VIDEO - Pool Table Build - Part 1

[John Nixon]

I have finished Part 1 of the video series that documents my pool table build. Part 1 (of many) is about 10 minutes long and details the setup and use of the Lock Miter bit to make the columns for the legs.

http://www.eaglelakewoodworking.com/index.htm?videos.htm (http://www.eaglelakewoodworking.com/index.htm?videos.htm)

I'm always looking for ways to improve the quality of my videos, so please comment and let me know what you think.


John Nixon - Buffalo, NY

[Frederick Rowe]

John- You've done a fine job in this latest video. Well produced, and the integration of CAD drawing is excellent. Did you laminate the hardwood veneer on the plywood yourself - it's seems quite thick. One video suggestion, try a lapel microphone, the audio is a bit distant and echoes. I look forward to future segments.

[Brian Hale]

Ironic!

I just received my first Lock Miter bit a couple days ago and spent a little time trying to set it up but no glory yet. It was supposed to come with instructions but that didn't happen so i was just futzing around with trying to make a joint and took a break to check in on the creek and what do i find but your video! :cool:

I did a pause where you displayed the drawing of Too High, Too Low and did a alt-Print Screen so i could print it out. (Hope you don't mind :o )

I'll give it a shot tomorrow and see how it works.

THANKS!!!!!

Brian :)

[John Nixon]

John- You've done a fine job in this latest video. Well produced, and the integration of CAD drawing is excellent. Did you laminate the hardwood veneer on the plywood yourself - it's seems quite thick. One video suggestion, try a lapel microphone, the audio is a bit distant and echoes. I look forward to future segments.

Thanks for the compliment Fred. I'm still getting the hang of Google Sketchup, so I hope to have more/better 3D views that help illustrate the topic in future videos.

The material is a lamination I put together. I have a bunch of 3/16" panel material that has QS White oak veneer on it. I bought about 14 sheets of it from this gentleman who had it custom made for a wainscott he was going to do. He moved and put the material up for sale. I love the look of QS White Oak, so I snatched it up, and now I just find creative ways to use it to my liking. The material has fantastic figure on it (hard to tell in the video). I laminte this 3/16" panel material to 3/4" cabinet grade ply.

Thanks for the feedback on the audio - I've been trying a few different things with the audio, and hope to get it better.

Thanks,
John

[Michael Short]

John,

Thanks for posting your video link. As a new wood worker and a person that loves shooting pool I enjoyed the video from both levels. I am looking forward to your progression through this project. I just came across your site via this forum today and spent some time viewing your videos and gallery. Thanks for sharing your work and ideas.

[John Schreiber]

Nice work. Inspiring to fellow craftsmen and potential customers as well. A good sales tool.

[John Nixon]

Hi Brian, if you bought the smaller lock miter bit, they sell a setup block at Rockler for use when using exactly 3/4 inch material. I guess outside of that, you're on your own for setting it up...so save those setup blocks you make yourself for different thickness material.

My advice is to do one part at a time - that is, set the bit height (and get it perfect) before moving on to adjusting the fence. Using the interlocking method to know when the test pieces are flush has been my best approach.

Good luck and thanks for the compliments on the video!

[John Nixon]

Hi Michael, I know what you mean. When I comitted to making the table, I was really excited. I knew that there would be plenty of people like yourself that would be interested in seeing someone build a table. The ultimate satisfaction will be playing on that table (and hopefully) passing it on to my children.

[John Nixon]

Nice work. Inspiring to fellow craftsmen and potential customers as well. A good sales tool.

Thanks John. I have had decent exposure with the videos. I like the delivery method for information. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then a video must be worth a 1000 pictures. With the internet supporting decent video delivery and most people having high speed connections, I think it's going to be the way people expect their information to be presented.

Right now, I've got a few more hours of video shot that I need to edit through, so hopeflly I'll have the next part of the series out shortly.

Thanks for checking it out, I'm glad you liked it!

[Greg Ladd]

John,

I watched your video. Nice job, very informative and well done.

I have a question about the design of your table. If I understand it right, you intend on having 4 boards placed under the table with there faces up.

Please do not think that I claim to know much about pool tables but I am not sure that boards oriented that way will gain you much of anything.

Our Olhausen table has multiple supports on edge under the table. If you would have to do any shimming of the slate I don't think the boards installed in the face up orientation would have enough stiffness to allow shimming to stay in place without sagging over time.

I believe the slate liner will provide the same thing as your face oritented boards. The slate liner will provide support to the edges of the slate, allows multiple places for shimming and provids a place to staple the cloth to. The slate liner is glued to the slate.

I guess what I am saying is that the design will probably work better without the 4 boards laying face up unless you place those boards directly over the edge mounted boards in a 'T' fashion. The only place that I see where the face mounted boards help in any way is where they intersect with an edge mounted brace.

Take a look at the Olhausen website to see what I mean.

All of this being said, I believe if I had it to do over again I would like to try to build a table myself. They are fairly simple structures and certainly not worth the price that major players charge. If decent slate can be purchased almost any woodworker could build one I believe and save a significant amount of money.

Greg

[John Nixon]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your suggestion. There's a few things that were not stated in the video that may help clarify some of your concerns. I have a "donor table" from which I plan to use the slate and the bumpers (and the piece the bumper is mounted to).

I copied the original support system exactly from the donor table. Some of the flaws in the design may come from the fact that this wasn't exactly a high quality table to begin with.

The slate I have is not backed, so you are correct in saying that the sole purpose of the slats is for shimming and to provide some common surface at the slate seam. The three main beams are going to be spaced about 16 inches apart, so there shouldn't be much room for sag in the slats.

I struggled with redesigning the support system as part of this project, but I decided to keep it simple and duplicate what has worked for this table for almost 30 years.

I do appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

[glenn bradley]

Brian, once you get a joint you're happy with, run some hardwood pieces through and save them as setup blocks. This saves me a lot of time with my drawer lock bits.

[Greg Ladd]

John,

I understand where you are coming from regarding the design. It is hard to argue with a design that is 30 years old.

Would it be possible to still turn the slats on edge and let them down into the other support pieces similar to the way a torsion box is made? It wouldn't be difficult and would be much stronger.

Regarding the slate liner...the slate I have simply uses 1/2" particle board glued to all of the edges of each piece of slate. It certainly makes it easy to drive wedges under to level the playing surface and removes the fear of cracking the slate.

Just asking...

By the way, your are going to have a beautiful table when you are finished. I really like the design aspects of the visible furniture part of the table.

Greg