PI[I{ABA[I{ BILIIAHIITABTE

By John C. Wilson PARTMENT dwellers and snall-home ovmers whose reereation-room facilities are limited to the kitchen or dining room now can enjoy a game of billiards rvith this new portable ta6le top. It resls on an extension-type kitchen or dinette tabTe, providing a s_tandard home-size playing surface that is lightweight and easilri st6*ed -in a closet. The cushion rubber and-felt can be purchased from any billiard-supply or spo_rting-goods store. Use l7s-in.-dia: balls and 52-in. cues. By g$e-ndinq the,table, a clear space is provided for the side pockets, Fig. B, and leveling the playing surfice is adcoriplished by3r- "jack" fitted to one of the tableiegs as in Fig.6. Th_ebilliard top is built around a B x 6-ft. panel of Yz-in. plywood which is available 1t 1o.rye lumberyards. Ifowever, you rrray trnct rt necessar.y to eut a 12-in. strip from one side of a standard 4-ft. sheet. The first $.en js jo l.ay out the-holes for the pockets, Fig. 2. Eaoh corner of the panel is c-ut ofi a[ 188 a-45-deg. angle t9 folm a flat 3Ye in. long. The axis point for the 2-in. radius is 6cated on a center line 1in. in from the qdge. The center of the side pockets is locatdd*3/ in. in from the edge. The holes are cut best wit| a coping saw and {:hen smoothed up yith a wood rasp. The seetional detail through the edge-of the table top shows how 2 x 2-in. hardwood rails ar.e fabbeted t_orefeive the plywood panel. Note that the d-e-pthof the rabbet brings the panel flush r,rlhen it is covered with muslin and felt. The rails are joined at the corners and side pockets with % x L7/a-in. metal straps. These are fitted flush with the outer fa6es of the rails. Before fitting them to the rails, the straps are drilled an-d countersunk foi oval-headed screws and then covered with sleeves of leather glued to the metal. The oval-headed screwl make a neat job and prevent snagged clothing. Holes for bank markers are drilled at this time. the markers.being flat-headed sleeve btilts located lalfrvay between pockets. Measure from the center of one pocket to the center of the next one. Regular screw posts of tJre tytrre

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used for a memo padmake exeellent markers and can be purchased in any stationery store. At this point the side and end rails can be temporarily fastened to the plywood panel. The cushion mounting plates are ripped to size fiom l-in. stock. With the ends mitered to suit the corner pockets, the plates are clamped in position on the rails and thlee holes ar.e drilled throueh each rail and countersunk on tf,e face to take long oval-headed screws which hold f.he plates. To deterrnine the height of the cushion rubber above the playing surface. two pieces of felt are placed on the plywood, one representing the felt cov_ ering the top and the other the felt covering the cushion. The center of the ball should come about }le in. below the edge of the cushion. No*. hold the cushion rubber temporarily on the mounting plate, mealur.e 1 in. up from the felt to the rounded edge of the rubber and mark alorrs the lower edge of the rubber. Rui this m-ark e!-otrg the full length of each pla-te.This serves as a guide in gluing the rubber in positiSn. An., good linoleum or tile cement can bL

Using regulor fable for o bose, top con be stored in closet

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used and, after it dries, the inside edges of the plates are shaped to conJorm to the contour of the rubber strips. With the ends of the rubber cushions mitered to match the ends of the plates at the pockets, the cushions are covered with felt. In cutting the strips, a1low enough felt to extend to the back side of the mounting plate, as in Fig. 5. The successive steps shorv the sequence in covering the rubber. Glue is applied to the wood surfaces only and the felt is pulled toward the botfirmlyfromthetop tom. The felt at the mitered ends of the cushions is double lapped and the end tucked under as in I" SQUARES step E. t l r t l _ TEMPTATE When all the cushion members FON AND SIDE CORNER are covered, felt is applied to the POCKETS playing surface. First remove the I r r - | | rails which were tempolarily fitted and apply trvo coats of shellac to the plyrvood, sanding each when dry. Next, stretch muslin over the plywood and tack it along the outer edges, letting the muslin cover' the holes for the pockets. The felt is glued to the muslin and it is best to work a small area at a time to prevent the glue from drying before the felt can be rolled out smoothly. The felt should be large enough to overhang the top all around so that it can be pulled and stretched tautly should any wrinkles remain af[ei gluing. In the final stretching, the felt is tacked to the plywood all around the edges. The felt, which now covers the openings for the pockets, is cut into Yz-in, ships. These are tapered slightly to {orrn gussets so that in bringing them dolirn around the edge of the hole, adjacent edges of the strips will butt together. Drive tacks th,rough the felt tabs and into the edges of the plywood and then tack the ends to the underside. Fig. 4 gives a pattern for the leather pockets. The detail in Fig. 2, showing a sectional view through the pocket, indicates how each pocket is hung from the metal strap joining the rails. Note that the inner face of the metal is lined with a strip of Ys-in. rubber glued in place to cushion the balls. After the pockets are stitched and slipped over the metal straps, they are tacked to the underside of the plywood, nailing through the tabs provided. Finish the rails with two coats of shellac, sanding each one lightly, and then apply paste wax. The underside of the plywood should be covered with felt to prevent marring the finish of the table. Fig. 1 suggests a simple ball rack that can be installed at one end of the table, using towel bars.