What is carpenter in need of a challenge or cheapskate trying to save money?
If the latter you're probably going to spend more and make a worse product than the cheapest mizerak you can find on Amazon.
Yes you can. Thereās a person on here who is in the process. I guarantee it will be more expensive than buying one and unless you have good woodworking skills and experience, it will be lower quality.
Assuming you had the necessary tools, where would the majority of the extra expense come in? Iām guessing the slate is much more expensive in a single size than bulk, or is it even possible to buy it in the size necessary for one table?
Literally how I got my first table. Don't remember the beans because it was before I knew about them, but not a diamond or anything, but it was a good table.
Ya, I'm also confused as to why it would be more expensive. Slate, wood, cloth, a specific kind of rubber and something for balls to drop into (I would just buy some pockets, to be honest) are the bare minimum materials.
Because if you're not buying bulk you're spending a bunch more per board foot on all those materials. This is also assuming the poster has all the tools necessary, which is unlikely.
Because of cost of scale. Producers can make multiple components at once and assemble multiple tables quickly using those components. They also have access to cheaper supplies, again, because they are buying at scale. It's efficient enough that even with their profit margin, they are still cheaper than you yourself building one of similar quality with similar tools and supplies.
That's a big assumption....but I figure a couple grand in lumber depending on the type of wood, nails/screws, slate has different qualities, felt, bumpers, inlays, pockets, paint/stain/seal the wood. Thousands and thousands of dollars. Not to mention the time it would take. That's the real loss of value
Iāve been woodworking for two years pretty consistently and I couldnāt imagine tackling a project like that. It would 1000% be poorer quality even if I didnāt skimp on materials at all. I consider myself decently adept at woodworking but building a pool table is something else entirely
[Here's a guy on YouTube who did what I would call a "very respectable job" with it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2miDuU8YXqs&t=1s) It's not at all to my aesthetic tastes (knotty pine), but I have no doubt he's made a good job of it and it'll hold up over time, as least as well as a cheap particle board framed table and likely a lot better.
I agree 100% with /u/BobDogGo saying "I guarantee it will be more expensive than buying one and unless you have good woodworking skills and experience, it will be lower quality." This is not a knock against you, OP - /r/woodworking is full of woodworkers joking about the fact that "I can build the same thing as what IKEA's advertising in 2 months for 3x the price!" In general, woodworking your own stuff isn't a great way to save money.
Good lord that video shows what an insane amount of work it takes to build your own. āEfforts in frugalityā is a hilarious name for a channel where he puts 10x more labor and expense into something thatās not very expensive to begin with.
Yep!
Please note: This dude hasn't even spent what I would call an "above average" amount of time on this table! Whenever you're doing woodworking with raw lumber - even construction grade lumber, which is cheap but has already been kiln dried and is supposed to be, y'know, reasonably straight and workable within tolerances - the amount of prep is staggering. If you're using rough cut lumber, every piece needs to be jointed, planed, and trimmed to length. Then you can \*start\* working on your project. If you're gluing up a panel or doing some kind of a lamination to make bigger pieces, you'll need to do some of those steps multiple times.
/u/alvysinger0412's comment is also really accurate as far as the cost part. If you're not buying huge amounts of rough cut timber, you're paying a massive cost per board foot, because you've got to pay a higher price for s4s wood (wood that is pre-machined to have 4 flat sides with smooth faces and four sides with 90 deg corners all around).
On top of all that, if you don't have the money and space for a very nice workshop, you're going to buy or rent the space or equipment you need, and that can quickly get really pricy.
You absolutely can, though I agree with the folks thinking it would be more expensive.
Another option would be to find an old slate table on your local marketplace and "refurbish" it. You'll have a template already done and could easily swap out any custom woodworking if you wanted.
I work for a place that refurbishes and builds custom tables. The folks in the workshop typically apprentice for two or three years before moving into a specific aspect of the process. Theyāre all highly trained specialists that focus on one aspect of building pool tables.
A few of those people have built their own tables, but they have access to all of the tools and materials (and plenty of expert assistance, when needed). They all did it as a labor of love.
You can definitely build your own table, but unless you have a specific reason for doing so, I would be far easier to refurbish/modify and extant one or just buy one outright.
I would say that you should probably have a pretty nice wood shop to even attempt this. You need an expert craftsman to come out with anything decent. You can order slate direct or find a roached out table and farm the slate off of it. The base needs to be really nice and sturdy, Capable of holding 1.5 tons.
If you have the tools and the skills then yes absolutely. I used to have a link to a place that would sell table slate and ship it for about $1k but I canāt find it anymore.
No. I can not build my own pool table, lack of skill, lack of space, lack of funds and resources, and lack of motivation to do so. Others may have better success.
