SNOOKER TABLE in a bottle

Whilst thinking of what my next challenge would be, I was watching snooker on the internet when it came to me - a Snooker table in a bottle!

The procedure for preparing the bottle for the sub floor of the model follows the same process as that used in my previous models using this type of bottle and shown in previous builds.

Upper frame.

Legs, sides and cushions.

The table was dry assembled and the bed planks were assembled on the upper frame. The table cloth was glued to the first of the six bed planks and when dry was glued to the sixth plank. After this was dry the first plank was glued in its position on the upper frame.

A mounting block was glued in the bottle to receive the sub floor.

(Complete table shown dry assembled.)

The positions of the leg locating pins were transferred to the wooden floor and oversize holes drilled in the floor.

The figure was made from a toy soldier. All military ware and armaments were sliced off and arms and legs modified for stance and the body was filled out with Polyfilla from a tub to create the upper torso and waistcoat.

The cue chalk was made from a piece of brass square tubing. A pin was glued into it and it was filled with filler. When dry, it was painted blue with black sides and then pinned to the table.

The cushions were made using the same construction as a full size table which I found on YouTube.

The floor was in 3 pieces. The middle length had overlapping strips glued underneath on both sides. The 2 side lengths also had strips glued to them further out from where the overlapping centre strips would make contact when the floor was flattened out in the bottle. This was to provide a level surface when gluing the floor to the mounting block. The side pieces were taped to the centre piece and folded up. Wood glue was applied to the projecting parts of the central overlapping strips and the assembly inserted and opened out so that the side pieces were glued to the overlapping strips on the centre piece.

When dry, the masking tape was removed and the whole floor assembly was glued to the wooden block.

The cue rests and long cue were fitted to the table sides and the sides were inserted and the legs dry fitted to the floor via their locating pins. The four sides of the table were glued together and when dry, the table was glued to the floor via the locating holes. The ball pockets had previously been made from the plastic mesh packaging in which garlic bulbs are sold.

The second, third, fourth and fifth bed planks were now glued onto the upper table frame and then the sixth plank carrying the other side of the cloth was glued down.

The cushions were then all glued on.

All the balls consisting of coloured 4mm dressmaking pins were press-fitted into the table top (the pins were shortened). Some of the red balls had their pins cut off and were inserted into the pockets.

Finally, the figure was inserted and glued to the floor. The lid was prepared with a disc of clear Perspex as shown in my previous models.