Billiard Pocket

[Budc]

Does anyone have experience with replacing leather billiard pockets?

[Runamuck]

I see no responses to this. I am also interested in making new pockets for my table, so will bring it back to the top. Noone here has done this?

[bikermutt07]

I certainly haven't. I imagine they would be stapled in place and made of braided leather?

Shouldn't be terribly hard to make.

Any pictures?

Edited July 20, 2019 by bikermutt07

[mikesc]

The pockets are normally made from string nets ( on all the old full size tables I ever played on ) with a "rail" of some sort, metal or wood below the table to collect the balls at each pocket..their top edges ( where the ball strikes before falling ) are leather with a padding of some sort..there is probably at least one video on youtube about refurbishing pockets on a billiard / snooker table..

Edited July 20, 2019 by mikesc

[PigasusStudio]

I've no advice on making any, but did out of curiosity look up some. This example looks like a pretty straightforward punch, cut, finish, and seam experience. https://www.ozonebilliards.com/product/leather-web-pool-table-pockets-set-of-6-brown OK, I can't see the seam, even when I zoom over the entire picture they have, but I know it's there, somewhere. :0)

That works for tables where you have to go to each pocket after a game to retrieve the balls. I imagine the pockets it gets shorter and with an open area on one side if you're doing this for a table with a ball return system such as mikesc describes.

[mikesc]

The full size ones I've played on are nearly 12 feet by nearly 6 feet, playing area..and around 12 and half feet by a little over 6 feet over all size..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_billiards
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker
Snooker tables are also used for playing billiards..you can play many games on Snooker / Billiard tables.
It isn't a return system ( like in Pool ) but somewhere to keep the balls, if you put many of them down the same pocket in snooker you can fill up the storage below the pockets and have to move some of the balls to another.

There is a lot of skill in both Snooker and Billiards..and Pool...I won quite a bit of money playing all three of them.."angles" and rebounds are easy to see if your "day job" is artist / designer..Spent a lot of my final year in school, not actually in school, but, about a 2kms away, winning money from guys who thought that they could beat a teenager at snooker and billiards at the local snooker hall.

The "beds" of the best tables are / were made from slate..making the tables is an Art, some of them , and the rooms they are in , are beautifully carved ..

[spoink47]

Hey guys, I'm new here!
 

don't know where to ask, I guess that's the place 
I plan to reorganize my garage and install a snooker/pool table.
I'd like to make a DIY one, huh. So, any advice is appreciated.
I looked up some ideas on Pinterest here https://www.pinterest.com.au/supercapitan7/diy-pool-table/
and read some "beginner" articles like this https://justcraftingaround.com/diy-pool-table/ and this https://recroompick.com/how-to-level-pool-table/
still got many questions about the materials and sizes.

I've only played in bars, and I'm not a professional player. Neither a woodworker. Still, I'd like to at least try.

So, waiting for your feedback. Maybe someone had such an experience?

Edited June 20, 2021 by spoink47

[Rahere]

It's been 50 years since I played, but back then, the brass rims were covered in 8oz leather flesh-side out, stitched with the ball rail beneath. They had to be excellent dampers to ensure the horizontal velocity of a hard-struck ball was killed, dropping it into the pocket: otherwise there was every possibility it would rebound onto the table, possibly shifting other balls in the process. The connectors were probably hand-knotted net, using a 3/4" netting shuttle/needle.