Help on How to disassemble a Full Size Snooker Table

[deema]

The table now looks a little different, and the five slates can be seen ( some tables I understand only have three monster slates). I understand a sign of quality is how much filler was needed to flatten any defects in the slates. This had almost none, with just a little on the edge of a couple of slates where the edge had crumbled a minuscule bit. Probably when it was moved. This is the tables second home. I might be wrong but is appeared chalk or something similar had been used to act as a filler.

The beige is held on by tacking the cloth to a wooden strip that’s screwed from above up to the slates. The wooden lates also keep the slates secured to each other. They are just 2”x1” and it’s clear that the table has been recovered a few times judging by the number of tack holes. I think if I ever rebuild it I will replace them all. Just as an aside, I carefully permanent marked discretely every part so I can put it back together with every part going back exactly where it should be. The lates are held on by large screws spaced circa 4” or 100mm apart. I was surprised just how many there were. The pockets have a separate piece cut out for the pockets. The slates are now secured to the under frame, their weight keeps them in place. The slates on this table are approx 1 3/4” or about 46mm thick.
The chalk labels were from who ever put it together…..I used something a bit more permanent!

 

[deema]

The slates are packed underneath to make them level, a few playing cards were used! Some table slates are pinned to each other and some not. So before trying to lift them off it’s important to find out if these were pinned. So a strong pull to see if these are pinned revealed that this table is pinned.

 

[deema]

The previous night to disassembling the table we had all gone out for dinner, kind of last supper. Unfortunately my BIL awoke in the night to become reacquainted with his supper……if you get my jist. He was driving so it was definitely food poisoning and not liquid grape related. He was nursing a bowl all day and useless to help lift the slates off. They are heavy, but just doable by two strong people. Two wives and myself was a none starter, so this is where I had to leave it. All the neighbours / my parent in laws friends are all coffin dodgers, so no ability to call for help. Boston Lincolnshire is not a place we have livid and my wife left it a long long time ago. Very frustrating. Last thing I could do was remove the covers that hide the leg bolts that hold the stretchers on. The dog is my BILs checking to see if I’m going to walk him.

Sooooo……need to work out in the next few days a return to get the slates off. BIL is now away for a few weeks and it has to be out quickly. Life is never easy!

 

[Eric Roy]

Thanks for an interesting update and the photos . Well done for getting this far. Hope you are able to find the muscle you need for the final steps.

 

[rogxwhit]

Honduras mahogany?

 

[deema]

I’m not sure which mahogany it is, there is no makers name on the table as I understand it had been re polished sometime in its history and it was probably removed. That might have pointed to its actual age to help work it out.

 

[DRC]

Thank you for that informative post and excellent photos I have played snooker on & off for 60+years and I often wondered how they were assembled and disassembled. I could have found out in my teen years as I worked next door to Thurstons, a London Snooker/billiard table maker but I never did being young and very busy.

 

[deema]

So, a bit of quick research, the slate I now know for certain is 1,75” thick and in total the table is 6’x12’ in size giving a total weight of 800KG. Each piece is about 160KG. That’s a bit if weight!! I’m guessing the under frame is probably around 150KG and the other bits another 5KG. So my initial view of it weighing 1 tonne seems spot on.

 

[deema]

Round 2, getting the slates off finally. The five slates each weigh about 160KG so I took one of my manual stacker trucks, along with @Sideways piano mover and one of my own. The scissor lift truck made getting the slates off very easy, the two piano movers enabled us to pass each slate through a door and down two steps. Archimedes principles allowed us to get each slate into the van without the use of the scissor lift which was still in the snooker room.

 

[deema]

The frame is held together with what can be best described as very big bed bolts. The bolts are around 16” long! The two ends come off first, as the internal bracing is mortice and tenoned into the outside frame.

First end, only took a few minutes.

Second end

The side rails again are bolted to the legs and have sliding mortice and tenon joints in the middle. The rails lift out vertically from the central legs and are mortice and tenonned into the end of the each end leg. Hope that makes sense.

The table maker was finally revealed

A long 140 mile journey home and a couple of hours to unpack and place it into storage and I was ready for a glass of beer.

 

[deema]

So, after taking a snooker table apart, I have to say, that if you either have about four really strong people, or some other method of lifting, it’s not difficult, in fact I would say very easy and straight forward. Looking on eBay and Market Place , they crop up frequently for very little money, from a few hundred to ‘please just take it away for free’!

I think putting it back together again will be relatively straight forward. A really good, preferably an Engineers level is required. The table was packed up under the legs with hardboard cut into discs and playing cards. A little unusual, but it had kept it level and true for over 20 years. The carpet had been cut around the legs, so eight holes were left.

The table which is 12’ x 6’ had a minimum of 6’ around each side, and that allowed it to be played on without hinderance. So, it will fit in a double garage….just.

I don’t play, but my three boys do. So, it will be hopefully a nice thing to have for when they come around. A nice thing to remember my father in law by.

 

[AJB Temple]

Great thread. Well done you. Patient and methodical. Top job.

 

[pe2dave]

Fascinating, thanks for the detail. One thought, did you note the packer thicknesses under the slates? May be useful when re-assembling.
Makes me wonder about snooker tournaments? 6 or 8 tables to move and get 'just right'!!!

 

[deema]

@pe2dave I didn’t note the small amount of packing under the slates as I felt that this would be dependant in how well they had levelled the base.

 

[julianf]

Rayburn hearth
Log burner hearth
Large step
Selection of window sills
Outside threshold step thing

Total cost - £30 on one full size snooker table and cues.


The seller has previously tried to give it away but noone could move it.

 

[ajs]

Fascinating, thanks for the detail. One thought, did you note the packer thicknesses under the slates? May be useful when re-assembling.
Makes me wonder about snooker tournaments? 6 or 8 tables to move and get 'just right'!!!

As I understand it they're essentially built in position to get them properly level from the outset, it isn't a case of twiddling the legs until a level reads true.

I remember hearing back when the UK Championship was here in Preston, someone got into the Guild Hall and poured a beer over the table, only noticed four hours before the start of the next session. Fortunately they were able to get someone in to recloth it in time, not sure I'd like working under that sort of time pressure.