How to make a pool table step by step

Faced with its high costs and the need to save money, many pool fans wonder how to make a homemade pool table. It is a valuable alternative to enjoy long hours of gaming at home without the need to spend a large amount of money.

Pool or billiards is one of the most pleasant, fun and relaxing sports. However, it is an inaccessible activity, since to play it is necessary to visit a bar or invest a large amount of money in the purchase of a pool table for the home.

Therefore, many wonder how to make a pool table at home that allows them to enjoy this fun game without the obligation to make a large investment. Similarly, non-DIYers can find inexpensive pool tables, priced to suit their budget.

Materials needed to make a pool table

The quality of the materials to make a pool table is the factor that raises the cost of this type of furniture. The professional models are usually made from marble and pine or teak woods, so they are more durable and capable of withstanding hours of continuous play.

To build a homemade pool table, the materials are much cheaper and accessible, since their purpose is to help you enjoy entertaining times, share with friends or practice occasionally. Of course, if you want to use it more intensively and professionally, it is best to look for an inexpensive model that adapts to the user's needs.

Before knowing the necessary steps to make a homemade pool table, below, we give you a list of all the necessary materials for its construction:

• A MDF (density fiberboard) wooden board approximately 2.40 meters long by 1.20 meters wide. This material is manufactured from the decomposition of hard and soft woods, resin and wax.
• Planks and pieces of wood to use as borders, supports and outlines.
• Wood cutting saw, nail gun, scissors, wood glue, pencil.
• Wool and polyester felt in the color of your choice.
• 2 bicycle tires.
• Some kind of highly resistant net, like the collectors for swimming pools and ponds.
• Billiard table reference plans and images to use as guidance and inspiration.

How is a pool table made?

Before knowing how to make a portable or fixed pool table, it is important to consider the models most used in amateur leagues: in bars and game rooms you usually see the 7-foot ones, which have a measure of 2.13 meters  long by 1.07 meters wide and 0.78 meters high. However, the dimensions can always be adapted to the space available at home.

Create the billiard table top

The first step in building a homemade pool table is to take the piece of MDF wood, place it on a firm surface and make the holes, better known as buchacas, with the saw. They should be located in each corner and two in the middle.

The dimension of the central holes is 7 centimeters in diameter and 3.5 cm in radius at the corners. In some cases these perforations have a slight angular inclination, but there is no problem if they are straight. Wooden slats are then placed in the spaces between each semicircle.

Attach bumpers to the pool table 

All pool tables have a kind of "bumper" for the balls, these are built with bicycle tires. Before starting it is necessary to measure the space between each of the holes to be able to cut the pieces of material to the same size.

To make the rubber of the tires more manageable it is necessary to cut the inner metal ring. Once this is done they are fixed well on the edges of the table with the nail gun.

Create the pockets 

The bags or pockets are the places where the balls that slip through the holes will fall, for this they have to be made of a resistant material. To place them, you just have to remove the handle of the small net and fix it with the nail gun underneath.

Set the cloth

In this step, the cloth must be cut so that it completely covers the table. It is placed on top and the holes are uncovered with the scissors. To finish, it is fixed with two wooden strips placed at the bottom as a base.

Build the legs  

Finally, it is time to build the base of the pool table. To do this, wooden supports are placed at the bottom that are attached in the center with a support.

It is important that all these pieces are of the same type of wood and are well leveled. Then, it only remains to fix to the surface taking care that no nails protrude.

These are the steps necessary to know how to make a pool table. As you can see, it only takes a series of readily available materials and a few hours. Practicing this sport at home and spending different times is possible without having to make large investments. Although remember that if you plan to use it more intensively or professionally, it is best to explore the economic options on the market.