The Pool Table Body
The pool table body or cabinet of a pool table is what everything else attaches to. The slate bed, apron, and rail assemblies all rest on this base while the legs hold it up. In the nicer tables, this is actually a well-made piece of furniture. To see a nice pictorial page that shows how a pool table is put together, go here. The guy on this page actually built a pool table from scratch. Pool table cases are often made of two types of hardwood. Poplar is often used for the structural framework as it holds screws and staples well and is best suited to this purpose. 
Hardwoods such as oak, maple, or mahogany are often used on the outer surfaces of the body such as the apron and the rails. these woods resist nicks and scratches better and produce a more attractive finish. Usually the more massive and heavy the body is made, the better the slate is supported. Since the more level and flat the slate is the better, the body design is a critical aspect of an excellent playing pool table - as shown in this interesting cut-away view of a Brunswick pool table.
The cabinet body is supported by the legs. The usual configuration is four massive legs at the corners or two partition-type legs at either end of the body, sometimes in an arch configuration. 
A pedestle-type base may also be used in place of individual legs. Whatever the construction method of the body, the ideal is to have a table that does not move at all when bumped or leaned on, so as not to move the pool balls and upset the play of a game, or knock the table out of level.
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The slate is supported by the base in a several ways. Some pool table bodies use plywood as a support, other tables use hardwood frames attached to the slate, while others employ crisscrossed hardwood framing to insure that the slate remains flat and level.
