What is a Slate Bed English Pool Table?

A Slate Bed Pool Table is the type of table that you would normally find and play on in most pubs, clubs, hotels or other commercial premises. As the name suggests, the playing surface for a Slate Bed Pool table is an actual levelled piece of slate that is covered with the playing surface cloth.

Slate Bed Pool Tables are extremely high quality and long lasting and offer a professional, even and smooth playing surface.

Slate Bed Pool Tables are very heavy with freeplay tables weighing between 220 and 250 kilograms and slate bed tables weighing up to 300 kilograms.

What is a Wooden Bed English Pool Table?

Wooden Bed Pool Tables normally have an MDF or composite wooden bed which is then covered with the playing surface cloth. The wooden bed is less costly to produce than the piece of slate used on Slate Bed tables, therefore making them more affordable to you. They are also much lighter than their Slate Bed counterparts.

Wooden Bed Tables are designed as a fun table for home play and given their relatively light weight they are easy to move around the house. This type of table would generally weigh up to 200 kilograms.

The playing surface of a Wooden Bed Pool Table is not of the same standard as a Slate Bed Pool table and would not be recommended for commercial or professional use. Unlike a slate bed, the bed of a Wood Bed Pool table is more susceptible to moisture and temperature. The evenness of the playing surface of a Wooden Bed Table, may be affected by adverse moisture and or significant changes in room temperature over time (especially conditions in conservatories where room temperature can change significantly through the day and night). Vagaries in temperature would not affect any slate bed playing surface.

What is the difference between a Slate Bed and a Wooden Bed Pool Table?

As the names suggest, the cloth covered playing surface of a Slate Bed Table is made from a single piece of levelled slate, and the playing surface on a Wooden Bed Table is made from a single piece of MDF. Due to the much lighter playing surface, wooden bed tables may also have a lesser specification of frame and leg supports as there is less weight to support over the tables lifetime.

Another notable difference between the two types of table is the cost. Slate Bed Tables are more expensive due to the higher cost of the slate bed itself. Also the quality of the of the playing surface on a Slate Bed Table is of a professional and higher standard than a Wooden Bed, which is classed as a ‘fun’ table more suitable for home play.

What sizes do English Pool tables come in?

Slate bed size = 6 foot 3 inches x 3 foot 3 inches
External table measurements with the cushions affixed = 7 foot x 4 foot
Internal playing surface - From the nose of the cushion rubber = 6 foot x 3 foot
Full size snooker cue size = 57 inches
Perfect room size using a full size cue for all shots = 16 foot x 13 foot - (Size shown allows an additional three inches of room on all sides when using a full size snooker cue).
Smaller cues for tight areas in the room or children available in 36, 42, 48, 52 and 57 inch sizes.

Slate bed size = 5 foot 6 inches x 3 foot
External table measurements with the cushions affixed = 6 foot 3 inches x 3 foot 8 inches
Internal playing surface - From the nose of the cushion rubber = 5 foot 3 inches x 2 foot 8 inches
Full size snooker cue size = 57 inches
Perfect room size using a full size cue for all shots = 15 foot 3 inches x 12 foot 8 inches - (Size shown allows an additional three inches of room on all sides when using a full size snooker cue).
Smaller cues for tight areas in the room or children available in 36, 42, 48, 52 and 57 inch sizes.

What are the weights of 6 foot and 7 foot English Pool Tables?

7 foot Coin Operated Tables

One piece slate bed playing surface = 110 kilograms
Table frame, top surround, legs, ball drawer unit, coin operated mechanism and internal components = 190 kilograms.
Total weight of 7 foot x 4 foot coin operated English Pool Table = 300 kilograms

6 foot Coin Operated Tables

One piece slate bed playing surface = 95 kilograms
Table frame, top surround, table legs, ball drawer unit, coin operated mechanism and internal components = 160 kilograms.
Total weight of 6 foot x 3 foot coin operated English Pool Table = 255 kilograms

7 foot Freeplay English Pool Tables

One piece slate bed playing surface = 90 kilograms
Table frame, top surround and table legs = 140 kilograms

Total weight of 7 foot x 4 foot freeplay English Pool Table = 230 kilograms

6 foot Freeplay English Pool Tables

One piece slate bed playing surface = 85 kilograms
Table frame, top surround and legs = 130 kilograms

Total weight of 6 foot x 3 foot freeplay English Pool Table = 215 kilograms

What standard accessories do I get if I buy an English Pool Table from fcsnooker?

