Buying 2nd hand tables

[johnnyramone1234]

I'm sure this will have been answered many times before but I'm new here so please bear with me. :snooker:

I'm going to put a full sized table in my new house. I am not going to buy a new one and am working out my best options for a 2nd hand one.

It seems that dealers in 2nd hand will install one for between 1000 amd 1500 depending on where you live and the quality of the table.

You can buy a table for around £200 on Ebay and pay someone around £500 to collect and install it.

Any tips on questions to ask the owners of a table? Also any tips/recommendations on the choice of installer?

Many thanks

JR1234

[MasseMaster]

I have plenty of room in my house cause we live in a 6 bedroom house and thers only 3 of us now.
problem is its upstairs and im not sure if domestic floorboards could support the table
i dont want it coming through the ceilling!!
any ideas?
thanks

[checkSide]

Yes, you will have to reinforce the floor lol.

Or you could put it on the ground floor.

[tivoli147]

Buying a snooker table

Buying from e-bay is fraught with danger. I know cause I`ve done it and have the diesel receipts to prove it. And I deal in tables. Its the same old story. `You get what you pay for" I have travelled 400 miles to collect a Riley Aristocrat only to get there and be offered a totally different table. The joker that was selling said ` What`s the difference a table`s a table` You can be lucky and pick up a bargain or you can pick up a pile of junk. By far and away the best tables are Burroughes and Watt, but these are costly to buy in a restored condition. Modern tables the benchmark is the Riley Aristocrat fitted with steel block cushions. These you will not get for any less than £ 2500 - £3500. If you want any help, PM your e-mail address to me and I`ll keep you right.

[awilliamson]

the flip question is where is the best place to sell a table?

i have a 3/4 size table and want to sell it to purchase a full size. Part exchange would be awesome, but that is just too hopeful!

[tivoli147]

Selling 2nd hand table

Alan

PM you e-mail or mobile number and I`ll discuss your requirements.

Chris

[tivoli147]

Alan

Did you manage to get a table?

[mnaitali]

HI,
I'm from morroco and i want to get a 2nd hand full size riley aristocrat snooker table with steel blocks. Could you help me please .. which is best way to purchase it?
My e-mail is mnaitali@gmail.com
BR

[Geoff Large]

I know thread is a bit old now but I've added the following for use .

If you are not looking to buy a steel block type table and not bothered about antique then one of the best modern tables to buy is a Karnehm and hillman table , 10 of these where for sale on ebay item number 280327621742 in Horesham , two where only sold from this batch at just £300 so you may get them for £200 each if they need to get them out of the now disused club , if on a low budget then these are the type of table to buy , just make sure that a ball rolls true on the slate of ANY table , if it rolls into centre from both side's then the slates will require re-floating which is very expensive and very hard to find people to do these days , I know they are plain square leg tables , but they do have scroll work between the legs and some reeding plus buttons on the frame and cush bolt hole's , I have only come across one bad set of slates on these make of tables , and they are easy to recover .
you can also get this table in a turned leg and a tulip carved leg . this sort of table will sell from a dealer for between £1500 to £2500 + vat fully installed . with all new equipment such as Balls and 4 cue's etc . recovered in say Strachan 6811 gold tournement or Hainsworth smart cloth new nets and leathers .

also when buying a second hand table check the rubber , around 4 and a half runs to 5 and a half runs on a ball thrown down the table and the rubber is ok , any less and it will require a Rerubber . some table's have cheap rubber on them always insist on Northern rubber which is dated and also the name is moulded in on the under side across its lenth . it is also dated at manufacture.

If a table is being installed upstairs be prepared to organize some bodies to help lift these or it can be very costley if the firm setting the table up have to Bring labour with them , a good fitter has at least three x 2 man slings for lifting and a slide for downsatirs + piano trolly , I recomend 6 men for lifting upstairs 4 if space dictates fewer bodies on the stairs , if you have room upstairs and a supporting wall is located underneath you may get away without having to have the floor reinforced , although a standard table come's in at around one metric ton it is even placed over the 8 legs , so if a supporting wall under the floor is exactly at half way point of table then only half a metric ton is on each supported floor , always seek a qualified structional engineer to be safe though if unsure .

as for the Table to Morroco , you may be lucky and purchase a table at low cost in the UK , but to get it to Morroco and set up will cost you in excess of 3 to £4000 , I've set tables up in Portugal ( nearest place to morooco ) whch took all week to drive there and back with table in a van , so two mens wages for the week plus expenses and a profit for the firm , I have also shipped a table to Tenneriffe and followed by plane to set up again very costly . although the table was around £2000 to buy the costs are always going to be high in labour and the time away from home .
I think youre cheapest option to buy a table for morroco is to seek one on the spanish mainland that some ex British patriot has allready shipped out there , the property has been sold and the table is for sale , chances of one being a steel block one though would be 1000/1 .

[1lawyer]

I have some questions for Geoff as he seems very clued up. I intend to get a table in the future myself. So my questions are these.

1. People seem to think Riley Aristocrats are the best because the pro's use them. However I find many older tables I have come across seem better to me both in design and playability. What tables would you go for yourself and why?

2. What is the difference in welsh slate and Italian slate and can you upgrade old tables with steel block new cloth etc and would you do it and why.

3. I heard the under table heating systems can warp the slate, what heating system would you get and is this a put off when considering a aristocrat or other table that has had one of these heaters on it.

