate, it could weigh anywhere from 800 lbs and up. All of these factors effect the price of moving your pool table if we provide that service for you. We have a minimum of 2 technicians, but will use more if the job requires it. They are used to lifting slate and can do it properly without hurting themselves. Our installers also have a vehicle which will accommodate the weight of that much slate plus the weight of the pool table itself. Don’t forget – if you chip, crack or break a piece of slate, it will need to be replaced and you will need to purchase all new slate. The pieces are matched to each other and you won’t be able to replace a single piece.

A note on moving companies – often they are used to moving furniture, but not something as heavy and awkward as a pool table. Our installers are used to lifting, carrying and moving slate, maneuvering pool table frames through doorways and up stairs and know what’s involved when taking them apart. Pool table mechanics are specialists, the same as for a piano (yes, you should use a specialist to move your piano too!). They are also insured in case they break or damage anything during the move.

If you decide that you can move the table yourself but don’t want to put it back together, it is wise to simply move all of the pieces into the room it’s going to and leave the rest to us. Often a pool table which has been half put back together will have to be taken apart and re-assembled from scratch. We once had a situation where the customer put the table back together, but the cabinet was upside down with the slate on it!

I will say that I caution people who tell me they are moving their table themselves or having a moving company do it for them. Our crews have experience with all makes and models and will get the job done right the first time. Have you ever moved your pool table? What was your experience like?

Rack ’em: Don’t Be Gaffed

Amazingly one of the most important aspects of a game of 8 ball or 9 ball happens before the break shot is ever executed. Racking the balls is important, not only in how you rack them, but the order of the balls themselves.

8 Ball Rack

Let’s start with the most popular game – 8 ball. All 15 balls should be racked in the triangle. There are 7 solids (numbers 1 through 7) and 7 stripes (numbers 9 through 15) plus the 8 ball and of course the cue ball. You want the 8 ball to be in the middle of the 3rd row. Other than that, almost anything goes. The rules state that each bottom corner must be opposite each other (a solid in one corner, strip in the other). In order to get a good mix of balls once they have been scattered by the break, you might want to alternate stripes and solids through the rack.

9 Ball Rack

Moving on to 9 ball, the rack of these balls is slightly different. You can use either a 9 ball rack or a traditional triangle rack and tighten the balls with your fingers. Either way will work. The game of 9 ball is played with balls numbered 1 through 9 and racked in a diamond shape. The rules state that you must always hit the lowest numbered ball first, so the 1 ball should always be racked at the head of the diamond and the 9 ball should be racked in the middle. During competition, you will often see players rack with the 2 ball at the bottom of the diamond, with the 7 and 8 balls in the 4th row. This is because when the balls break, often the 1 ball comes back towards the middle of the table, where as the 2 ball will shoot back towards the foot rail. Sometimes depending on the break, it may be more difficult to go from the 1 ball to the 2 ball if the balls are scattered like that. It puts the odds in the favour of the racker!

Racked 9 ball rack with space between the first ball and the next row

When racking the balls for either 8 ball or 9 ball, it is important that you make sure that all the balls are touching each other. If you have ever make a break shot that should have scattered the balls into next week and the balls didn’t move nearly that far, probably what has happened is that the first ball in the diamond or rack wasn’t touching one or both of the balls behind it (possibly the balls further into the rack weren’t touching either, which is why it’s important to not only check the front balls, but also the middle and both back corners as you remove the triangle or rack). In the billiard world, we call this a gaff rack. A legal break is made when either 4 balls hit a rail cushion or at least one ball is legally pocketed. If neither of these things happens, the breaker can ask for a re-rack.

Have you ever broken a bad rack of balls? Did you know why it happened? Comment below and let me know your thoughts on how easy it is to rack a perfect rack of balls!

Racked balls that are all touching

Foosball: An In Depth Look

FABI Foosball

A great family game that doesn’t take up too much space is foosball. It can be played by either 2 or 4 players and requires a bit of hand eye coordination and a competitive spirit!

Trying to decide how much to spend on a foosball table can be a challenge. First, you must decide if you want a toy or a game. If you only want a toy, consider going to a place like Walmart/Costco/Canadian Tire. You can expect to pay about $200 – $400 and also expect that this type of table will not stand up to the test of time. Understand that you are buying a toy as compared to a game and that your toy won’t take much abuse.

