Sav's Latest Project.

[Chris_Sav]

Dover and Deal have two new venues (and other inquiries) since advertising our tables hire on a straight profit share basis.

I thus needed to commission my last and worst spare table, KP's old one. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but wow!!

The slate surface must have been under a dart board, I have never seen such a pock-marked mess. The slate was also convex at the top holes where the support had been forced away from the slate under the ten hole.

Nothing for it but dug the screws out of the slate and removed the wooden surround from under it. Good preparation for the joint Redhill/D&D project to purchase raw slates from Bar Billiards Ltd.

What a mess! The interesting find was clippings from 'The Tatler' magazine from the very early thirties (KG V)as padding under the slate.

Thought you might like to see the mess and what the well dressed were wearing almost eighty years ago.

Click here and click on the picture to zoom in.

Click here and click on the picture to zoom in.

Sav

[Chunky Monkey]

I dont know a lot about the slates and nor does chunky monkeys other half, She has asked me could the slate not be turned the other way up? ???

I think our role here, Mr Reaper, is more of the nature of admiring the scale of the restoration work that a true artisan faces. (Rather like watching a vet with his arm up a cow's backside). ;D ;D ;D

Sure, when he took the table apart there was thirty or more years of debris inside which had become loosened.

That white stuff is the liquid cement that is used to fix the cups in the pockets from underneath (similar to the stuff that dentists use). It always make a mess when applied but suddenly sets and hardens. All that crumbly residue will be gone with one sweep of the vacuum.

I think Sav's main concern was that the 'forcing away' and 'bowing' of the slate behind the ten hole could have caused some damage - but then again he would have said. ;)

[Chris_Sav]

Hi,

Slate is only machined to perfection on one side, thus can't turn it over.

Slate, surprisingly, is in one, albeit battered, piece. It is bowed across the top, which I did not think was possible.

Looks better without the mess on it and not so convex, didn't want to but have glued the frame back to the slate with a forest of cramps!, hopefully that will pull the slate back flat enough.

The top is going to take hours and hours of filling and filing the pock marks. Thought seriously about ditching the slate, but it's worth a try.

Interesting reading about Balkan Sobrani cigarettes and dresses at 22 guineas!!

It's become more obvious why Jelkes slates crack under the front. The 'support' bar under the 'D' at the join of the wood and slate is NOT attached to the side rails, just four small screws in the slate to hold it in place, no support whatsoever. That will be altered!! ;D

Sav.