Return to Cloudbow BilliardsWe bought an inexpensive three-shade hanging bar light from Mueller Sporting Goods. We've seen this same light, with only slight variations, for approximately $230 (from Connelly Billiards), approximately $165 (a local billiards store), and approximately $90 (from the Mueller catalog). It pays to shop around.The primary difference between the one from Mueller and the one from Connelly was that the Connelly light had fancy endcaps at each end of the brass bar. The ends of the brass bar from Mueller are flat and unadorned.
The first thing we did was drape bedsheets over the pool table to catch the debris from drilling holes in the ceiling. We also added several pillows just in case we dropped anything heavy while working over the table. To hang the light, we used common plant hooks--the kind with the butterfly nuts that open up their "wings" after they are through the hole.
Our pool table is new--not even three weeks old--so we were being very cautious around it. We didn't want to scratch the wood or the cloth in any way. In fact, we weren't even comfortable with the prospect of leaning over or on the table to put the light up. Because of this concern, we hung the light a little differently than is probably standard.
The light bar hangs suspended from two chains: one at each end, from the bar to the ceiling. When you see these lights, the chains are usually perpendicular to the bar. In other words, straight up from bar to ceiling. Well... to do that we would have had to lean over the table more than we were comfortable with. Our chains, therefore, go at an angle out from the ends of the bar, up to the ceiling. It sounds odd, but it really doesn't look bad. Instead of like this:8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 =============================== /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ /____\ /____\ /____\
Ours looks like this:8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 =============================== /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ /____\ /____\ /____\
Another challenge was getting the light centered perfectly over the table. After discussing a few options, the method we finally used was incredibly easy. Our decision to have the chains angled is what made this method so deceptively simple. We used a pool cue and loaded the tip with fresh chalk. We placed the pool cue--butt end on the table, tip toward the ceiling--just inside of and touching the rail, and aligned with the center diamond at the head of the table. With one of us as a spotter on the side, the other held the cue, keeping it straight, and moved it straight up until the tip touched the ceiling. A twirl of the tip left a perfect drill mark on the ceiling. Repeat the procedure at the foot of the table.The center diamonds ensured the light was centered between the side rails and placing the cue just inside and touching the rails ensured equal distance between the end rails. We didn't even need a ruler.
---------------------------------------------------- | | | |--------------------------------------------| | | | | | | o | | o | | | | | | | | | | o |X <-- X marks position of cue --> X| o | | | | | | | | | | o | | o | | | | | | |--------------------------------------------| | | | ----------------------------------------------------
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