Mizerak Donovan II 8’ Billiard Table

I researched tables for about six weeks, and looked at a few before I decided on this table.And I'm glad I did.The materials and build quality are between excellent and superb. The base went together seamlessly in about two hours, working alone. But, I admit, I'm one of those nerds that actually read AND follow the directions, checking off each item. (Before some of you take my Man Card away, let me mention in my own defense that I'm a scientist and a pilot; it's second nature). I placed this table on an absolutely level concrete floor, and the base needed no adjustment -- it was level and plumb when built to the instructions. While I acknowledge that writing instructions that are fool-proof is impossible, the instruction booklet included with the table had a great deal of thought to be clear and limit ambiguities. And it ISN'T the manufacturer's fault that somewhere, bigger fools are also being, um, manufactured.My brilliant and beautiful wife helped lift the slates (and it's slates, and not Slatron) onto the base. Two of the slates, one end and the middle, matched up as if they had eyes. The other and was proud by about a millimetre on one end, and depressed on the other by the same amount. I used the shims included in the kit to level, but think that the suggestion in the instructions of using playing cards is excellent.I've read some of the other reviews that the included grout was difficult to work with. I'm afraid I cannot agree. It takes patience and using it sparingly; it isn't drywall mud, plaster, or even tile grout. Repeated very light coat, dried and sanded, and the slates were glass smooth.I've never felted a pool table, but the clarity of the instructions and the quality of the cloth made it simple, and it looks great.The manufacturer seems to have gone out of their way to include extra fasteners, simple tools that a desperate or tool-less person could assemble the table with, and written the instruction better than most. Another pleasure is that the fasteners were obviously not melted down Chinese beer cans or made of a lead/modeling clay compound, but were quality steel and the threads were clean and sharp. I frequently keep a tap and die set nearby when assembling such projects to deburr and open cruddy treads, but was not needed here.Which brings me to my only very tiny comment; the instruction failed to include a step to cut the felt from the holes in the slate that the bolts pass through to fasten the top rails to the table. It's not absolutely essential, but it's much easier to do it BEFORE the rails are placed on the table rather than from below with a narrow razor knife.The table plays beautifully, is solidly built, and looks extremely clean-lined and quietly sophisticated. I couldn't be happier, and unhesitatingly and without reservation recommend this pool table on its quality of materials and design, ease of assembly and clarity of instruction, appearance, and function.

Table came a bit damaged. Felt already peeling everywhere. Looks ok, for a extra few hundred should go elsewhere.

