Professional Bumper Pool Upgrade Kit
With B&GC’s, we enjoy the reputation of building the finest bumper pool table in the world, and to be fair, we deserve it. We’ve spent two decades building, engineering, testing and upgrading virtually every aspect of the game. While I strongly encourage you to purchase our Maverick bumper pool, the reality is, many clubs simply can’t afford it.
I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know many of you personally. In our conversations you’ve shared the numerous economic challenges that you face, and I completely agree that making sure the kids have something to eat, or a functioning computer lab is vastly more important than a new bumper pool table. I also understand that many of you get games donated and I think it’s great that people recognize your needs. Some of the games, when they break, you can throw out, while others (like pool tables) can last you a long time. But bumper pool falls into its own class and here’s why…
Behind Carpet Ball, bumper pool is probably the second or third most popular game you have. It’s a great game for kids because it combines math (angles/caroms) requires strategic thinking (offense/defense) and is an easy introduction in learning how to use a cue stick. It’s also easy to learn and fun to play. However, bumper pool has inherent problems that are not just annoying but expensive and our upgrade kit eliminates these problems.
I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know many of you personally. In our conversations you’ve shared the numerous economic challenges that you face, and I completely agree that making sure the kids have something to eat, or a functioning computer lab is vastly more important than a new bumper pool table. I also understand that many of you get games donated and I think it’s great that people recognize your needs. Some of the games, when they break, you can throw out, while others (like pool tables) can last you a long time. But bumper pool falls into its own class and here’s why…
Behind Carpet Ball, bumper pool is probably the second or third most popular game you have. It’s a great game for kids because it combines math (angles/caroms) requires strategic thinking (offense/defense) and is an easy introduction in learning how to use a cue stick. It’s also easy to learn and fun to play. However, bumper pool has inherent problems that are not just annoying but expensive and our upgrade kit eliminates these problems.
Problem - Bumper Posts
All bumper posts are made of either plastic, wood or cheap hollow metal. All have a very small threaded metal rod that drops down through the slate and is then attached by a small nut/washer. You attach the rubber ring by sliding it over the top of the bumper post.
All bumper posts are made of either plastic, wood or cheap hollow metal. All have a very small threaded metal rod that drops down through the slate and is then attached by a small nut/washer. You attach the rubber ring by sliding it over the top of the bumper post.
The main complaint is that the kids peel off the rubber rings, play ring Frisbee or as one director told me, flushed down and clogged up the toilet. The kids then fire balls into the unprotected posts and break them or the threaded rod snaps. And, many times, the post simply comes loose and the kids take them off. Dozens of directors have complained to me that they have to spend time replacing and inventorying rubber rings or spend a lot of time trying to find the same type of replacement post. It really isn’t the cost of the replacement parts, it’s the constant aggravation of having to do so.
Solution - Our Exclusive Solid Steel Posts
We resolved all of these problems by making our own posts. Each post is solid steel with a 3/8” threaded rod that is welded to the base. We then use a compression washer which never comes loose and in the unlikely event that it does, we have a metal ring that attaches to the bottom of the post which makes it almost impossible to remove the post. All of this means that you should never have to replace a post, but here’s the best part. Since we manufacturer our own posts, we’ve increased the diameter of the mushroom top so the only way to attach a rubber ring is to slide it on from the bottom of the post. By making this change, it makes it impossible to remove the rubber ring without removing the entire post. This works so well, a gorilla couldn’t peel these rings off. This unit eliminates all of the aggravation and costs associated with the posts. But now the best part.
Problem - Bumper Post Protective Plastic Rings
On a bumper pool table, at the end of each end is a hole that the balls drop through. When covering a slate, the cloth above the hole must be cut into small “V” shaped pieces (called “hole tabs”) in order to allow the ball to drop. To protect the cut tabs, a small plastic ring is pounded down into the hole with the hope that the pressure of the ring against the cloth tabs will hold it in place. It doesn’t work! On a home table this plastic cup works fine, unfortunately not in a B&GC environment. The kids can either reach down and pull the ring out, or the more resourceful ones use a cue and pry it out. Either way, with the plastic ring removed, the fun really starts. The kids now have access to the cut tabs of cloth and they grab the tabs and pull on them which tears the cloth out onto the playfield. At this point, the game is essentially useless until it is recovered, at your expense. But it gets even better. Now, you have to pay $200 - $350 to get the game re-covered. The billiard mechanic puts on a new cloth, cuts the cloth tabs, replaces the missing ring with a new one and out the door. Some time later, the kids remove the new ring, grabs the tabs and tears the cloth. It never ends!
