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I am so proud to finally announce our assignment as Plank & Hide's official pool table dealer for the state of Georgia and Atlanta area. Plank & Hide is a manufacturer of high quality indoor and outdoor recreational products including pool tables, shuffleboard tables, bars, stools and other furniture. We will first be displaying their pool tables on our showroom which we have already begun to set up.

So far, we have been very impressed with the quality. All of their pool tables are designed with solid wood to wood construction (wood tables) or solid steel to steel construction (steel tables), are extremely heavy duty and every joint is held together with bolts as opposed to most manufacturer's screws. Each model boasts gorgeous finishes, 3-piece one-inch framed slate and a lifetime warranty.

Some of our favorite models include the Plank & Hide Rexx pool table, an all steel model handcrafted in Ohio. It features steel legs, frame, and rail caps over hardwood and a three piece 1" tournament slate play surface. I fell in love with this table as soon as I saw it for the first time at a trade show in Chicago. Now, you can come see it in our showroom in person.

I also have to mention the solid oak Plank and Hide Isaac pool table. I personally think this is one of the coolest tables I've ever seen. My wife and I are crazy about turnbuckles, so much so that we incorporated them into our dining room table in a very similar fashion. The craftsmanship is evident with intricately designed finger jointed corners and blinds, genuine leather drop pockets and functional steel turnbuckles.

Needless to say, we all at Southern Billiards are excited to be a part of the Plank & Hide team and can't wait to share their entire product line with our customers in Atlanta, GA and surrounding areas. I hope that you will take some time to drop in and take a look. I think that you will be as impressed as I still am.

If you've found this article you've likely been asked if your pool table is constructed of one, two or three pieces of slate. In my experience, most pool table owners just aren't sure but when it comes time to buy, sell or move your pool table this is something you will need to know.

Why does it matter?

A one piece slate pool table uses a completely different method of construction and can be very dangerous to move. However, in most cases the table can be moved completely assembled without damage to the table.

A two or three piece slate design will need to be disassembled for relocation and then re-assembled. This method of moving protects the slate seams from being stressed and breaking which often occurs when someone tries to move the table in one piece.

We've made a short video to help you easily identify how many pieces of slate your pool table has. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to us.

Really long day and a very rewarding day on the road today. It's not that often I get back out on the road with the guys anymore but I never get tired of it because of all of the personal relationships we are able to start with our customers. There is just something about being able to go to a customer's house, do some beautiful work for them on their pool table, and make a friend while you're there. First stop in Canton was a move on a nice 8' Beringer table that we have serviced since new. The owner remembered us and when she sold it to a new owner, she recommended he use us for the move. People remember quality work at a fair price. The new owner was an awesome gentleman that I really enjoyed getting to know. We get to meet ALL kinds of people and often it is a blessing to get to know them. That was certainly the case with this fella. His name is Robert Ballastros and he is a retired Marine. My being prior Navy gave us a common point of conversation. Come to find out, he is also a follower of Jesus Christ, so we definitely had plenty in common. He currently owns a landscaping company named Simply Beyond Expectations and I bet his work is just that. Everybody should get to meet upstanding people like we do! By the way, the crew and I left him with a great pool table for the kids and his family, leveled to within .005 inch/foot as we always do. He wants to get a new pool table light as well and assured me that Southern Billiards is his store of choice. Though we are 1.5 hours from his home, I suppose that if we can drive that far to complete the necessary work then he is willing to come to Loganville or order from our awesome site at CoolPoolTables.com After that job was complete it was on to Cues Billiards on Canton Hwy in Marietta to see my old friend Terry Stewart. We were there to recover all 12 of his 9' Kim Steel pool tables with 860 Simonis tournament green cloth. We were able to get a good jump on the job and finish in time for their APA league players to begin on time at 7:30. Again, something kind of cool as we covered the table today for a player who was celebrating his birthday today and he thanked us for doing "his" table in time for him to play on it as he celebrated with all his pool-playing friends. I just wish he would have offered us some of his birthday cake-it smelled fantastic. I should have a good story to tell tomorrow as we will continue working at Cues as well as picking up a very rare 12' Peter Vitalie snooker table while in Canton that will end up at Mr. Cues Billiards on Chamblee-Tucker Rd. Southern Billiards will remove the existing 12' antique T-rail table and install this much newer better designed table. If you want a 12'er for your home or business you could contact Rick Sweet at (770)454-7665. Really enjoying being able to hit the road this week with my guys and a big thanks goes out to my beautiful wife Cindy and my son and workers at the store for handling everything at the store including that phone that never stops ringing. Thank God. Like I say though, best job I ever had! Always remember, Jesus Loves Us!

