Rex Billiard Table

Wow! That is awesome. I’ve always wanted to build one of those. Did you follow plans? How long did it take to complete?
Any in-progress pics?

Details man! Need details.

-- Brian http://www.garagewoodworks.com

Echoing Brian’s comments, that is a tremendous table. This is the kind of project to do once the kids have grown and aren’t using the basement as a play area…I could use it as a play area LOL. Thanks for the great post.

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

Awesome, really makes me wish I had room for one. Out of curiosity, where did you go for the slate?

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

Awesome table!

-- GlennL, New Jersey

Great looking billiards table. Thank you for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

I did not follow any plans. The story behind it is as follows: I had been building furniture for many years but building a billiard table never entered my mind. My wife and I were out shopping for a table and were pretty much blown away by the prices for a quality table. A Brunswick Mission style table (btw the Brunswick salesman told me that Brunswick has to pay for use of the Mission name…..How Pathetic) is $5500. After looking my wife said “why don’t you build one”. As silly as it now seems in retrospect I was thinking “because billiard tables are made at factories”. After doing a little research on line I found there was nothing on a billiard table I could not do. I learned the needed dimensions of different parts, drew up some prints and went for it. I bought all of the parts needed on line, retail. I then was able to find a place to by wholesale for the next two tables, but have now been shut off because I do not buy enough from them (????). If you build one expect to pay around $1000 for materials. The first table took me 160 hours. The bed frame I built with 8/4 poplar it was cheaper and easier to work with and the parts of it that are visible I covered in maple. Be very careful on how you have you slate shipped my first set came broken and it took alot of time and energy arguing with the trucking company to get them to cover the loss. The hardest part to fabricate were the rails. The tolerances are VERY tight. It is what controls how your ball rebound.
I hope this information helps

-- Michael A. Brailsford

great table. and a great salvage. I would love to have one of these in my living room, who needs a couch!?

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Thanks for posting.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

No plans! Even more impressive! You hit it out of the park!

-- Brian http://www.garagewoodworks.com

Great looking billiards table.

-- jeanmarc manosque france

One of the nicest looking pool tables I’ve seen.

It’s a shame about all the good material that ends up in the landfills.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Great Table. We had one as a kid and I remember my father wanting to move it from one room in the basement to another. He was going to have a company move it. I suggested that we try and if we fail then get the company involved.

Setting up the table was simple. we found that shoting the balls on just the slate, it was easier to determine if it was flat that to use a level and find that you were off a part of a bubble and never know it..

Very nice design and construction.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Beautiful table! You did a great job on it. I only had a chance to work on one of these tables in a restoration job. A guy had a 1889 Brunswick table that was his grandfathers. It had been stored up in a barn loft for years. It was quite elaberate and really had fun redoing it. Always regret that I never took a before and after picture of it. I was surprised I could find all the parts for the restoration at the time. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Very nice job Michael. I know the work that goes into making one of these tables. Good luck in the contest.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Thank you Grumpy. It was a bunch of work but well worth every bit. Billiard tables are alot of fun to build

-- Michael A. Brailsford

From the hospital hall to games of nine ball, nice save and best of luck.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

Wow, this is really nice! You’ve done a great job on it…

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Congratulations on your first prize in the recycled catagory.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Congratulations Michael. Well deserved!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

awsome!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Thank you very much Karson, Stewart, & Dennis.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Congrats on winning the challenge, and congrats on a very fine table.

Thank you Rikkor.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Congrats to you Michael for a well deserved win .

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.spaces.live.com/ (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

Thank you John. It is very kind of you to say. Your birdhouses astounded me. I like the designs and workmanship.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Amazing work and Congratulations on your 1st place win! I am sure you are very proud of your table. It is simply beautiful.

-- John

Thank you John.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Congrats to you Michaelon your 1st place win splendid work very beautiful billiards

-- jeanmarc manosque france

Thank you Jeanmarc.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Awesome pool table!! I love to shoot pool and always wated to make one but thought it would be hard to get the slate(and time to build it).It must give you a great sense of pride to play on it.Congrats on your win.

-- Wayne,Saint John,NB

Great job!

Thanks fror the post

Callum

-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/

Wayne, the slate and other parts needed are not that hard to find. It is a challenging job but well worth it.

Thank you Callum.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

Congrats in the win. Fine job!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Michael – Congrats on winning the contest. I’m glad that the judging obviously factored mechanical excellency and difficulty of build into the equation, not just aesthetics.

Great, impressive job. – JB

-- -JB

Thank you Douglas and JB.

-- Michael A. Brailsford

that is a amazing job!! i would love to get my hands on a table like that.

-- jrlwoodworks

looking at your projects. “Wow” this is beautifull, excellent craftsmanship & design. Thanks for posting

-- Dennis Zongker

wow….great looking pool table…. excellent craftsmanship…

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

Hey Michael, I have two slate sets from two horribly built pool tables. I have been thinking about the design of the first one that I’m going to build. Like the mission look and might do something similar. Great job and thanks for the heads up on the time it would take to constuct this project. I like the flush mount pockets, do you know where you remember where you got them?

-- Sawdust in my veins--

Michael, Fantastic project and it’s super that all that good wood was recycled.
Kimball

wow, what an excellent table… not something that most guys are willing to challenge… I commend you on the build and great job in getting some of the maple from the handrails and keeping them out of the landfills…

-- Cut the Wood, not your fingers... you'll feel much better... this I promise...

Great pool table.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, http://www.heirloomwoodshop.com/