All of our English Pool tables come with;

a set of 2 inch Red & Yellow Pool balls or 2 inch Spots and Stripe Pool balls (with a 1 inch & 7/8’s cue ball),

2 x Ramin Cues, a Triangle and a Box of Chalk.

What type of cloth is used on our English Pool Tables?

The brand of cloth used on all of our tables is the Strachan West of England cloth. This cloth is made by one of the leading pool and snooker table cloth manufacturers and is of professional tournament quality. Strachan cloths are regarded as the leading brand in the pool table cloth market and have been made in the West of England since 1890.

As well as being the official and exclusive cloth of choice for the International Pool Players Association and the World Eight Ball Pool Federation, Strachan cloths are endorsed by the top manufacturers of English Pool tables throughout the United Kingdom. Strachan cloths are well known for their longevity, classic appearance and for having a lifespan that outlasts it’s closest rivals.

As well as the colour variations on offer, you will see that most tables come with the choice of being covered by either a 100% Wool or a Napless cloth of wool / nylon mix.

What is Napless Cloth?

Napless cloths offers a smoother, faster playing surface than traditional Woolen Cloths. Napless cloths are ‘nap-free’ meaning that they will not pill, fluff or shed and therefore will allow the balls to run a lot quicker, unobstructed across the playing surface.

This type of cloth is traditionally found on American Pool Tables, Outdoor Pool Tables and many Pool Tables in commercial settings.

Why are some Pool Tables more expensive than others?

The varying costs of English Pool Tables are related to the different factors such as;

• The build specification and type of table - Is the table a Coin Operated Table will ball drawer unit and coin operated mechanism, a Freeplay Table or a convertible English Pool Dining Table?

• The materials used to make the table - The costs associated with the different laminates used in the tables production, does the table have metal or wooden legs, is it an outdoor table that need to be constructed from Marine Plywood?

• The time taken to construct the table - Will the table legs require more time to style and craft to give a certain finish (see the Elegance Freeplay Pool Table)..?

What ever price is asked for any table design, you can rest assured that all of our Pool tables are constructed here in the United Kingdom and are all made to the highest quality using the finest materials that we can source.

I have never bought a Pool Table before, what type should I buy?

We understand that an English Pool Table can be an expensive purchase and with so many tables on offer you will want to make the most informed decision that you can. You will see on our site that we sell different categories of English Pool tables ranging from;

Slate Bed Tables – within this category there are:

• Coin Operated Pool Tables
• Pool Dining Tables
• Freeplay Pool Tables
• Outdoor Pool Tables

Deluxe Wooden Bed Tables

American Pool Tables

Slate Bed or Wooden Bed table?

We recommend the first choice that you make is whether you want to buy a Slate Bed Pool Table or a Wooden Bed Pool table?

If you want to buy a table for home, commercial or professional use and want the playing surface to be of the highest quality, then we would recommend a recommend a Slate Bed Pool Table.

If you want to buy a table for use at home as a ‘fun’ table that you may need to occasionally need to move around from room to room, then we would recommend a Wooden Bed Pool table.

Freeplay Pool Tables

As with the Coin Operated Pool Tables, the Freeplay Pool Tables are suitable for both domestic and commercial use. The difference with these tables is that they are not fitted with a coin mechanism, hence the name ‘Freeplay’. If using this specification of table in a commercial environment, you would need to link the lighting to a table computerised monitoring light controller or system to calculate table rates and final bills.

