[PHP-DB] displaying result across 3 cells - where did I go wrong?

[Aaron Wolski]

Hi All,
 
I'm trying to display results across 3 cells - for example:
 
#5 Perle Cotton
 
223 | 225 | 301
304 | 326 | 333
 
#12 Perle Cotton
 
211 | 223 | 224
225 | 356 | 
 
#4 Braid 
 
95   | 100HL | 102
 
Right NOW it is displaying like:
 
#5 Perle Cotton  
 
223 | 225  
301 | 304| 326
 
#12 Perle Cotton
  
211 | 223  
224 | 225| 356  
 
#4 Braid 
 
95 | 100HL  
102
 
This is the code I am working with:
 
$z =0;
while ($thread = db_fetch($tresult)) 
{ 
 
                // if z is divisible by 3 
                echo ($z %3 == 0) ? '<tr>' : '';  
 
                if ($thread_type != $thread['type']) 
                {
 
                                echo "<td
colspan=\"3\">{$thread[type]}</td>\n";
 

 
                                                while($z++ %3 !==0) 
                                                {
 
                                                                // if
not enough tds - add empty tds until end of tr 
                                                                echo
'<td>&nbsp;</td>'; 
                                                } 
 
                                 // everytime we get here - we have just
filled a tr with tds, 
                                 // so start new tr and output type,
then start another new tr 
                                echo '</tr><tr><td colspan="3"> type
</td></tr><tr>'; 
                                $thread_type = $thread[type]; 
                }
 
                echo '<td> '.$thread[colourID].' </td>'; 
                // end the tr on every third cycle 
                echo (++$z %3 == 0) ? '</tr>' : '';
}
 
 
The HTML looks like:
 
<tr>
</tr>
 
<tr>
                <td colspan="3"> #5 Perle Cotton </td>
</tr>
 
<tr>
                <td> 223 </td>
                <td> 225 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
             <td> 301 </td>
                <td> 304 </td>
                <td> 326 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td> 333 </td>
                <td>&nbsp;</td>
                <td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td colspan="3"> #12 Perle Cotton </td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td> 211 </td>
                <td> 223 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td> 224 </td>
                <td> 225 </td>
                <td> 356 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td colspan="3"> #4 Braid </td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td> 95 </td>
                <td> 100HL </td>
</tr>
<tr>
                <td> 102 </td>
 
 
 
can ANYONE see where I have gone wrong?
Any guidance is appreciated.
 
Thanks!
 
Aaron