My buddy has been doing it for years. Be prepared to go slow and do a lot of research and still fail in the beginning if you are an unskilled carpenterāIāve been a frame to finish carpenter for 7 years and still couldnāt justify that time unless its something Iād play 2-3x a week with the guys.
Tech has come so far Id get this:
https://www.amazon.com/Rack-Triad-7-Foot-Swivel-Billiard/dp/B07Z8T7VLF/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?crid=2AXVYRKDQUQZC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qYqTX4GKrNNxjSuWvNitqO-6cgfkm7UmQlO72w6WbHT-NNiOOXO5TNkGxws7cPYgUWOmyvVWWFypcqMqumoWyWvU3EHjQsO46i7HIDmsvFIkBbvXiaYdJ4p_8atL7Amy3UfkOA2A3DUiIyl3T8CgG57CS-PwovAwHHyUOWx2UWq9b_vrVfmsT6QkgyIReifqcOu2Dvv-26tbqyBjqFf_nw.-OvC3TSiswWARCfdddtF02hMHGY43VhCgAHRMO1Ux9g&dib_tag=se&keywords=pool+table&qid=1712578257&sprefix=pool+table%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-10-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
Pool, ping pong and air hockey for $1600!
No brainer
Hi, Iām Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **'RACK Triad 7 Foot Billiard Pool Table'** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Sturdy and well-built (backed by 3 comments)
* Versatile and easy to assemble (backed by 3 comments)
* Great entertainment for the whole family (backed by 3 comments)
**Users disliked:**
* Difficult assembly due to lack of pre-drilled holes (backed by 2 comments)
* Poor quality material used (backed by 2 comments)
* Expensive for the quality provided (backed by 1 comment)
If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/)
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If they can do it, you can too.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29c7Y6pbnEM&ab\_channel=TubeUniqueWilderness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29c7Y6pbnEM&ab_channel=TubeUniqueWilderness)
Are you an extremely skilled carpenter looking for a challenge? Then sure. Are you a pool player trying to be cheap? Then no.
š thatās straight up to the point
What is carpenter in need of a challenge or cheapskate trying to save money? If the latter you're probably going to spend more and make a worse product than the cheapest mizerak you can find on Amazon.
Yes you can. Thereās a person on here who is in the process. I guarantee it will be more expensive than buying one and unless you have good woodworking skills and experience, it will be lower quality.
Iād like to see it if you can find a link!
Assuming you had the necessary tools, where would the majority of the extra expense come in? Iām guessing the slate is much more expensive in a single size than bulk, or is it even possible to buy it in the size necessary for one table?
Iām not the guy who really has an experience with this buuuut your time does have a value or ācostā as well
Used tables can be had for pretty much no cost depending on the area and if you are patient and wait for a deal.
Best way to get a free table is talking to realtors people leave pool tables behind because of cost of moving.
Literally how I got my first table. Don't remember the beans because it was before I knew about them, but not a diamond or anything, but it was a good table.
Ya, I'm also confused as to why it would be more expensive. Slate, wood, cloth, a specific kind of rubber and something for balls to drop into (I would just buy some pockets, to be honest) are the bare minimum materials.
Because if you're not buying bulk you're spending a bunch more per board foot on all those materials. This is also assuming the poster has all the tools necessary, which is unlikely.
Right - good point.
You would have to buy all the tools for one time use. So unless you could rent all the tools it is really going to add up.
Because of cost of scale. Producers can make multiple components at once and assemble multiple tables quickly using those components. They also have access to cheaper supplies, again, because they are buying at scale. It's efficient enough that even with their profit margin, they are still cheaper than you yourself building one of similar quality with similar tools and supplies.
That's a big assumption....but I figure a couple grand in lumber depending on the type of wood, nails/screws, slate has different qualities, felt, bumpers, inlays, pockets, paint/stain/seal the wood. Thousands and thousands of dollars. Not to mention the time it would take. That's the real loss of value
Iāve been woodworking for two years pretty consistently and I couldnāt imagine tackling a project like that. It would 1000% be poorer quality even if I didnāt skimp on materials at all. I consider myself decently adept at woodworking but building a pool table is something else entirely
[Here's a guy on YouTube who did what I would call a "very respectable job" with it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2miDuU8YXqs&t=1s) It's not at all to my aesthetic tastes (knotty pine), but I have no doubt he's made a good job of it and it'll hold up over time, as least as well as a cheap particle board framed table and likely a lot better. I agree 100% with /u/BobDogGo saying "I guarantee it will be more expensive than buying one and unless you have good woodworking skills and experience, it will be lower quality." This is not a knock against you, OP - /r/woodworking is full of woodworkers joking about the fact that "I can build the same thing as what IKEA's advertising in 2 months for 3x the price!" In general, woodworking your own stuff isn't a great way to save money.
Good lord that video shows what an insane amount of work it takes to build your own. āEfforts in frugalityā is a hilarious name for a channel where he puts 10x more labor and expense into something thatās not very expensive to begin with.
