Recovering a Pool Table

This set of instructions is a brief overview of how to recover/refelt a pool table. Hopefully, with a fewtricks of the trade, you will be able to make your table look new again and most importantly, make it playthe way it should.

Tools Needed

• staple gun ................................................................ ……stapling cloth to bed and rails• small rubber mallet.................................................. ……seating feather strips into tops of rails• small tack hammer .................................................. ……nailing pockets (rubber pockets only)• ratchet, with 9/16” , 1/2” 7/16” sockets………………….rail bolts and pocket bolts (leather)• level…………………………………………………….…leveling table• paint scraper………………………………………………scraping wax or plaster of slate seam• awl, with wire cutters……………………………………..pulling staples• utility knife………………………………………………..trimming feather stripping• small pry bar……………………………………………...used to lift table leg for leveling• wood chisel………………………………………………..used to cut wood shims from under legs• phillips screw driver………………………………………slate screws

Supplies Needed

• razor blades………………………………………………..used to cut cloth• 3M Super 77 spray adhesive……………………….……..used to glue cloth to slate• bees wax w/ resin or plaster………………………………used to seal seams• set of rubber facings………………………………………replacement facing for end of rails• billiard cloth………………………………………………replacement cloth• feather strips (optional)…………………………………...used to attach cloth to rails• wood shims and or playing cards…………………………slate leveling• door shims 16”…………………………………………….leg leveling• string………………………………………………………slate leveling

NOTICE: This document contains property copyrighted by the Best Billiard Sales & Service Any modification or sale of theinformation herein is strictly prohibited.

String

Quarter

JoiningSlates

Working with SlateWe will assume that your table is assembled and the slate attached to the frame. With the slate fastened to thetable take a string and stretch it lengthwise across the table and staple it into the frame on each end (seeillustration below). This string is going to be a guide to help make the surface flat. You cannot have a leveltable unless the surface is first flat. Put a quarter underneath the string on each end. Doing this will allowsome space between the string and the slate. You can then use a fifth quarter as a height gage. Your goal willbe to have the same distance between the string and table for the entire length of the table. The most criticalareas are the two breaks in the slate. Any type of ledge at these two points will create

a noticeable seam in your cloth. Use your fifth quarter as a gauge and shim accordingly. You can also useyour fingers to feel for any edges along the seams. If the slate is high, torque it down with the slate screws orshim it up with your wood shims. Hardwood shims are useful for this job because they do not compresseasily. You can also use playing cards to shim your slate. They do not compress at all and they work verywell for those slight adjustments.

Leveling the TableNow that your surface is flat, you can actually level the table. Take a carpenters level and check itlengthwise first, then across the width. Use a small pry bar to lift each leg for shimming. Wood door shimswork great for leveling a table. They are about 16” long and they chop off easily with a chisel. This part isfairly simple if your surface is flat.

Sealing SeamsThere are two things to remember when sealing seams. First, thetable must be level and in its permanent position. Any slate or tablemovement from this point on may break the waxed seam that youhave worked so hard to seal. Second, make sure the slate is at leastroom temperature or warmer. Wax doesn’t adhere to cold slate verywell. Use a propane hand torch to pre-heat the seam, then drip waxonto the seam and spread it evenly as shown in the picture to theright. I usually spread the wax 1 to 2 inches on each side of the seamline. Let the wax cool for about 30 seconds then scrape the wax offwith a paint scraper. Be sure not to let the wax cool too long. It willharden quickly, which makes it very difficult to remove. Once yourwax is removed, use your fingers to feel the seam for anyinconsistencies. The basic function of the wax is to make the seamdisappear as if it were never there. You should not be able to feel anyedge, dip or bump on the seam. Also, remove as much wax aspossible from the table. Excess wax will work its way into the bottomof the cloth, which may later create a line or discoloration. You arenow ready to put the cloth on your table. Clean the surface with adamp rag then use your bare hands to sweep the entire surface. Yourhands will pick up any inconsistencies on the slate. This small step is critical, there is nothing worse thanfinishing your table and then discovering a small splinter of wax or wood under your cloth.

