Pool Table Design and Construction...

Selecting an American Custom Pool Tables table for your home assures you of the finest quality that money can buy:

100% solid hardwood, no particleboard, veneers, laminates or other artificial materials anywhere in the table.

Extra heavy "super frame" construction with fully functional center beam, factory assembled with traditional furniture makers joinery, no metal brackets. 

Best quality 3 piece slate, 1 1/8" thick, hardwood framed.

Wide 5 3/4 " rails inlayed with genuine mother of pearl or abalone diamonds.

Fine furniture finishs, catalyzed varnish topcoat or hand rubbed oils.

Exceed Billiard Congress of America standards for tournament play.

Every American Custom Pool Tables is built to the same high standards, with essentially the same specifications. Unlike other manufacturers, American Custom Pool Tables does not make a "low end" pool table. We never compromise quality to sell a cheaper pool table. Regardless of which model you choose, if it's from American Custom Pool Tables, it's the best pool table that we know how to build, destined to become tomorrow's treasured antique.

Every American Custom Pool Tables is made to order. We have no finished goods inventory. When you order from American Custom Pool Tables you get a custom built pool table. With 55 models available in any of 35 different finishes and 4 sizes, rail, leg, diamond and other options, you have thousands of choices available! Since every pool table is built in essentially the same way, however, you can just concentrate on selecting the style and finish that suits you best, secure in the knowledge that whatever table you choose will be built to the same high standard. 

To learn more about our product, and for assistance in choosing that special billiard pool table that will give you a lifetime of beauty and pleasure, and be passed on to future generations as a treasured heirloom, please click the blue buttons in the left margin.

Construction Features

Construction of all models of American Custom Pool Tables tables is essentially the same, so no matter which model you choose you are assured of outstanding value.

American Custom Pool Tables tables feature "super frame" construction; cabinets built of 6/4 (1 1/2" ) hardwood and buttressed by both lateral cross members and a center beam, locked in place with dado joints. In place of the thin sheets of plywood that form the slate bearing platforms of most pool tables, American Custom Pool Tables tables feature a 2 inch thick solid hardwood platform that ensures a quiet, stable playing surface as well as structural integrity. The American Custom Pool Tables super frame eliminates the danger of sagging or spreading that can render a less sturdy table impossible to level and unplayable in a few short years.

Notice how the 2" hardwood platform extends all the way around the table and is dadoed flush with the cross members and center beam. The solid hardwood slate framing extends over the platform, cross members and center beam. This provides exceptionally solid support for the slate, eliminating any possibility of the slate bending out of shape. Some manufacturers have begun offering center beam options as a marketing ploy without putting framing down the center of the slate. This obviates much of the advantage of having a center beam.

Most manufacturers use a thin sheet of plywood as a platform for the slate. With a frame that may be only 3/4" or 1" thick, often made of laminated wood and veneered, it is impossible for them to drop the cross members into a dado cut as you see on the left. There isn't enough thickness in the cabinet to do that. Instead, they glue or staple two blocks of wood to the inside of the cabinet wall and run a bolt through the wooden blocks and cross member to keep the crossmember in place. Making a virtue of necessity, they then trumpet the fact that their crossmembers are bolted to prevent the frame from spreading!

American Custom Pool Tables frames are assembled at the factory, where they are checked for level and squareness, and then shipped intact (rather than as knocked down components). Most frames are glued together at the joints; but dealers who anticipate having to partially disassemble the frame to get up or down tight stairwells can order the frames "KD-able" in which case we leave the glue out of some of the joints.

A key feature is how the corners of the frame are joined together and how the legs are mounted. From the
picture at the right you can see that American Custom Pool Tables uses massive 2" thick solid hardwood corner blocks and gussets that are screwed and glued in place. Many manufacturers use metal brackets (often too thin) that can bend out of shape, and the holding power of these metal corner assemblies is no greater than than holding power of the screws fastening them to the cabinet. If those are 1/2" screws driven into a thin laminated cabinet, or even a solid wood cabinet, you will not have a very rigid frame.

Solid carved legs are mounted by dropping a 3/8x8" machine bolt deep into the center of the leg where it threads into a sunken anchor; hollow legs are mounted with a shorter bolt that fastens to a threaded metal bracket. Both types of legs are adjusted into position through a slotted opening, then secured by tightening against a domed washer with serrated edges.