This is my first real review and it's fairly long. I wanted to help others that could have the same issues I had....First let me say, I love this table. It is amazing, however, I need to mention a couple of things regarding the assembly...The slate is very heavy, which actually is a good thing, however, make sure you have a couple of people nearby to lift it safely. You also are going to need a strong screwdriver or crowbar and hammer to get the slate out of it's packing crate. Careful when sliding the slate out so you don't damage it. I had a few guys around and 2 people were able to carry the slate pieces. I would say each piece weighs between 150-200 pounds and there are 3 of them.Basic frame assembly went well. All the bolts matched perfectly and it was very steady. There are some guide holes on the wood that did not line up with the end plates though. If you use the guide holes it sticks up over the top of the frame and since the slate goes on top of this, you can't do it. Just make your own holes. Not difficult at all, but I just wanted to mention it.Once assembled, the frame was very easy to level with a 36" level.The slate comes next. It actually lined up very well. I highly recommend drilling guide holes. This will make screwing down the slate much easier. The plates went together so evenly that I did not have to use any of the shims :)After the slate is attached, you then have to cover the seams and the 4 middle countersunk holes. The compound they give you is very difficult to work with. Mainly when it comes to sanding. It is more like a resin or epoxy then a joint compound. Be careful when applying it, because it dries very hard and is very difficult to sand. I even used an electric sander and it took a very long time to smooth it out. Other people have recommended using Water Putty. I didn't do this, but you may find that much easier to work with.I had an issue using water to clean the slate. it got very gritty, so I waited until it was dry and used a dry cloth instead. This seemed to work much better.Once the slate was dry I used a pool ball to level the table. This worked extremely well. Not only did it make the table very level, it also helped me locate any high spots that still needed sanding. Just roll the ball slowly on the slate and make adjustments wherever needed.The next thing you do is attach the felt. Since I have done this before, I knew it wasn't as scary as it looked. I did have one huge issue though, the spray glue tip clogged on me several times. Be cautious of this. I was able to get it going again, but when you are trying to glue something down quickly, this gets very scary. All in all the felt attached very well.After the slate is down you have to build the frame. This is done upside down. Be careful about scratching the top of the frame. I recommend putting a towel under all the chrome pieces as they are assembled to avoid scratching them.Once the frame is built, you have to turn it over, fully assembled, and place it over the pool table. I recommend 4 guys to do this. The assembled frame is the size of the pool table itself and is a bit heavy.The last thing I want to mention is attaching the frame. Since the felt is on the table it is covering the mounting holes. The instructions NEVER mention this and show the assembly as if no felt was attached. I called the support line and asked if I should make guide holes. They said they weren't needed. I was going to just put it on without them, but when I got back to the cellar, my brother had already made them. I told him they said it wasn't needed and hoped that it would work anyway. Truth is, I recommend making them. When you place the frame over the table, it doesn't exactly line up. Without the holes, I never could have seen where the bolts go and I did have to adjust it. Since the holes were there I was able to stick a Phillips screwdriver in the hole and push it to the side. Once I did this, the holes lined up fine. I made sure all sides had screws started before I tightened it down.In the end, this table is incredible!!!!! I love it! It is perfectly level and plays like any professional table! Everyone who has tried it has said the same thing. Once the assembly issues are dealt with, you end up with a very sharp looking, awesome table at an amazing price.Sorry this review is so long, but I wanted to help others with the issues I had. Once again, I highly recommend this table, just keep in mind these assembly issues. If you have any issues or questions, feel free to respond to this review and I will get back to you if I can be of any help. Have a great day and enjoy this wonderful pool table!!!!!

