Previously, I explored the methods and materials which were involved with producing snooker balls (click here to read that). Now, we’re going to look at the table the game is played on. As you can imagine, a 12ft 6in table consists of a lot of raw materials and man-power to piece together, which can often be overlooked.
The two prominent raw materials required for a snooker table are the wood (for the frame and legs) and the slate (for the surface bed). Firstly, slate are the large flat pieces that make the surface of a snooker table; normally what resides beneath the cloth. Slate is a kind of clay-like, rock material which can be compressed and formed into the very thick, heavy slabs required for a table. Slate is also used for roofing and other areas of construction, but in much thinner sizes.
As opposed to one large piece of slate, the piece is divided into multiple slices to make transportation and assembly manageable, as well as minimise any chance of warping (often associated with wooden bed tables). Depending on how the slate has been divided, each piece can weigh up to 200kg and due to the nature of assembly, requires a few table-fitters to install. The substantial weight of the slate is necessary to provide a stable playing surface. Once the pieces are placed to form one large slate, the gaps between pieces are filled and filed to ensure a level playing surface.
Meanwhile, the wood required is cut down and shaped to size to form the legs and support beams for the table. The type of wood used varies among manufacturers but will typically use some kind of hardwood which is long lasting and holds screws/fittings well. Moisture is reduced in these wooden pieces to reduce chances of warping and buckling.
Once these primary materials come together along with the other necessary elements such as the cloths and pockets, the professional fitters begin assembly. All of the pieces they have will have already been sanded, filed and shaped to spec so that it can all be put together much like a puzzle.
Normally, the outer beams are placed atop the legs of the table, then supporting beams are inserted both ways from end-to-end to provide support. Due to the heavy materials involved, further support is built by adding metal support brackets wherever there are gaps in the framework so the slate has a strong base to lay on. The slate pieces are then rested on the top of the frame and slid next to each other precisely to ensure a smooth surface. Throughout this entire process, fitters are checking periodically to make sure of an even balance along the table. Levelling equipment is used with such accuracy that a piece of paper placed underneath will be recognised as throwing off an even balance on the surface.
For professional main-stage tournaments, before the slate is put on the under-table heaters are installed. Years before, this involved piping and tubing being placed inside the framework which resulted in inconsistent heating temperatures across the table but nowadays is just a thin layer of heated padding which can provide a consistent and regulated temperature.
One of the more difficult stages of assembly is applying the cloth tightly and securely to the slate and surrounding framework. The pockets are used as leverage points to be able to stretch the cloth as much as required to result in the fine running cloth that we’re used to seeing in-game. The cloth is secured using a significant number of staples or tacks so there’s no chance of the cloth coming apart.
The cushions/rails are then bolted to the edges of the slate. Pocket templates are used at this point to conform to sizing regulations set by the WPBSA. These are templates that haven’t changed for decades which can sometimes seem dubious considering how generous pockets can occasionally be. Lastly, the cloth is marked with the baulk cushion line, the break-off ‘D’ and the colour spots. Fitters only really have one shot at doing this so there is a lot of pressure on accuracy, even at this final stage.
Making a snooker table is a very labour intensive process and it’s easy for it to go unnoticed, unless it gets a TV spot in a Triple Crown tournament. It’s a procedure that requires a lot of concentration in key areas as even the smallest of hiccups will result in a noticeably uneven playing surface. Watching a team of fitters assemble a table is where you can truly appreciate the work involved in bringing the game of snooker to life.