The cross section displayed below demonstrates the superiority of American Custom Pool Tables construction in dramatic fashion. There you see nothing but hardwoods -- good, heavy, sturdy hardwoods. The rail caps, blinds (or aprons) and cabinet walls are solid oak, maple or mahogany -- whichever you choose. The internal structural components are poplar (sometimes called tulipwood).

Notice how the blinds (or aprons) fit into a notch in the rail cap and are then mounted from underneath and behind with screws driven up into the hardwood slate framing. See how snugly the blind fits against the slate and slate framing. The blinds on many tables tend to be wobbly. Grab hold of these American Custom Pool Tables blinds and shake. No wobble here! As an added benefit there are no unsightly exposed screws on the exterior of the blinds. By the way, the small notch on the back of the blind is there for a purpose: to provide stress relief and inhibit warping.

Use of poplar on the rail base is important because of its superior ability to hold screws and self-healing properties. When made of poplar, both the rail base and slate framing will withstand many recoverings and re-stapling without deterioration.

Also clearly visible in the cross section above is the rail rubber (or cushion). Note the angle at which the rubber is attached to the rail. This angle determines the height of the rubber's nose above the playing surface. It is absolutely essential that this angle be precise and uniform along the entire length of the rail. If too low the ball can bounce off the table; too high and the rebound is deadened. The entire profile of the rail that you see above, including the critical angle of inclination for the rubber, is machined with an accuracy of 1/1000" on a state of the art moulder. Equally critical is how the rubber is attached to the rail base. The craftsman who performs this sensitive operation at American Custom Pool Tables has more than 30 years experience building rails.

Note also the canvas control fabric embedded into the top of the cushion. This control fabric is required by the Billiard Congress of America for tournament play. It is important because it controls the rebound of the ball, insuring consistent rebounds at all points along the rail. Another manufacturer has recently begun advertising the superiority of its "pure gum rubber" cushions. These new cushions do indeed offer fast rebounds, but by omitting the critical control fabric they have sacrificed accuracy for speed -- and after all, pool is a game of positioning, not speed. American Custom Pool Tables uses premium quality K-66 profile cushions on every tables. 

Another important point is that our cushions also have a canvas backing underneath for better bonding to the rail. We "set" our rubber overnight with a powerful wood glue whereas many manufacturers use contact cement. The latter makes it easier to peel the rubber off the rails when they need replacing, but watch out! Rubber attached in this fashion can come loose when someone sits on the rail. (Not recommended, but a pool table is such a convenient height for sitting, it's awfully hard to keep people from doing so.)

How the rails are attached to the slate is also very important for playability. The object here is to anchor the rails so securely to the slate that they function as a unified system. The next photo views from below one of the three rail bolts attaching each rail to the slate. Notice the oversized circular cut out in the slate framing. This permits the rail bolt to be tightened directly against the slate. The black domed washer has serrated edges that bite into the slate for a very firm hold. Most manufacturers use a plain flat washer. When the washer is tightened against the soft particleboard slate framing it leaves an indentation. In time, the bolt can work loose resulting in vibration or even a wobbly misaligned rail. 

The Slate

Slate originates from sedimentary rock far beneath the surface of the earth. Slate is an organic stone with a high content of carbon, calcite and fine grained mica (quartz). Because it is organic , it moves and shifts with changes in temperature and humidity, and as it emits moisture. Being similar to wood in this respect, it forms the perfect adjunct to wood in the construction of a billiard table. These characteristics of slate provide the elasticity which is vital to the proper installation and playability of a billiard table.

Although slate in one form or another as abundant throughout the world, most of it is unsuitable for billiards. For use in billiards the slate must be fine grained, elastic, and have a low propensity to absorb moisture. Slate possessing the precise mineral properties required for billiards is rare. Since most slate is laced with deposits of other minerals, finding large blocks of sufficient purity to make a billiards playing surface is rarer yet. If the slate lacks the necessary homogeneity it is impossible to hone it to the exacting tolerances (1/1000" or less) required for a smooth and true playing surface. At the present time deposits of billiard quality slate and the equipment to hone it properly are largely confined to two countries, Italy and Brazil. Although Italy was for many years the traditional source of billiard slate, in recent years large deposits of high quality billiard slate have been developed in Brazil while Italian producers have faced rising costs and growing supply problems. Not only has Brazil overtaken Italy as a supplier of billiard slate, but raw Brazilian slate is even being exported to Italy for processing by Italian producers.

