Wait ... shouldn't the dogs playing poker be hanging on the wall when you're in Billiard Mode?
I'm gonna be watchin' this thread close because I've been thinking of doing a similar thing with my pool table. I like the idea of being able to hang the cover on the wall when not in use. One thing to consider, is the weight. Moving it from wall to pool table could be unweildy to move for one person if it's heavy. In the one i'm thinking of making, i would ensure that it can be positioned by no more than two people since it's just my wife and i.
It'll have to be strong enough for diners to lean on and food to be splashed on as well. I don't think just an apron with an open field would do that unless you built it as a torsion box to help keep the weight down. Also, if it's not stiff, you'll need to place "posts" in the field to support the weight of food, people, plates, centerpieces, etc.
I was thinking of making mine in two sections, with a notched apron on the two sides that meet in the middle. Custom coped to snug around the features of the pool table, also to get it to rest on the slate surface. This would help on two fronts: lighter and easier to switch from billiard to dining modes; and very sturdy in the middle to support the weight. It adds a challenge, though: getting as seamless a joint there as possible over time. Especially if there's an inlaid pattern of some kind.
I also worry (somewhat in my case, it'll mostly be in Billiard mode) about how the felt would stand up to having the support members constantly pressing on it. To address that, I thought maybe having a full sheet on the underside resting on the felt. This would do a WHOLE lot to distribute all that pressure on the felt. It'd avoid any dimples or "carpet dents" from long periods of setting in dining mode, too. It'd also afford you the opportunity to make a very rigid torsion box for the majority of the surface. The downside is it'd be a challenge to keep things lightweight. Maybe make it as a torsion box with a lightweight skin of 1/4" ply? One possible downside is that you wouldn't get as much of a "concealment" space for hanging it on the wall.
As I keep thinking about the two-piece method, I was starting to consider the idea of being able to space 'em out to get that "split photo" look that some people enjoy. Trouble is, there would be one side of the "hanging" that would not have the apron detail and it might need a solution for making it look good on the wall, to.
This splitting concept is really gaining traction in my brainstorming ... what if it were made of 3 or 4 sections like the leaves of a table. That could help spread out more load, keep things very lightweight so one person can do the conversion. It could also help reduce some of the storage challenges. Heck, it could be hinged if you still wanted it in one solid piece. Hinging also lets you keep things aligned nicely no matter what. Barrel hinges are 100% hidden when laid flat, so that shouldn't be a problem....
Ahh ... but splitting has one big drawback ... spills. Especially things like ... oh ... red wine ... Maybe one-piece is better afterall.... unless you hinged it and put in a plastic barier behind the hinges - though i don't know how long those would last, and cleaning them if there was a spill would be tricky. BUT it's better'n staining your playing surface!
Boy this project has me thinkin