Pool Table Cushion Recovers
Whenever requests are made for us to recover cushions we always ascertain if the cushions are still responsive i.e. that there is still flexibility in the rubber to give true ball response. If any of the rubbers are hard they must be replaced. We strongly recommend replacing the whole rubber set if only 1 cushion is hard as just replacing one will make playing cue sports on the table unpredictable. To replace a full set of cushion rubbers is comparatively cheap and gives best gameplay going forward.
For accurate quotes we need to know:
- the table manufacturer
- maximum outside dimensions
- whether the table is for English small ball or American large size pockets and balls.
Cushion rubbers are available for most makes, the shape of the rubber is different for small and large ball games - L shaped rubber generally for UK small ball and V shaped for American tables.
We can supply cushion rubber for most tables. It is a great help if the old rubber is present incase we find that the table is now obsolete, we can measure the old rubber and use it as a template for cutting and shaping the new one.
The clients cushion set were nearly new so in this instance we stripped the cushions on site - making sure we removed all old cloth, tacks, staples and old glue.
We checked that the rubber was stable and securely glued to the wooden cushion rail. If this is not done there will be a dull thud and poor response once the ball hits the covered cushion.
The cushion strips will be cut into 6 pieces ready for the cushions and placed so that the napped side of the playing surface of the nylon cloth is uppermost.
There must always be sufficient cloth to enable full covering, pull round on the corners of the rubber to secure two stapling points.
A power stapler is ideal for the first procedure of tacking along one edge - basic one shot staplers are unsuitable as rapid affixing of the cloth is required in a straight line.
This set row will be the anchor point for pulling the cloth over the wooden rail and rubber to the other side.
This picture shows the general idea of how the cloth has to be pulled around the ends of the cushions.
Professional fitters have their own unique style - the prime purpose is to cleanly pull the cloth round, accentuating the cut of the cushion rubber and not pulling the rubber down too hard and distorting the lines of the rubber.
The cloth must be pulled evenly around the corners and cleanly over to the other side of the cushion rail and again consistently stapled.
Any excess cloth must be trimmed off as in the next picture.
All loose cloth must be trimmed accurately to expose cushion fittings and not to impede the fixing of recovered rails back on to the table.
The trimming of cloth is best done by sharp long industrial scissors to give clean edges.
Both edges of the cloth should be securely fastened down by staples - with no chance of them working loose.
The resulting professional recovering of five cushions with one further cushion to be trimmed, show the classic lines of the cushions.
Expertly recovered in Elite Pro Trade Sage Green Cloth, the finished table is of the highest professional standard.