China is a third potential source of high quality billiard slate. While the mineral properties of certain Chinese slate deposits appear adequate, it remains to be seen whether producers in China will be able to machine the slate to export standards and establish themselves as reliable suppliers.

Slate comes in a variety of sizes. Most higher quality tables are supplied with oversized 3 piece slate that is 1" thick and lined with particleboard or wood. "Oversized" means that the slate extends beneath the rails, which is essential if the table is to remain playable for any length of time. If the the rails are not firmly anchored and supported by the slate, they will eventually become misaligned and the table will become impossible to play upon. Unlined slate requires that the cloth be glued to the back of the slate rather than stretched tight and stapled which provides a much better playing surface.

Thicker, and therefore heavier, slate adds stabilty to the table. Most quality tables are supplied with 1" slate. American Custom Pool Tables tables are supplied with premium 1 1/8" thick slate. The additional 1/8 " adds about 80 lbs weight to a 9 ft, resulting in greater stability and smoother, quieter play. Cheaper tables usually have 3/4" slate. Buyers should be aware that in addition to 3/4" slate, which is usually identified as such, some manufacturers have shaved costs by supplying 7/8" slate standard with what could otherwise be classified as quality tables. Dealers do not all ways reveal the difference and it is common for 7/8" slate to be passed off as 1" to undiscerning buyers. Thicker slate adds considerable weight making the table more stable. Bump into a 3/4" slate table and the balls will probably move! For that solid feel and quiet, true roll of the balls, 1"+ slate is a must.

American Custom Pool Tables attaches 3/4" hardwood framing to all of its slate at considerable additional cost. By adding a strip of framing down the middle of the slate which rests on the center beam, American Custom Pool Tables's slate framing provides exceptional stability, eliminating any possibility of the slate bending out of shape. Hardwood framing, which is required by the Billiard Congress of America for tournament play, allows more precise leveling of the table, and insures that the table will retain its level. Most manufacturers use particleboard or no framing at all. Though less essential in the near term for home use, hardwood is essential in commercial applications where the tables have to be recovered every 8 to 12 months and particleboard will deteriorate with frequent re-stapling of bed cloth. When the slate is unframed the cloth the cloth must be glued to the slate instead of stapled to the framing. Most installers will do a better job stretching the bed cloth taut when they can staple it to the framing.

For more information on slate, such as the serious disadvantages of one piece slate, consult our Consumer Guide.

Finish

The pool table construction features described elsewhere in this site are like the submerged part of a giant iceberg. While very important to American Custom Pool Tables's craftsmen, they are often invisible to the typical consumer. The quality of the finish on an American Custom Pool Tables, however, with its depth and clarity accented by sparkling mother of pearl or abalone diamonds, is immediately recognized as in a class by itself.

The foundation and basis for our exceptional finishes lies in sanding. It is impossible to put a good looking finish on an improperly sanded piece. We sand and re-sand each component at various stages of production both prior to and after the product reaches the finishing room. Although nearly every piece passes through our large, twin head, wide belt sander, that is only the starting point for much of the sanding. Visitors to our plant often comment on how much sanding is going on. At any one time fully 20% of the workforce is engaged in sanding with hand held random orbital vibrators and other implements.

American Custom Pool Tables has developed tints and shades to suit nearly every taste. We mix each color ourselves from complex formulas using top quality materials supplied by Sherwin Williams. Some of the finishes use two different stains for subtlety and depth, a base stain and a shading stain. And in between there are fillers and sealers, with sanding between each coat, a total of 8 to 10 steps. To top it off we apply two coats of catalyzed varnish for a hard, durable, stain and fade resistant surface. Catalyzed varnished provides the hardest top coat available short of going to polyurethane or acrylics. The latter, while very hard, has a liquid plastic look, and like an airplane window, will cloud over in time from many fine scratches, besides being nearly impossible to strip and refinish. As fine furniture, we believe the product should have a medium or satin sheen as opposed to the "wet" look of high gloss found on cheap furniture. After finishing the product, we hand rub with a series of 3M polishing compounds and then apply a coat of protective wax.

With 24 different finishes available at last count -- not quite up to Baskin and Robbins 31 flavors, but gaining fast --- chances are you will find the right color from among our standard finishes. If not, custom color matching is available at additional cost.

For help in selecting a finish and photographic renditions of each, click the button next to "selecting a finish" in the frame on the left. 

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