There are three common and different sizes of pool tables - 7 foot, 8 foot, and 9 foot. 7 foot tables are considered small and are usually used in homes where the room size does not allow a larger table. The 8 foot is the most common and is used in bars and pool halls. The 9 foot size is often used in larger pool halls and pool tournaments.
A pool table consists of legs, a body, a slate bed, rails, and pockets. The legs attach to the body of the table and bring it up to the correct height for playing.
The slate is attached to the body, which has strong cross bracing to support the great weight of the slate. The rails mount directly to the slate, with the pockets attached to the rails and joining them together.
The legs of the table can be individual or partition-style and are built very ruggedly to support the great weight of the pool table. There are hundreds of style of legs made and they, along with the style of the body, are usually classed along the lines of architecture styles.
The pool table body is made of good structural wood such as poplar, while the outside surfaces that show are made of fancier woods such as maple, oak, walnut, or mahogany. The diamond inlays on the rails can be made of a great number of exotic materials such as abalone shell, ivory, brass, plastics, and wood veneers of all types.
The slate usually 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Slate us most commonly made in three matching pieces to make handling and transportation of the slate much easier. India and Brazil contribute some of the best slate in the world.
Rails are made of a similar structural wood as the body with a body-matching hardwood on the top surface and side apron. The rubber cushions are bonded to the rails to provide the bounce for bank shots and to protect the balls. The pockets are joined to the rails and are installed at the same time. Pockets can be the individual web type or built into the table, as is the case with coin operated tables.
Pool tables came in two basic formats - those with individual pockets and those with pockets that allow the balls to drop into channels that funnel the balls to a central collection area. With individual pockets, the balls must be retrieved from each pocket manually, while the channel-type table deposits all the balls into the collection area for easier retrieval.
The slate is covered with billiards cloth or felt. This provides a smooth, soft surface for the balls to roll on. The felt covers the entire slate bed and the cushions on the rails.
Depending on the weave of the felt, some tables may be said to be fast or slow. A high quality cloth will have a finer weave, which will allow the balls to roll easier and will be called fast. A lesser quality cloth will be a coarser weave and will hinder the roll of the balls somewhat, thus the slow designation.
A pool table is designated as regulation size when the length of the table is exactly twice as long as it is wide. Most pool tables are made to this specification.
Pool tables are generally very heavy because of their solid build and the heavy slate bed. They should be placed on a solid floor that will support their weight without bowing or moving when people walk around the table. If you are not sure of your floor's integrity, have an expert inspect it before setting up a pool table in your location.
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