# Need pool table plan



## theexprience

I'm going to be making a pool table for my final woods project next year, and i need some plans, i have looking all around the internet and i cant seem to find one i like. I'm mostly likely going to make it out of jatoba or ribbon stripe mahogany, also im finishing it clear with a water based lacquer, a guitar makers variety. Oh and i would wont a 8 foot regulation size, a fancy word for the length being exactly twice the width. Thanks everyone!



heres the style that im looking for, but not necessarily this exactly


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## onewaydave

I'm new here but I see nobody has responded. So I'll take a shot. Tour some pool table retailers. I bought a table a few years ago and looked in detail at how different manufacturers made theirs. Marginally well built to shoddy. For instance I found the foundation for the plates to be in flat stock, plywood, and particle board.

Your design must take into account the plates you will use. They are cut to different demensions, thickness especially. I went for the thickest plate I could find thinking stability.

Basically a simple table is made for the plates to lay in. Usually three for a full sized table. Hey you gotta lift them up there. Then the frame around the plates is made to attach the rails/cushions to. The outside decorative trim is up to you, but I assume one would want it to follow the decor of the home.

I also considered looking at used tables for plates and making my own table. Again check out the plates. Suprisingly many of the antique tables I looked at had fairly thin plates compared to modern tables.

Sorry no plans to link to but I hope this helps. I think this is a neat project idea. Dave.


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## woodnthings

*How would a solid surface material*

Like Corian or Livingstone work for the plates? Is it flat enough? Just a thought.
:blink: bill
BTW a very cool project and we would like to see a step by step photo
story of it as you go! :thumbsup:
A Yahoo search had lots of plans: http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ytff1-tyc7&p=plans%20for%20pool%20table&ei=UTF-8&type=

http://www.furnitureplans.com/pi_products/8100?affiliate_id=18

*Pool Table Plans*









*Pool Table Plans*

This Pool Table woodworking project is a plan that will be the centerpiece of any game room. These plans will help guide you through construction including application of billiard cloth on the playing surface & rails. Playing surface is made of solid particle board for economy but ycan be adapted for slate if you desire. 

*Dimensions:* 100-3/4” long x 56-3/4” wide x 31-3/4” high. *What is in the Plan:* These woodworking plans include a 12 page detailed Pool Table Plans, 3.1 megabyte .pdf file. Each plan comes complete with a materials list, complete parts cut list, and hardware list. There are 23 detailed section diagrams with easy to follow instructions and special techniques shown for making our Pool Table project simple. 

PRICE: $24.99 
The plans are in adobe acrobat, if you do not have the
reader you can get it free by clicking the button below. 
 








Know someone who would like this plan? Email this page to a friend.​


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## rrbrown

I looked a while ago and found nothing except like the plans Bill mentioned. I've taken a few apart in the past few years and they're all generally the same construction its just the aesthetics that change. As for "regulation being a fancy word for twice as long as it is wide" thats not true. All pool tables are geometrically the same. 4 x 8, 3 1/2 x 7 or 3 x 6. Regulation is an 8 ft table. Nothing would be good to replace slate and it is at least 1/2 the cost of a new table if not more. 

So now if you want to build a nice pool table this is my suggestion. Find a used 8' pool table preferably in a similar style that you want. The slates should still be good unless someone dropped it off a building or beat the hell out of it with a hammer. Now when you get it you have a slate set, and all the parts needed to make your own pool table using the old one as plans or a template. You will be able to make allot of modifications to personalize your new one or you can get the basic idea and start new just with the measurements. Most used tables especially the well used ones sell for 1/3 or less of the price of new. since you still would have to buy slate, fabric, pockets and bumpers you can actually save money. 

Oh I assumed you would know this but if not, the better tables come with 3 pc slate 1" or thicker not one large slate.


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## JohnK007

I know little to nothing about pool tables so please take this question with a grain of salt. Why couldn't you use MDF built up to say 1 1/2 or 2 1/4 thick instead of slate? I've never checked a sheet for flatness with a gauge or anything but it looks pretty flat to me. If it were carefully treated with several light coats of poly, it would be pretty hard and pretty damn heavy. Then cover with felt. Just asking.


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## bzbatl

Even with a relatively thick coat of poly (getting it perfectly flat notwithstanding), MDF can dent from the force of a cue stick striking it. Probably the same for the balls, as well.


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## rrbrown

JohnK007 said:


> I know little to nothing about pool tables so please take this question with a grain of salt. Why couldn't you use MDF built up to say 1 1/2 or 2 1/4 thick instead of slate? I've never checked a sheet for flatness with a gauge or anything but it looks pretty flat to me. If it were carefully treated with several light coats of poly, it would be pretty hard and pretty damn heavy. Then cover with felt. Just asking.



They have cheaper pool tables that or made with MDF. Sears carries some and they try to make it sound better then what it is. They call it Slatron or now they have a slate-core that is also a cheap substitute for slate. over time slatron (MDF) and the new slate -core will warp with weather change and therefore will change the table flatness. Slate stays flat and since the wood rails or bolted to the slate everything stays flat and square.


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## frankp

rrbrown, hate to disagree with you but "regulation" means different things in different places with respect to pool tables. English play on different sizes than the US and "regulation" is generally twice as long as wide, because 8 foot isn't the "official standard" tournament size billiard table but is the most common "regulation" size. There's a good bit of information about it in the third link below. Regulation covers a fairly wide range.