4. What is the minimum size room you need for a full size table

[RGCirencester]

Room is size is fairly easy... 12 * 6 Foot table, using a 48" cue thats a 4 foot cue, so 20 foot * 14 foot minimum for the room. I'm sure Geoff will have more practical experience though

[Geoff Large]

Room is size is fairly easy... 12 * 6 Foot table, using a 48" cue thats a 4 foot cue, so 20 foot * 14 foot minimum for the room. I'm sure Geoff will have more practical experience though

Full size cue is 4 foot 10 inch .

min size for ease of play should be no less than 22 foot by 16 foot .

[RGCirencester]

I was assuming buying a shorter cue if you are short of space. or taking the butt off and using the mini butt instead would give you a shorter cue. But assuming a full size cue and some distance for the backswing i agree with you.

[Geoff Large]

I have some questions for Geoff as he seems very clued up. I intend to get a table in the future myself. So my questions are these.

1. People seem to think Riley Aristocrats are the best because the pro's use them. However I find many older tables I have come across seem better to me both in design and playability. What tables would you go for yourself and why?

2. What is the difference in welsh slate and Italian slate and can you upgrade old tables with steel block new cloth etc and would you do it and why.

3. I heard the under table heating systems can warp the slate, what heating system would you get and is this a put off when considering a aristocrat or other table that has had one of these heaters on it.

4. What is the minimum size room you need for a full size table

did not spot this on my first look so will answer all now .

no 1 / People like to own the best at anything , in tables that is from a playing point of view the Steel Block cushion , its the same in golf people like ping club's becuase the profesionals use them , I like Fender stratocasters because Eric Clapton and Hank Marvin used them .
Its all down to peronal choice and how big youre wallet is
personaly for a no nonsense table I would choose the modern Karnehm and Hillman table , they are good tables built out of good quality wood , and they can be found with square leg tulip leg and turned leg , the tulip one looks good .
always check modern slates or even old slates for that matter for trueness before purchasing a table , if buying one off ebay say you will pay the highest bid on condition the slates are ok , rubber and cloth are easy to replace floating slates is not .
On the antique side of tables , I prefer George Wright than Burroughs and watts or Orme or even thurstons . they tended to be made out of much high quality woods and the legs where massive on most of these tables sometimes 10 inch with three inch frame sides , ok they are not steel block cushions , but from pride in knowing it is made well I would choose George wright over any other make .
Remember modern tables for the modern Game , old tables and you may tend to get a few bounce backs onto the table from pocket plates .

no2 / Welsh slate is a much better grade of slate , it is more densor and and 2 inch slates are 2 inch , some even thicker , you can get thin table slates but i would steer clear of those unless youre realy into old tables .
Italian slate is soft and weigh's less , a modern table could weigh 1 metric ton where a welsh slate table depending on wood used could weigh 1.5 metric ton , this is important for rooms upstairs , i prefer thin slate tables upstairs for obvious reasons
yes you can fit steel block cushions to most tables , make sure they are slates that are measure 6 foot 1.5 inches wide by 12 foot , some early tables are 6 foot exact on the width and I have come across a couple of tables with 6 foot 2 inch width slate , the steels will not fit these unless some rather serious alterations are made to cushions so avoid fitting to these narrower of wider than standard slates .
modern slates have 6 bolt holes all the way around for each cushion , where the old slates have 6 on the end cushions and 5 on each side cushions .
if fitting old steels to new slates then you have to drill out for the 6 bolt holes in the side cushions , if fitting modern steels to old slates the same applies , but it is not all that difficult .
Would I fit steels to a old table , NO I like to keep them original to how the maker made them .

WARNING
WATCH OUT FOR MODERN METRIC SLATED TABLES BY CLARE PADOMRE AND THURSTON , THEY ARE SMALLER ALL ROUND THAN NORMAL TABLES AND WILL NOT TAKE STEELS WITHOUT SERIOUS ALTERATION .

no 3 / yes I have witnessed warped slates from heaters too close to the slate , heat is heat , there is no need for a specialist heater to be fastend just under the slate , heat rises , get oil filled radiators under the table , pre heat 2 hours before a game then unplug , the heat is still in the oil for at least 2 more hours and the heat is trapped under the frame , the slate's have absorbed the heat and will retain it for prob all night session . if you buy a table with a hung heater attached just under the frame check the slates and then remove it , use the heat as described with oil filled radiators . they do not have to be expensive ones , buy them in summer from B&Q for around £20 each , low killowats is prefered .
Do not use convector heaters they are a fire risk .

no4/ 22 foot by 16 foot .

As a guidence to buying a table , poeple will tend to always go for the Steels because the pro's play on that type of table , when I played football I liked adidas football boots , then changed to puma thinking all the top players are playing in these , Did they make me play any better ? NO .

A modern standard table is the type of table you will play on at most club's , if you play at home on one of these you are more used to standard pocket openings , so tend to be more relaxed on that type of table , if you then go to a steel table with pro template pockets you would think you would struggle , Gary Wilkinson used to play in a club in Kirby in ashfield with 4 inch pockets when he was 16 , I told him he would never become good playing on tables with buckets , but it must have boosted his confidence in that he got to world ranking no 4 and was tipped for the top by Ray reardon .

so to me steels are overated .

[Geoff Large]

One table that I forgot to mention , I was called out to a private house near Newark to service a table , on getting there I found it to be of a queer size , approx 10 foot 10 inch long by 5 foot 6 inch wide , what amazed me was the fact it had Steel block cushions on it . on closer inspection underneath , I found it to be a cutt down full size , when I measured the room , it had been cutt to fit the room giving enough cue room to the side .
The lenth's people go to for perfection , by the way it was a Orme table with burroughs and watts steel cushions all in honey oak , and looked very good with matching Life Pool score board and rotating cue stand .