my new table

[Geoff Large]

check the frame bolts are tight is the first check you could make , same with cushion bolts too , walk around the table and gentley toe kick each leg , there should be a dull thimp if leg is on the floor or packing , and a rattle thump and maybe even a vibration if leg is floating .
if the legs are not all on the floor or packing then the weight of the slates will eventualy bend the frame out of shape and level .

Geoff

[bricktip]

Image1.jpg

send me closeup of the cushion edge and I can tell if they are BCE.

here's a pic. Can you tell what it is?

[maryfield]

Hi Bricktip. I`m afraid to be the bearer of bad news but the cushions you have are not BCE. They are Chinese are will more than likely not have Northern rubber fitted. These are manufactured by companies such as Shender and usually are fitted with foreign rubber which is very poor quality. They have a high percentage of clay filler which will harden over time, reducing the bounce.

BCE Westbury cushions have pocket plates which bolt up through the body of the cushions. These will have two pin fixings which will not have bolts and these will slacken over time.

[Geoff Large]

Slide the back panel out of the cushion , take a photo of the cushion bolt and post it , they should have an oblong washer that is slotted , BCE always use this slotted washer for their cushions , on standard and also on the steel block freize fitting .
also the pocket plate's should all be Bolt up from under the cushion , look for these bolts under each end of a cushion , they sometimes wrap the pocket net wire around these when bolting up .

There are some BCE copy tables around , where did you buy the table from ?

[bricktip]

The pocket plates are bolted up through the cushions with one locating pin, and the plates look like the bce profile to me. I bought the table from 147sport.com. The frame parts are all numbered (stamped) and also have serial numbers on each piece of timber and the legs. The slate is Italian and from 1987, although i suppose it isn't necessarily the slate that was originally with the table.

Image1 (1).jpg

[maryfield]

Bricktip, I stand corrected. These are the type of fixings used on the BCE cushions that Geoff alluded to and so I would say they are BCE cushions. The only way to be certain which rubber has been used, is by removing some of the staples holding the cloth on the cushions and peeling back the cloth to see if the rubber is embossed with `Northern Rubber`. This can be found directly underneath the nosing. As Geoff has stated in previous posts the cushion rubbers will need to be `bruised in` and this can take a few months. What Geoff has stated on both your posts is 100% correct.

[bricktip]

If you look to the left of the bolt, there is 'R&W' stamped in the wood. This is on every cushion and i'd be interested to know what this means, not that it's so important, but interesting to know anyway.

[Geoff Large]

RW may be the bench fitter who made the cushions or a fitter who has worked on the cushions in the past , years ago especialy on thurston tables and George wright and palmer and sons , the cushions had a name stamped into the cushion , this was the bench joiner who made the cushions .
I some times sign my name on cushions , especialy if i have rerubbered it or it is an historical or rare table .I also date it , for future historians say 100 years from now will be saying who is Geoff Large , much like you are saying who or what is RW
i also put the firms name on the cushions and with internet records now it will be easy to see who I was .

Geoff.

[bricktip]

That was my other question... Who is Geoff Large?

I am curious as to whether the rubber is norther rubber, as i did specify new northern rubber. Perhaps i'll take a peek as Maryfield suggested.

[Geoff Large]

take the cloth off from the centre of the cushion carefully removeing the staples , just enough to look at the underside faceing edge , there should be some rasied lettering saying northern rubber , you can also feel this raised lettering with youre finger , it is on the underside faceing edge of the L shape rubber , you will not find how old it is unless you flully strip the cushion and reveal the top part of the rubber , which has a white painted transfer with Northern rubber by Hainsworth and a date on it .

right i'm off down London for two days and will be offline until i return , will answer any questions when i get back
Geoff

[bricktip]

Hi Bricktip. I`m afraid to be the bearer of bad news but the cushions you have are not BCE. They are Chinese are will more than likely not have Northern rubber fitted. These are manufactured by companies such as Shender and usually are fitted with foreign rubber which is very poor quality. They have a high percentage of clay filler which will harden over time, reducing the bounce.

BCE Westbury cushions have pocket plates which bolt up through the body of the cushions. These will have two pin fixings which will not have bolts and these will slacken over time.

Hi Maryfield,
I'm interested to know what made you think that the cushions were Chinese from the initial photo I attached?

[maryfield]

Hi Bricktip. The Chinese when they started making tables must have copied the profile from the BCE table. I have seen this profile on many Chinese tables such as the Corinthian, Rayleigh, Sovereign etc. I jumped the gun a bit purely on this profile.

[bricktip]

I'm pleased you were wrong

[philip in china]

A guy once told me that table rubber is ideal for making catapults. Never tried it myself.

[bricktip]

A snooker and catapult shop. This time next year we'll be milwionaires!