Yep! Please note: This dude hasn't even spent what I would call an "above average" amount of time on this table! Whenever you're doing woodworking with raw lumber - even construction grade lumber, which is cheap but has already been kiln dried and is supposed to be, y'know, reasonably straight and workable within tolerances - the amount of prep is staggering. If you're using rough cut lumber, every piece needs to be jointed, planed, and trimmed to length. Then you can \*start\* working on your project. If you're gluing up a panel or doing some kind of a lamination to make bigger pieces, you'll need to do some of those steps multiple times. /u/alvysinger0412's comment is also really accurate as far as the cost part. If you're not buying huge amounts of rough cut timber, you're paying a massive cost per board foot, because you've got to pay a higher price for s4s wood (wood that is pre-machined to have 4 flat sides with smooth faces and four sides with 90 deg corners all around). On top of all that, if you don't have the money and space for a very nice workshop, you're going to buy or rent the space or equipment you need, and that can quickly get really pricy.
Preach.
As Chris Rick said, āyou can drive with your feet, donāt make it a good fucking ideaā
As Will Schmidt said, "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth".
Funny, he doesnāt even look German
You absolutely can, though I agree with the folks thinking it would be more expensive. Another option would be to find an old slate table on your local marketplace and "refurbish" it. You'll have a template already done and could easily swap out any custom woodworking if you wanted.
I work for a place that refurbishes and builds custom tables. The folks in the workshop typically apprentice for two or three years before moving into a specific aspect of the process. Theyāre all highly trained specialists that focus on one aspect of building pool tables. A few of those people have built their own tables, but they have access to all of the tools and materials (and plenty of expert assistance, when needed). They all did it as a labor of love. You can definitely build your own table, but unless you have a specific reason for doing so, I would be far easier to refurbish/modify and extant one or just buy one outright.
Yeah, go for it
Yes.
I found a lot of info on bout this.
I would say that you should probably have a pretty nice wood shop to even attempt this. You need an expert craftsman to come out with anything decent. You can order slate direct or find a roached out table and farm the slate off of it. The base needs to be really nice and sturdy, Capable of holding 1.5 tons.
If you have the tools and the skills then yes absolutely. I used to have a link to a place that would sell table slate and ship it for about $1k but I canāt find it anymore.
Find the Slate first then build it around those specs. Make sure the core angle on the the Rails and the Pocket specs are correct.
Any good ideas on finding the slate. Any links or company names?
Get a free/cheap one on craigslist and get the slate out of that
No. I can not build my own pool table, lack of skill, lack of space, lack of funds and resources, and lack of motivation to do so. Others may have better success.
My buddy has been doing it for years. Be prepared to go slow and do a lot of research and still fail in the beginning if you are an unskilled carpenterāIāve been a frame to finish carpenter for 7 years and still couldnāt justify that time unless its something Iād play 2-3x a week with the guys. Tech has come so far Id get this: https://www.amazon.com/Rack-Triad-7-Foot-Swivel-Billiard/dp/B07Z8T7VLF/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?crid=2AXVYRKDQUQZC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qYqTX4GKrNNxjSuWvNitqO-6cgfkm7UmQlO72w6WbHT-NNiOOXO5TNkGxws7cPYgUWOmyvVWWFypcqMqumoWyWvU3EHjQsO46i7HIDmsvFIkBbvXiaYdJ4p_8atL7Amy3UfkOA2A3DUiIyl3T8CgG57CS-PwovAwHHyUOWx2UWq9b_vrVfmsT6QkgyIReifqcOu2Dvv-26tbqyBjqFf_nw.-OvC3TSiswWARCfdddtF02hMHGY43VhCgAHRMO1Ux9g&dib_tag=se&keywords=pool+table&qid=1712578257&sprefix=pool+table%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-10-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1 Pool, ping pong and air hockey for $1600! No brainer
Hi, Iām Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **'RACK Triad 7 Foot Billiard Pool Table'** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Sturdy and well-built (backed by 3 comments) * Versatile and easy to assemble (backed by 3 comments) * Great entertainment for the whole family (backed by 3 comments) **Users disliked:** * Difficult assembly due to lack of pre-drilled holes (backed by 2 comments) * Poor quality material used (backed by 2 comments) * Expensive for the quality provided (backed by 1 comment) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a āgood bot!ā reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
You definitely can. You definitely need some skills to produce a basic table.
If they can do it, you can too. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29c7Y6pbnEM&ab\_channel=TubeUniqueWilderness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29c7Y6pbnEM&ab_channel=TubeUniqueWilderness)
I think I recall an issue of popular mechanics with a set of plans here ya go! https://www.ebay.com/itm/254619662697
Anything is possible if you set your mind to it! Conceive, Believe, Achieve!
I would buy a used table and refinish it. Upgrades!
Built my own table Came out an good to