If you decide to go with the game route, you can expect to pay anywhere from $700 and up. For this price you can expect that the foosball table will stand up to aggressive play from up to 4 grown adults and should last a very long time. If you are buying the table for your kids to play on, you should be able to send the table with them to college (unless you become addicted and want to keep it!).

Now that you have hopefully decided on purchasing a good quality game, there a few decisions to make. Here are a few guidelines to help with the decision process:

Telescoping Foosball Rods

Rods: There are 2 types of rods – telescoping and non-telescoping. Telescoping rods make for nicer play since the rods don’t pass all the way through the cabinet and out the other side. Often if a table has non-telescoping rods it turns into a full contact sport for the player on the other side! You can expect to pay a bit more for a table that features telescoping rods. As well, you want to be sure that the rods are made of steel and they have some give or flex to them. When the play turns aggressive, players will sometimes lean on the handles which in turn flexes the rods. If the rods are made of plastic for example or just cheap metal painted silver, they will snap in half.

Playfield: Most European models offer a playfield which features ramps in the corners and sides, as compared to American models which feature 3 goalies across so the ball doesn’t get stuck in the corners. European foosballtables also feature one goalie which doesn’t rotate all the way around – often American goalies will rotate all the way. It is interesting to note that for tournament play, you aren’t allowed to rotate or spin any of your players all the way around.

Foosball Goalie

Foosmen

Players: The midfield features 5 foosmen per rod, the opponent’s attack features 3 foosmen per rod, the defense features 2 foosmen per rod and the goalie (if playing on a European table) features 1 foosman per rod (or 3 foosmen if playing on an American table). On a FABI Foosball table, the players will stay where you leave them, in any position on the rod, as compared to being foot heavy and always returning to a foot down position.

Outside or Cosmetics: There are many different options, but essentially you want something heavy and durable. For example with a FABI Foosball, the cabinet is made of 1 inch plywood with a layer of arborite on the outside. Short of taking a baseball bat to it you really couldn’t damage this table.

FABI Foosball Cabinet

Legs: You want to make sure that the table has good, strong, durable legs that won’t bend or buckle with pressure. The FABI table features legs that are made of steel and have a rubber stopper on the bottom. Some tables do feature leg levelers which is good if you have an uneven floor.

A note about coin-op tables. Some people think that in order to get a good quality table, they need to purchase a coin operated one. This is not necessarily so. In the case of the FABI, the only difference between the coin-op and home version is that coin-op feature. Other than that, they are exactly the same. The same rods, the same play surface and the same legs.

Foosball is a game that can be enjoyed by the young and old alike. I play with my 6 year old son all the time in our showroom, and he always beats me! We have been selling FABI Foosball tables since we first opened in 1999 and have had a positive experience selling them. We don’t have people bringing them back because it broke in the first 6 months of play. They are strong and durable and will stand up to the test of time! We have one on display in our showroom and we would welcome anyone who wants to come in a check it out and have a game!

Who are you when you’re at your Best?

The Breard Family

This was a quote I heard today – Who are you when you are at your best? I really made me stop and think. Who am I when I’m at my best? Am I at work? A parent? A wife? A daughter? Now I’m really thinking – who am I when I’m at my best?

The first thing that came to mind was when I’m at work. I am an expert in my industry and am proud of my work and accomplishments. But is that really when I’m at my best? Next I thought about my family. Really when I think about it, this is when I am at my best. Without my family life being in a good place, every other part of my life goes out of whack.

This lead me to think about family vs work. Most of us have incredibly busy lives – I know I do and it’s sometimes hard to balance work and home. So many of us have both husband and wife working, usually with a commute of some sort. Since we all have to eat at the end of the day, its usually family life that suffers. But family is (or should be) the most important thing. What good does a 2 week vacation in some tropical destination do for you and your family if the other 50 weeks a year you’re not connecting in a meaningful way?

Family time whether it’s husband and wife, with kids or without, brothers, sisters, parents or grandparents should be about connecting. What better way to connect than over a friendly game of 8 ball? How about a recreational game of darts? Foosball? Shuffleboard? Table Tennis? You don’t have to be good at any of these games in order to enjoy them. Heck, you don’t even need to keep score! But its a great way to get the conversation going! It’s amazing the words that flow when we aren’t stuck in front of a TV or playing the latest video game.

In closing I will leave you with this thought. Do you want your family to remember playing games and having fun, great conversations and laughing together or remember playing endless video games, watching TV and waiting for the most important people in their lives to stop being so busy doing things that when it comes down to it won’t matter in the long run?