I am writing this review and hoping this can help other players have a better understanding this table plus a easier installation.Being the first Canadian people to I have to say I love my table. If you want to play pool table for fun this is the table for you.I ordered this table when it was on sale with a price of CAD$1006. It says "we don't ship to your default address" which I don't quite understand.I live in Toronto area and I ordered this table from Amazon Canada site. The second day I got up and found out the price went up to 1299$. What a good entry point!It was supposed to be delivered on Tuesday by 8PM. But nobody showed up Tuesday and Wednesday. I sent an email to Amazon to complain. They replied back "it was delayed because of bad weather"They put on a request to get a shipping refund because of this late shipping and delivery. I was surprised because I am an Amazon prime and didn't pay anything for shipping. Amazon confirmedthat I don't have to worry and will get a refund of 227CAD$. I love Amazon.note1: if your table arrives late call or email Amazon to get a refund for late shipping/delivery.my table finally arrived on that Friday at 6PM. The packages were dirty. it looked like it was pulled from wreckage. The longest box was open on one side because the rails are very long.The shipping guy passed me 2 parts first which were not even in any boxes.note2: When you open the longest box you should open the package on the side. if you slide the parts out of box which may damage the parts.The table base installation was easy. I found some small damages on the parts since they are not major I wouldn't bother to replace them.I am not handy but I was able to do it without any issue. I did spend a mount of time figuring out where the best location in my basement was.note3: You'd better do a planning before your installation. i.e. Do you need a pool table light. I do have spot/flood lights in my basement. But no lights are right above the table. It is little dark.Then the most chanlleging task comes. The slate is 0.75 inch thick and its width is wider than my garage door. it weighs about 50-60 kgs. I am a small Chinese with 170cm/70kgs and my wife is 50kgs.my wife and I was able to carry one slate on an open floor and walk 5-8 meters without any issue.But it was almost not possible for us to move from garage to basement.I bought a hand truck from Canadian tire when it was on sale for 40 bucks. Guess what, my wife and I were able to move 3 pieces one by one in 20 minutes without even sweeting.note4: Hand truck may help.I do have one 6 inch level before I purchased this table. I bought a 48 inch level to level this table. My floor is not level at all so I spent tons of time doing leveling.The 4 legs are adjustable which is easier for leveling. I put on 3 slates and found my table was not square. So I had to level again. The level showed the table was perfect leveled. But when I rolled the ball on the table the balls were not going straight all the time.I did level again. I was able to go under the metal beam and lift one leg a little bit up using my shoulder and adjusted the legs. I spent all most 6-8 hours on this leveling.Finally, I gave up. I am not a professional. I don't care too much.I was very careful when I applied the grouts. I decided to use a very small amount at the beginning which was an great idea. The compound was not thick after it dried it shrunk a bit. it made the surface not good looking.I put on the table and rolled the ball. it was OK. Then I made another stupid decision to reapply this compound. I applied a lot more and much thicker. it was almost impossible to sand it. I bought sanding blocks/sponges.it didn't do any help. I figured out i can use utility knife to cut extra compound. After I cut 95% extra compound i found still impossible to sand the rest. The seam portion looked ugly. I almost decided to buy a sander.I tried putting some water on the compound before I went to sleep. What a miracle! I was able to remove the extra compound using one finger. It is washable. What a turn around! I was able to wash the extra compound in 20 minutes.note5: compound is washable. Sanding blocks/sander are not required. Putty knife is not neccessary either. In stead, you can use one your shims.The table spray portion was easy. You'd better have 2 persons to stretch out the table cloth, . I did on my own. The table cloth was not stretched enough. My table cloth was kind of slow. I am not sure it was because of this.I was about to install the rails then I found one corner cap was broken. I called Escalade and waited 20-30 minutes before it went through. Their customer service looked very busy, I was asked by the lady which part and my address. She gave me the feeling thatthey are very busy and don't want to spend too much time.The corner cap is the piece looks shining in the picture but it is made of plastic which makes it cheap. I wonder why they don't make a metal one.While I was waiting for my corner cap I was trying to figure out if i can put rails on the table seperately instead of asking help. It says in the instructions that 4 persons are required.Eventually, I figured out I can do it on myself. you need to do in this order: predrill on side and end rails for corner caps and corner posts installation --dig holes on table cloth--attach 2 side aprons to 2 side rails--put on and secure to table using bolts and nuts--put on 2 end rails without attaching end aprons and secure them-- attach 4 corner caps and put on screws-- attach corner posts both ends and at the same time slide end aprons into corner posts.Instruction doesn't say "cut holes on table cloth" in stead, it says"thread it". I found that is very difficult.Note 5: you can put on rails on your own. But It would be easier and better for 4 persons to do it.my corner cap arrived after 4 days. I installed and started having fun playing on my shining table. One thing not good about this table is when the ball gets into the basket it generates a bit loud noise.It took me 25-30 hours to install this table. But that was part of fun. Please don't give your fun to anyone else by getting my professional installer.Life is fun you should enjoy it. it's all about your attitude.

Assembly was challenging but the instructions were decent. Table plays quite well, it was worth the price.

Horrible experience. Delivery was late and the woman who calls about the time is very rude. Then when delivered it wasn't as described and instead of being taken downstairs it was left in the garage.We then had to haul the weight downstairs ourselves. Boxes were damaged. Most of the main table parts were past damaged.Spent hours on phone with Amazon. Only one helpful employee named Adele actually called us back as she said she would every day to follow up. The lead we spoke to promised to contact the manufacturer first thing in morning and call us. She never did and instead we had to do it. Those parts were exchanged damaged.So all in all had to put together a damaged table or wait 6 weeks fora replacement and take time off work and have pieces sitting around until then.Will Never order anything from Amazon ever again. Table does look nice. Felt is actually more of a Burgundy and not bright red as we thought.Goes together fairly easily and plays well.Might have been a higher rating if this experience wasn't so bad.