The tables in the ‘Freeplay’ category are all Slate Bed Tables and therefore have a professional standard playing surface. They are also all fitted with a Ball Return System, which means that when you pot a ball it is automatically returned to the end of the table and does not just sit in the pockets.

The ‘Royal Freeplay Table’ is fitted with a Cue Ball Separator return system (the same as what you would find on the Coin Operated Tables) which means that the Cue Ball is returned to one end of the table and the coloured balls to the other.

Coin Operated Pool Tables

Traditionally, Coin Operated Pool Tables are used in commercial settings such as; pubs, clubs, bowling alleys and hotels as additional amenities used to generate extra revenue. However such tables are also suitable for domestic play, the amount to charge per game is easily adjusted and the table can be fitted with a manual coin operating system, or the more expensive electronic coin operating system. Coin operated tables can even be set to freeplay operation by adjusting the coin mechanism to release the balls without coins.

You can also request that we fit your table with a Coin Mechanism that will work off Tokens rather than coins. Customers exchange coins for tokens and then use the tokens to release the balls.

Pool Dining Tables

You may not have enough space for a dedicated games area to keep a pool table and need to be a bit more economical on how you use the space you have to work with. This is where Pool Dining Tables come in handy, as they double up as both a high quality pool table and an attractive dining table.

Outdoor Pool Tables

Although fitted with Slate Beds like the Freeplay and Coin Operated Tables, our Outdoor Tables are manufactured in such a way that makes them suitable to withstand the rigors of outdoor use.

The Outdoor Pool Tables are fitted with the Napless nylon based cloth, this cloth contains no Wool and therefore prevents it from rotting as it prolongs the life of the cloth itself.

The tables in this category are also constructed from laminated Marine Plywood, which is a specially treated material that is designed to resist rotting in environments where the material will be exposed to moisture for long periods of time. The Outdoor Pool Tables are available in the Coin Operated, Freeplay and Pool Dining Table forms as well.

American Pool Tables

The American Pool Tables that we have are constructed using a Slate Bed playing surafce and are designed to offer an authentic American Pool playing experience. Available in the Freeplay variety, American Pool Tables use a larger (2 ¼ inch ball) than their English counterparts and are fitted with larger pockets. Again, both are suitable for commercial and domestic settings.

How much will it cost to have my Pool Table Delivered to my door?

fcsnooker offer and provide a worldwide delivery service with costs dependant on the volumetric size / weight of any consignment and the geographical location of the chosen delivery address.

Available in six and seven foot table sizes and weighing between 225 and 250 kilograms, kerb side delivery services are available for slate bed English Pool tables.

This mode of delivery would see the English Pool table delivered to the pavement outside your home and you would then be required to manouevre the table weights inside and erect the table. Full instructions are provided.

Many mainland United Kingdom pavement delivery services (kerb side) are priced at £135.00 + vat. Collected from our premises and delivered to your door. Outlying areas are be subject to a seperate quotation and charge.

fcsnooker will use their best endeavours at all times on site to get your table perfectly level. However it is reasonable to assume that newly installed table weights will settle into your existing flooring solution and the table may need re-levelling six to twelve weeks after the original installation.

Customers can factor a return visit into the equation to cover for this eventuality when ordering table products or alternatively a re-visit fee can be discussed should this issue arise.

Can I install my Pool Table on my own?

If you decide to have your table delivered ‘kerb-side’ only, you will need to make provisions to install and level the table yourself. Have a look below for a guide to installing and leveling an English Pool table.

Please note that before deciding whether to install the table yourself we would first recommend checking out our Room Size Guide to ensure that you have the required space to install and use a Pool Table in your given space.

Another thing to note is that installing an English Pool Table is a two person job and will require heavy lifting. Before you proceed to install your table, we would recommend reading up on correct heavy lifting and carrying advice first, as there are plenty of useful resources on the internet that cover this subject very well.

fcsnooker's English Pool Tables are delivered as three main parts;

• The Table Legs (with all bolts and adjustable leg levellers).
• The Body of the Table (inside of which will sit the Free Accessories; 2 Cues, Triangle, Box of Chalk, Box of Red and Yellow Balls).
• The cloth covered Slate.