I’m interested to know what family games you remember playing growing up and what games you are playing now! Send me an email or comment below.

Olhausen Pool Table: A Leggy Look

When shopping for a pool table you want to purchase one that goes with your personal style and design concept. What you choose is up to you. Some people prefer a square leg table for a more modern look, some prefer a shapely or Queen Anne style leg for a more elegant or traditional look and some people go for a really modern looking table with a different design for the legs entirely.

When looking at an Olhausen Pool Table, it is easy to see the way that just by changing the leg, you can change the entire look of the table. They have a “Build Your Own Table” application which allows the user to make a trillion changes to the table they are viewing.

Lets start out with a Santa Ana Pool Table by Olhausen Billiards without any changes made:

Santa Ana Pool Table by Olhausen Billiards shown in Traditional Mahogany

You will notice the graceful lines of the table and how well the legs go together with the cabinet.

Sometimes though I have a customer who really likes the look of the cabinet but isn’t crazy about the Rams Head leg style. This is the same table shown in the same Traditional Mahogany finish on solid Maple but this time with August legs:

Santa Ana Pool Table with Augusta Leg Style by Olhausen Billiards

See how it totally changes the look of the table? Still a great looking table! It appears much more substantial than with the regular legs and yet it’s basically the same table. As well, although this modified Santa Ana appears to look the same as the Augusta, you will notice that the routering detail on the cabinet is more detailed on the Santa Ana.

Santa Ana Pool Table with Wentworth Leg by Olhausen Billiards

Here is the Santa Ana shown with the Wentworth leg. Again, it has totally changed the look and feel of this table. Instead of giving a “heavy” look like with the Augusta leg, the Wentworth leg gives it a more traditional look and feel and yet still gets away from the “curvy” Rams Head leg.

That is the great thing about purchasing an Olhausen pool table. No matter which table you choose, there are probably 10 different leg styles to choose from, if not more. Plus you have the option of about 20 different finishes and all of the other customizable details you can add. When you add an Olhausen pool table to your game room, you are truly adding a family heirloom which will last for generations to come!

Which pool table do you like the best? Curvy legs or straight legs?

Olhausen Shuffleboard Table: An Overview

Chicago Shuffleboard Table by Olhausen Games

Shuffleboard is a fun game that players of all ages can enjoy. It is enjoying a renewal as a family entertainment option and more and more families are adding one to their game room. A shuffleboard table also makes a wonderful alternative to a pool table when you have a choice to make. If your room measures 20 ft x 11 1/2 ft, you might want to consider a shuffleboard table rather than a pool table – only from the perspective that you can put it up against a wall and have plenty of space left in your game room for other furniture such as a bar, spectator chairs, darts or even foosball!

When people ask me what size shuffleboard is the standard, I reply that 22 ft is the tournament size. I also caution as I do when selling a pool table that the tournament size isn’t necessarily what they should be putting in their house (unless you are practicing for the next world championships!). You should buy the table (whether pool or shuffleboard) that fits in your room. So for the above mentioned 20 ft x 11 1/2 ft room, I would recommend a 12 to 14 ft shuffleboard table depending on how much space the customer wants to leave at the ends of the table. You will need a minimum of 2 ft but no more than 4 ft in order to play comfortably.

Olhausen Shuffleboard tables are available in 9 ft to 22 ft sizes and comes with a minimum 2 climatic adjusters. These adjusters are used when the climate warps the playfield. By making small changes to the climatic adjusters under the table you can keep the playing surface concave. This is a good thing since if it was flat the pucks would slide right off the side!

Unfinished Olhausen Games Shuffleboard Table Playing Surface

Olhausen Shuffleboard tables are as much of a furniture piece as they are a quality shuffleboard table. Olhausen actually manufactures the solid maple playing surface in the pool table factory in Tennessee. They even have a special room, all sealed off, where they pour the polymer in a 2 part process! When we went for a factory tour last October we were allowed to go in for a few minutes. It was about 80 degrees and it stunk so bad you could hardly stand it!

Olhausen also offers the option of putting a logo or family name directly on the play surface. Every shuffleboard table is crafted with the same care and attention to detail that you would expect from the company that is the Best In Billiards. They stand behind their products and give a Lifetime Warranty on them, the same as their pool tables. If you are considering purchasing a shuffleboard table and have more questions please feel free to email me kelly@hotshotsgames.com or call (905) 608-8100. Finding the right game room product for your family is a fun process and we are here to help in any way!