Very long but incredibly rewarding day today out on the road!  Besides installing a beautiful Vitalie Peregrine pool table as a birthday gift for a young man I have known most of his life (Dad surprised him with a pool table for his birthday) we also were able to finish a really nice table for a great customer who upgraded to Simonis 860 cloth in one of their new colors I really like called Mocha.  The table was a nice 8' Olhausen pool table that had never had worsted cloth before and was set up by the dealer here in Atlanta the first time.  We were able to undo some of the sloppy work and the customer was amazed by how much better the table looked and played than before.  We get to meet SO many interesting people and make them happy.  It really is a blessing!

I would have to say that the highlight of the day was upgrading a table for the Center for Children and Young Adults in Marietta, Ga.  The center had a 8' Olhausen furniture-grade table before today-a very well built pool table but not built for the amount of use their table sees.  We were able to upgrade them to a Gandy Sportsman commercial-style table which is much better suited and will afford the center a lifetime of great play.  The Gandy actually came from the original Mr. Cues in Norcross years ago.  I think Richard Sweet would have loved that it ended up where kids will enjoy it every day.  The Sweet family still operates the parlor at Mr. Cues II on Chamblee-Tucker Rd, an awesome pool hall  that Southern Billiards is honored to service.  

As I mentioned, the pool table went to the Center for Children and Young Adults (CCYA), a favorite charity for Southern Billiards. In addition to hosting a fund raiser every Saturday morning where anyone can come to our showroom and play/practice/receive instruction for up to 2 hours for only a $10 donation to CCYA, we also are blessed to be able to provide gift cards for the kids for Christmas and are able to help them with their gameroom needs.  

If you are not familiar with CCYA you can visit their website at ccyakids.org/  Ever since we first met the people at the center I have been overwhelmed by the professional and loving care they provide for the kids there.  It is truly a great charity and they can use help in fundraising, volunteer work and more.  You would be uplifted to go visit or help them in any way you can.  

Well, gotta go now.  Big day tomorrow with another surprise table going out to start the day.  7' Craftmaster built for Southern 14 years ago.  They'll love it!

Always remember, Jesus Loves Us!

       

Let there be no doubt, the life of a pool table mechanic can certainly be trying.  Involving strenuous labor and often some very long hours, the job requires dedication and lots of training.  At Southern Billiards being tired or in a rush is no excuse for work that is not your very best.  It amazes me the shoddy work some "billiard mechanics" perform and it seems we follow their work all too often.  But enough of the bad, today we're going to talk about my favorite part of this aspect of the business.

Today I was able to go on two of the three jobs with Scottie, our lead man on the road.  On the first stop I got to meet the father of one of the young men I was fortunate enough to coach in one season of AAU basketball.  The young man then went on to play football for the University of Alabama and is now married and living in 'Bama.  En route to our second job I got to meet an old friend from high school I had not seen since 1980.  Got to visit for a little bit and am looking forward to getting together for lunch one day soon.  He offered to come by at our showroom and knock the balls around for a while one day soon.

You see, the life of a "road warrior" is all about relationships with our customers.  We may only ever work on your table once but we want it to be memorable and enjoyable.  My favorite customer to deliver a new or used table to is the person who has always wanted a table at home and finally is getting one!  Matters not if it's an expensive table or not, we want to make it a great experience.  Get excited about this wonderful game that has been so good to me!  The faces of the kids who are getting a table as a surprise for Christmas or birthday is absolutely priceless.  THAT is the best part of being a pool table mechanic and  always having high standards for your work. Just "good enough" is not good enough.

Give our service guys a chance to impress you on your next pool table service and visit us at our showroom at 4610 Atlanta Hwy in Loganville, Ga.  We would love to meet you.

Always remember, Jesus Loves Us!

At Southern Billiards we've been telling our customers for years that one of the best ways to maximize your fun in your gameroom is to invest in a ping pong conversion top for your pool table.  Today we completed four pool table jobs/deliveries and three of the four purchased a top for their table.  My only question is "Why didn't the other?"

At a nominal cost of $219.95 which includes the paddles, balls, and net set this is one of the best deals ever.  Let's face it, many people do not love billiards as much as you and I may.  A ping pong top is a great way to keep the whole family involved.  Besides, it's really good exercise! 

At our store we offer a black top with white lines for 7' and 8' tables and a green top with white lines for the 9' tables.

The black tops feature a full rubber backing to eliminate any chance of scratching your beloved pool table, a very important addition to the new tops.  The green tops offer foam blocks that adhere to the back of the top for the same reason.  Both models include a block to go under the middle at the joint to ensure that the top does not sag over time.

If you do not already own one of the tops they are a great idea for a Christmas gift for the whole family!  You would be amazed how competitive this game can get among family. Delivery is included on this item if you purchase and have it brought at the same time as the install/service job.

Please call the shop for ordering or information.

Always remember, Jesus loves us!