Solution - Our Exclusive Solid Steel Posts
We resolved all of these problems by making our own posts. Each post is solid steel with a 3/8” threaded rod that is welded to the base. We then use a compression washer which never comes loose and in the unlikely event that it does, we have a metal ring that attaches to the bottom of the post which makes it almost impossible to remove the post. All of this means that you should never have to replace a post, but here’s the best part. Since we manufacturer our own posts, we’ve increased the diameter of the mushroom top so the only way to attach a rubber ring is to slide it on from the bottom of the post. By making this change, it makes it impossible to remove the rubber ring without removing the entire post. This works so well, a gorilla couldn’t peel these rings off. This unit eliminates all of the aggravation and costs associated with the posts. But now the best part.
Problem - Bumper Post Protective Plastic Rings
On a bumper pool table, at the end of each end is a hole that the balls drop through. When covering a slate, the cloth above the hole must be cut into small “V” shaped pieces (called “hole tabs”) in order to allow the ball to drop. To protect the cut tabs, a small plastic ring is pounded down into the hole with the hope that the pressure of the ring against the cloth tabs will hold it in place. It doesn’t work! On a home table this plastic cup works fine, unfortunately not in a B&GC environment. The kids can either reach down and pull the ring out, or the more resourceful ones use a cue and pry it out. Either way, with the plastic ring removed, the fun really starts. The kids now have access to the cut tabs of cloth and they grab the tabs and pull on them which tears the cloth out onto the playfield. At this point, the game is essentially useless until it is recovered, at your expense. But it gets even better. Now, you have to pay $200 - $350 to get the game re-covered. The billiard mechanic puts on a new cloth, cuts the cloth tabs, replaces the missing ring with a new one and out the door. Some time later, the kids remove the new ring, grabs the tabs and tears the cloth. It never ends!
Solution - PermaCup ®
We have also struggled with this problem for years. For a while we thought we had the answer and while it was better than the plastic cup, it still didn’t resolve the problem permanently. Until we engineered our new PermaCup™
Our PermaCup™ consists of two metal pieces: a cup and flat base. The cup slides down through the hole and the metal base slides onto a grove in the cup which holds it in place. The base is then bolted to the game by the two posts on either side of the hole. This unit makes it impossible to get access to the cloth tabs which means no more ripped cloth and no more expense.
The Upgrade Kit
The entire kit consists of (12) of our solid steel bumper posts. Each post has a rubber ring, compression washer and anti-theft rings along with one set of our exclusive PermaCups™. The kit also contains a complete set (bed/rail) of high quality cloth in B&GC blue along with a box of chalk. Also included is a 3/8 masonry bit, pattern for cutting cloth tabs, razor blades, glue, assorted slip on tips (for cues) and easy to follow instructions. Unless you have a staff person who is proficient in covering tables, we suggest you leave the recovering of the table to a professional billiard mechanic. However, if your table doesn’t need to be recovered, the actual upgrade of replacing bumper posts and our PermaCup™ can easily be accomplished by almost any staff person and the entire process will take about ½ hour.
Cost
The cost for the entire upgrade package is $595.00. To some, this might seem high, but in reality, it’s practically free.
Payback
It is not very often that anything we buy has a definable payback, usually it is just an expense, but our upgrade kit pays for itself in many ways.
Aggravation - I ran into a director at a show a eight years ago and he told me that he had 4 bumper pool tables and his kids loved the game, but because he was constantly replacing posts/rings or recovering the games, he finally locked them up in a storage room. This kit eliminates all of the frustration.
Recover Costs - Under normal circumstances, the cloth on a bumper pool table should last somewhere around 5-7 years. But, we all know that you recover your game a lot more often than that. I spoke to a director at your annual conference and she told me that she recovers her bumper pool tables every year. Not because the cloth was worn out, but because of the ripped cloth. I think she told me she paid around $250 - $300 per table. (As a minor note, if you bring in a billiard mechanic to recover your pool tables at the same time, you should spend no more than $200 for them to recover your bumper pool table. Anything more than that, they are taking advantage of you). With our upgrade kit, it doesn’t take more than a couple of recoveries and it has paid for itself. After that, it saves you money. But, it even gets better!
Donated Games - As I mentioned earlier, all (non-Ruxton) bumper pool tables have these problems, even so called commercial games. I also addressed the issue of donated games and as much as I feel that many of you should purchase our Ruxton Maverick, for many of you, this just isn’t an option. The typical bumper pool game people donate is a standard home slate game. We all know, these games aren’t going to last forever in a club environment, but, you’re not paying for it either (except to get it recovered every year or so). However, when your game finally wears out, you can simply remove the metal posts and PermaCups ™ from the old game, and transfer them to your new donated one. You have now protected yourself from all of the unnecessary recovery costs and the great thing is, our parts will never wear out. Over the lifetime of the club, by rotating these parts from game to game, you will save thousands of dollars. This is what I mean by free.
