Friday, November 21, 2008

Build Your Own Pool Table

OK .. coming soon ... We'll be starting a pool table similar to one we made a few years ago. I think it will be our 14th or 15th since 1988 when I restored my first older table, intending that it would go in my basement. Sold that one and the next one too before I bought kind of a homely one for myself and I managed to hold on to that one. That was in 1990 when Sam was 8 and Will was 6. Needs new felt now... for the second time. Time flies .... Anyway, the one we're going to build is our first 7 footer, for a client on the Vineyard .... It will have a 'post and beam' base made from recycled barn beams ....... The beams just made it into the finish room last weekend and they are acclimating to the heat so there won't be much more to see for a week or so, but the process is interesting, and I know I'll enjoy writing about it as we go along. Not a table goes by that we don't consult the ultimate do-it-yourself article on building a pool table by Paul Bowman ... from Fine Woodworking Issue #75 ... check it out for yourself ... then click the pictures below to enlarge them ...


We made this 9 footer in 2005 and the 7 footer we will be starting soon will be similar in style...

Two hand hewn beams from a South Granville, NY barn frame circa 1850. The frame was reerected in a slightly different configuration and these beams became 'extras'. They will be used for the posts/legs and we will resaw some parts of them for the horizontal rails/beams of the base....

These rafters from the same frame will be used for the slate subframe and resawn to make the smooth wood rails and vertical 'blinds' which cover the edges of the slate and felt ... Beautiful, straightgrain, tight growth, most likely virgin timber ....

A couple of other tables we have built ... to see more .... go to the 'pool, poker, and game table' section of my website ...


This one won a Custom Woodworking Business magazine first place design award in (I think) 2005

Cherry and black paint, from 1989 ... still one of my 'classic' styles

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