Installing an English Pool Table (This guide is for ‘Ground Floor’ Installation for Freeplay Pool Tables)

Carrying the Body of the Pool Table

After removing the outer packaging of the Pool Table body, take out of the accessories that have been packed inside the table before lifting and carrying the body. The weight of the bodies of our Pool Tables vary depending on the model, but as a rough guide expect to be lifting anything between 60 kilograms to 11 kilograms.

Carry the body of the Pool Table to the room / area that you wish to install the table in. As mentioned above, this stage will require two able bodied people, as the body of a Pool Table can be awkward to carry due to it’s shape and depth (especially around corners and through doorways).

In the room that you wish to install the table, lay the Pool Table down safely on to the floor.

Fitting the Legs to the Body of the Table

The easiest way to do this is to first carefully lift the table on to it’s side.

Have one person hold the table steady on it’s side whilst the other screws the table legs to the base of the table. Once the table legs have been screwed into the body of the table, you will then need to bolt on the Leg Levellers to the base of each leg. The Leg Levellers are the adjustable feet that will allow you to make sure you get the table level before you play.

Once you have the legs and levellers fitted to the base of the table, gently lift and turn the table so it is resting on it’s legs.

Prior to moving on to the next stage of the installation (fitting the Slate Bed), you will need to unclip the Top Frame from the Body of the Table. This is done by simply unclipping the table top beneath the frame where it is attached at various points along the edge of the body.

Fitting the Slate Bed to the Body of the Table

With the Table Legs and Levellers fitted it is now time to fit the Cloth Covered Slate Bed to the top of the table body.

You should take care to be gentle when handling and fitting the slate and also to take in to account that this is where the majority of the weight of a Pool Table comes from. Slates are approximately ¾ Inches thick and weigh around 125kg.

Gently lift and rest the Slate Bed on to the Body of the Pool Table. The slate will fit and rest inside the body of the table under it’s own weight and does not need to be fastened or attached.

Clipping the Top Frame of the Table on to the Body

After you have the Slate Bed fitted, the next stage is to clip the Top Frame in to place.

Simply lift the Top Frame on to the top of the table, then clip it in to place. To clip the frame in to place you will need to get underneath the table where you will find holes allowing you to reach inside the table and secure the clips along the varying points of the Top Frame.

Levelling the Pool Table

The installation of your table is pretty much complete now, you will have the Legs, Levellers, Slate Bed and Top Frame all securely fitted and all that is left to do is to level the table to make sure you are getting a nice even playing surface.

Place a spirit level on to the surface of the table and use it as a guide to how you should adjust the Leg Levellers accordingly.

Either with one of your two person team gently lifting the corner of the table that you wish to adjust or using a Table Jack, you just need to simply screw the bolted Leg Leveller higher or lower accordingly until your table is level.The adjustable Leg Levellers will give you approximately 2 inches worth of depth to allow you to independently adjust each leg to the height that you need.

How much will it cost to have my Pool Table Delivered AND Installed?

Our table delivery and installation service involves members of our experienced team delivering, installing and levelling your table for you. Costs are based dependant on your delivery and installation location in relation to fcsnooker's premises at 282 Ribbleton lane, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 5EB.

Please contact fcsnooker with your location details for a United Kingdom delivery and installation quotation.

fcsnooker offer and provide the same service overseas but that is much more costly and involved and enquiries should be made in writing in relation to overseas installations.

Please note however that installation charges will vary should you need your table delivering upstairs to a first floor. See the information below regarding Delivery and Installation upstairs in your property.

Can I have an English Pool Table delivered upstairs?

It is possible to have a Pool Table delivered on to a first floor level for example, but we would not recommend doing this yourself. We would recommend using our expert team to deliver and install your table in this scenario.