Conclusion
When I first took on the challenge of building games for B&GC’s, my main goal was to get you off of the “purchase, repair, replace” merry go round. It has been a long exhausted and very expensive journey but with the introduction of our new PermaCup™ and out Professional Upgrade Kit, by almost any metric, I have finally achieved what I set out to accomplish more than two decades ago. We make great pool tables, but to be fair, so do others. However, our Ruxton Maverick bumper pool and our 20th Anniversary Carpet Ball are without question the finest games in the world.
Finally, I love building games and the challenge of building the best games is what gets me up in the morning. Over time, and as new information comes in, I’ll make additional changes, and if that costs more money, I’ll simply raise the price. One thing I have learned over the years, is that you cannot build world class games for a little money. I (and you) wish we could but we all know it can’t be done. But my commitment to you will never change, and to be fair to me and my business, in the world of game room games, I really am the only company on the planet that cares about you.
To order or any questions, please call me at 608-423-3000.
Thank You,
Rick Ruxton
We have also struggled with this problem for years. For a while we thought we had the answer and while it was better than the plastic cup, it still didn’t resolve the problem permanently. Until we engineered our new PermaCup™
Our PermaCup™ consists of two metal pieces: a cup and flat base. The cup slides down through the hole and the metal base slides onto a grove in the cup which holds it in place. The base is then bolted to the game by the two posts on either side of the hole. This unit makes it impossible to get access to the cloth tabs which means no more ripped cloth and no more expense.
The Upgrade Kit
The entire kit consists of (12) of our solid steel bumper posts. Each post has a rubber ring, compression washer and anti-theft rings along with one set of our exclusive PermaCups™. The kit also contains a complete set (bed/rail) of high quality cloth in B&GC blue along with a box of chalk. Also included is a 3/8 masonry bit, pattern for cutting cloth tabs, razor blades, glue, assorted slip on tips (for cues) and easy to follow instructions. Unless you have a staff person who is proficient in covering tables, we suggest you leave the recovering of the table to a professional billiard mechanic. However, if your table doesn’t need to be recovered, the actual upgrade of replacing bumper posts and our PermaCup™ can easily be accomplished by almost any staff person and the entire process will take about ½ hour.
Cost
The cost for the entire upgrade package is $595.00. To some, this might seem high, but in reality, it’s practically free.
Payback
It is not very often that anything we buy has a definable payback, usually it is just an expense, but our upgrade kit pays for itself in many ways.
Aggravation - I ran into a director at a show a eight years ago and he told me that he had 4 bumper pool tables and his kids loved the game, but because he was constantly replacing posts/rings or recovering the games, he finally locked them up in a storage room. This kit eliminates all of the frustration.
Recover Costs - Under normal circumstances, the cloth on a bumper pool table should last somewhere around 5-7 years. But, we all know that you recover your game a lot more often than that. I spoke to a director at your annual conference and she told me that she recovers her bumper pool tables every year. Not because the cloth was worn out, but because of the ripped cloth. I think she told me she paid around $250 - $300 per table. (As a minor note, if you bring in a billiard mechanic to recover your pool tables at the same time, you should spend no more than $200 for them to recover your bumper pool table. Anything more than that, they are taking advantage of you). With our upgrade kit, it doesn’t take more than a couple of recoveries and it has paid for itself. After that, it saves you money. But, it even gets better!
Donated Games - As I mentioned earlier, all (non-Ruxton) bumper pool tables have these problems, even so called commercial games. I also addressed the issue of donated games and as much as I feel that many of you should purchase our Ruxton Maverick, for many of you, this just isn’t an option. The typical bumper pool game people donate is a standard home slate game. We all know, these games aren’t going to last forever in a club environment, but, you’re not paying for it either (except to get it recovered every year or so). However, when your game finally wears out, you can simply remove the metal posts and PermaCups ™ from the old game, and transfer them to your new donated one. You have now protected yourself from all of the unnecessary recovery costs and the great thing is, our parts will never wear out. Over the lifetime of the club, by rotating these parts from game to game, you will save thousands of dollars. This is what I mean by free.
Conclusion
When I first took on the challenge of building games for B&GC’s, my main goal was to get you off of the “purchase, repair, replace” merry go round. It has been a long exhausted and very expensive journey but with the introduction of our new PermaCup™ and out Professional Upgrade Kit, by almost any metric, I have finally achieved what I set out to accomplish more than two decades ago. We make great pool tables, but to be fair, so do others. However, our Ruxton Maverick bumper pool and our 20th Anniversary Carpet Ball are without question the finest games in the world.
Finally, I love building games and the challenge of building the best games is what gets me up in the morning. Over time, and as new information comes in, I’ll make additional changes, and if that costs more money, I’ll simply raise the price. One thing I have learned over the years, is that you cannot build world class games for a little money. I (and you) wish we could but we all know it can’t be done. But my commitment to you will never change, and to be fair to me and my business, in the world of game room games, I really am the only company on the planet that cares about you.
To order or any questions, please call me at 608-423-3000.
Thank You,
Rick Ruxton