Bed ClothThe first and most used method of attaching cloth to the slate isstapling. However, your slate must have a wood backing for thismethod. If your slate is backed, there will be ¾” lining of wooddirectly underneath the slate. If not, gluing the cloth to your slate isthe next best option. You will want to stretch your cloth lengthwisedown the table first. Staple the cloth on the end by starting in themiddle and working your way to the outside. We usually put staplesabout 2 to 4” apart. Go to the other end and pull the cloth, starting inthe middle, as hard as you can. It is important to get the cloth as tightas possible. Once your cloth is fastened in the center, you can startworking your way to the edge. Pull the cloth with equal stretch oneach pull. Consistency is important here. An inconsistent stretch atthis point may cause the balls to wander or do unexpected maneuverswhen playing--definitely an undesirable trait of a pool table. Onceyour ends are fastened you can start on the longer sides. Start in themiddle and work your way to the end. Be careful not to pull to tighton the first side. This will leave your other side too short. The mostimportant things to remember when stretching cloth is tightness andconsistency in the stretch. If you are using glue, use the same methodas above. Spray the adhesive (3M Super 77) about five inches in fromthe edge of the table. Only do one end at a time. Also, spray the sameedge of the cloth. Two edges with glue go together much better thanone. Wait for the glue to get tacky, about 30 seconds, then press thecloth to the slate. Go to the other end and do the same thing. Whenthe cloth is secure, use a razor blade to cut holes in the cloth wherethe rail bolts will come up to the rail. There are three holes betweeneach pocket. Use your finger from the bottom up to find the right

hole. Never try and find the hole from the top down. Some tables have more than three holes on the top. Acut in the wrong place may ruin the cloth for the whole table. Once the holesare done, the pockets are ready to be cut. Make at least three slices in thecloth on each pocket. The middle pockets will usually need four. Be sure notto cut less than 1/2" from the edge of the slate. You don't want to cut thecloth too close to the actual playing surface. It is also a good idea to use a 11/2" strip of cloth to line the inside pocket. This will help the table lookbetter because the slate and wood will be completely covered.

RailsFirst you must insert the feather strip into the slot on top of the rail(see fig 11). Use the rubber mallet to pound the feather strip into theslot. A small block of wood and the mallet can be used to really seatthe feather strip into the rail. Use a razor blade to cut the excess clothaway. Be careful not to cut into the cloth that will be wrappedaround the rail. Once your cloth is seated, you are ready to staple thecloth to the rail. The main objective is to make the cloth tight andalso to eliminate any wrinkles. Start stapling on the corner and moveacross the rail to the other end (see fig 13). Rails require patience. Ifit doesn’t look right the first time, try, try again. You won’t be thefirst person to start over several times. Remember that you want thecloth tight, but pulling it too tight will cause ripples in your rail. Youmust find a happy medium when stapling cloth to the rail. Figure 13shows the most difficult area of the rail, the corner. Here you mustdivide the slack evenly on each side of the point. Work the cloth onestaple at a time. Eliminate as much of the wrinkle as possible. Whenthis end is finished you will be able to move quickly up the rail.Space the staples about 1” apart. When you get to the middle pockets,staple right up to the end of the rail. Then, take a razor blade and cutat a slight downward angle (see fig 14). Then fold the cloth up andstaple into the bottom of the rail (see fig 15). The edge of the foldshould follow the corner of the rail all the way up.

Finish Up

You are about finished. Attach the rails with the rail bolts, but do nottighten them. The best way to align your rails is with your eyes.Simply look down the rail like you would look down a rifle barreland adjust the rail according. Tighten the middle bolt slightly andcheck again. Once they are straight, you can tighten the bolts fromthe middle outward.

In the end, your bed cloth should be tight, your slate should be flatand your rails should be tight with no wrinkles visible. These are thesigns of a well-covered table. If you have questions, we can bereached between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

Best Billiard Sales & Service2650 N 180 E. Lehi, UT. 84043

Ph: 1-800-225-2037Email: info@bestbilliard.com

Web: www.bestbilliard.com

Cloth Cutting Guide

Note: When cutting cloth, simply make a small cut and rip the cloth as shown in the diagrams. Clothwill rip straight in both directions.