Upstairs installations require additional manpower due to the weight of the component parts involved. Manpower can be supplied at an additional charge or supplied on site at the time of delivery to reduce costs.

We highly recommend that you measure the access to the room that you wish to install your table in if it is on the first floor of a property.

This means measuring the width of any stair-wells, taking in to account any height restrictions and corners that you will need to be manoeuvered around. We also recommend that you check out our Room Size Guide too where you able to get more information about the measurements of our tables.

There will be situations whereby spaces will be too small to carry a Pool Table through i.e. a narrow stair-well or a corner that is too tight to manoeuver around. If you have any doubts as to whether you have enough room to have a Pool Table installed in your property then we recommend clicking and reading the information provided or ringing to discuss.

You have enough room for a table, but can't get it safely up your stairs

In this case you may require your table to be constructed in a way that will allow our team to disassemble the table down to it’s component parts on site so it is small enough to carry, then reassemble it in the room where you want it installing.

To construct the table in this way is called a Dry Build and there is an additional charge for this.What is a Dry Build Table and how much extra will it cost?

A Dry Build table is any table that is constructed in a way that will allow our team to disassemble the table down to it’s component parts on site so it is small enough to carry, then reassemble it in the room where you want it installing.

Building a table in this fashion does not in any way compromise the quality and durability of a table but it does take longer to construct and this delivery and installation service is therefore available at an extra cost.

Dry Build tables are delivered fully assembled as per all our other tables but they give you an option to break the table down further in to smaller component parts.

The additional cost to have a table constructed as a Dry Build is £ 50.00 on top of the quoted price of the table.

If ordering a dry build table please contact us for an installation quotation if it is required.

How do I pay for my order?

If your table is being dispatched out to you with a kerb-side delivery service or if you are collecting the table from our company premises then payment will be required in full before any goods are released.

If you are contracting fcsnooker to provide the delivery and installation service for you, then we are happy to accept a 10% deposit payment at the time of your order placement with the remittance payable on the date of the delivery after all products and services have been supplied to you.

We have a payment terminal for all debit and credit card payments. Payment for tables by personal or business cheque must be paid and cleared before any date of delivery and installation, Payment for tables by electronic bank transfer must be paid in full before and date of delivery and installation. Payment in cash, by banker's draught or building society cheque are all guaranteed forms of payment and can be made as remittance after any table has been installed.

How long it will it take for my table to be delivered?

We do not guarantee a set delivery time once your table has been ordered but we will endeavor to have it delivered within 4 weeks from the day you order it.

We do not stockpile our tables and this timescale can vary as each of our tables are individually custom made to order here at our manufacturing site. There may even be instances when the turnaround time is faster than the guide timescale mentioned above.

The type of table that you request can also affect the turnaround time of an order, so if you have any queries about the length of time it will take, please call us on 01772 702211 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01772 702211 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Why should I buy a table from fcsnooker?

All our tables are built to exacting manufacturing specifications, from top quality kiln dried woods and will provide durable performance and long-lasting value for money for many years to come. Time and time again your snooker, pool or convertible billiard dining table will provide a source of great enjoyment for all that use it.

To cope with increasing demand and awareness of the fcsnooker Tournament range of hardwood snooker tables, fcsnooker have increased our model range to ensure that a fcsnooker Billiard table meets with every requirement and budget.

Please contact info@fcsnooker.co.uk for further information, specific enquires, delivery costs and lead times for manufacturing.

fcsnooker - 282 Ribbleton Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 5EB - 01772 702211 - www.fcsnooker.co.uk - info@fcsnooker.co.uk

The Frank Callan Suite - 282 Ribbleton Lane, Preston, Lancashire, England - PR1 5EB
tel. + 44 (0) 1772 702211 - info@fcsnooker.co.uk

Company Registration Number: 039 380 85 - VAT Registration Number: 732 5275 41

© 2012 fcsnooker. All rights reserved.