All that said, I've had a table with a plywood surface that wasn't great. I've had one with an MDF surface that also wasn't great but was better. If you want good, though, you have to have slate and the 3 piece are significantly easier to build with (from what I hear) than the 2 piece slates. (And they're individually lighter that way...)

Here are a couple links I've found when I was starting to look at plans:
http://www.pooltableplans.com/default.htm

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/billiard-table2.htm

http://www.wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=rules_spec

http://www.epbf.com/organ/rules/9foot.gif

http://www.mercuryleisure.co.uk/images/romevenice-dimensions.jpg

http://www.evilbrainjono.net/images/pool_table_2.jpg

http://heavybrowsing.blogspot.com/2009/03/homemade-pool-table.html

http://build-a-pool-billiard-table.umuluku.com/index.php?show=pool_billardtisch_tischbeine


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## rrbrown

FrankP technically I guess you could be right and you may not like to disagree with me but it never stopped you before.:laughing::laughing:

I play in 2 pool leagues and have been playing most of my life. On the score sheets for the league they have boxes to be checked one of which says 4x8 regulation, I own a 3 1/2 x 7, some are 4 1/2 x 9 and a standard bar box table is 3 x 6 . My point was that the 4x8 was regulation size and that all tables are twice as long as wide. I didn't consider tables in other countries so I guess my statement might not be totally correct. English tables are larger, but snooker is big over there. snooker tables are 5x10 and 6x12 as a rule and I don't consider them pool tables. However the twice as long as wide thing is standard for any correctly built tables. They have to be geometrically correct as to not change the play of the game. the one difference is pocket size the pockets on a 3x6 table are usually close to the same size as the one on a 4x8 or even larger table. Pocket size can change if the rails or incorrectly installed so they do vary some. Snooker table pockets are smaller and the rails curve in to the pocket.

I did notice that one of your links mentioned slatron as a composite material over particle board. I based my statement on slatron from my experience of inspecting a slatron table that was damaged. It was a new table and it sure looked like MDF to me but it was called statron. That same article stated that slate is still the best material for a table. 

_*I stand by my suggestion of using a used table for a pattern and for the slate. Another good reason is the slate needs holes drilled through it to mount the base and rails. Although I've never drilled in that slate I was told by one of the companies that it is not an easy task. it would also be a crime to skimp on a table by not using slate when he wants to use*_ _*jatoba or ribbon stripe mahogany for the rest of the table.*_


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## frankp

rrbrown,

Ah, snooker. That doesn't count, as far as I'm concerned. The link I sent that was the pool/billiards association, or whatever, is where I was basing my information. I was always under the impression that English tables were smaller (when not counting snooker) but I could be wrong about that.

That slatron stuff isn't horrible, but I agree it's effectively MDF. I think it is technically a little different, but it looks and feels pretty close to MDF to me.

I totally agree with your suggestion about starting with a used table and building/customizing from there. That's what I was planning to do because the basic construction, as you said is all pretty much the same (unless you want a ball return) from one manufacturer to another and I've found plenty of 8' tables around here for $300 or less.


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## onewaydave

I'll side with rrbrown on the used table though one needs to be aware of what they are getting. Most larger cities with colleges have a regular supply of used tables for sale. 

Semper fi rr.


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## theexprience

wow, thank you everybody, and i will try to get step by step pictures for the table, now i just need to save up around 1500 for the table. This should be a very interesting project, and according to my woods teacher i will living in the woods shop to get the sucker down in time, so that should be fun. :smile:


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## Colt W. Knight

Except no substitutes, slate all the way. Chipped, or cracked slate can be repaired with filler and sandpaper.


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## johnwicks

Making your own table is fun and relatively easy. If you use the right materials and take enough care in building ithttp://www.ehow.com/how_4493662_make-pool-table.html#ixzz18wPSmkBL​


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## Firewalker

I would like to build a table as well and the old table I had would have been the perfect one to rob the guts out of for a quality nice looking table.

I would check craigslist for a used table......slate top only. Don't be a horses rear like I was and move the top in one piece. I watched the guy re felt mine and it was very easily done so that would be last time I pay for that service but I picked up his technique as I watched and helped a friend do his. It seems like no matter what the house rules are......a beer or random drink gets spilled on the table so MDF would be out of the question for me. Might not swell if you caught it quick but I wouldn't take the chance.

Another tip I picked up from the felt installer which may be common knowledge is use a long level to mate the slate pieces and adjust the screws as you need to. Melt some bees wax with a map torch on the joint and scrape with a razor to have perfect transition point for the ball to not skip. May seem like overkill but he was a perfectionist and it's not a bad idea.

Good luck....post up pics if you build one! I would like to see.

Scott


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## onewaydave

Firewalker said:


> ... Melt some bees wax with a map torch on the joint and scrape with a razor to have perfect transition point for the ball to not skip. May seem like overkill but he was a perfectionist and it's not a bad idea...
> Scott


The guys that did mine on original set-up used dry wall plaster and trowel with a razor blade to finish. 

I really like the craftsman style table above. I may redo mine in that style if I ever finish a few other projects.

Dave.


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