About Slate
Although I feel all sections are important, without question, this is the most important section for you to read. I constantly get compliments on this section, even from people who don’t even buy my tables. It’s long, and I’ve tried to make it less boring and more easily understandable by using examples and a bit of cynical wit. But I can promise you this, if you make it to the end, you will make a much better buying decision and if you need another inducement it’s this: By reading this, you’ll easily save yourself $1,000. Now let's get started….
No other pool table component is talked about more than slate. This is because slate is probably the only component the average consumer has even heard of. They might not know what slate is; they just know they need it.
Before I go on, let me quickly address non-slate tables. Pool tables come two ways: slate and non-slate. Because slate tables are more expensive than non-slate ones. People who don’t have a lot of money can find themselves in the position that they have to drop down and purchase a non-slate table. I strongly suggest you don’t do it. You’re simply throwing your money away. Also, be careful of words like: Slatron, Slatex or the host of other names that have the word slate in it. These are not real slate tables and just a marketing ploy to make the unaware customers believe they are buying a genuine slate table. If you don’t think this happens, countless times we’ve shown up at the customers house only to find that we have to inform the customer that the table they have isn’t slate.
(If you don’t have enough money to purchase a new slate table, I suggest you go to something like Craigslist and for about $500 you can purchase a used coin-operated pool table. Even though they might be a bit banged up, they’re very well built and use a one piece slate, which makes it possible for you to move the table into your home without paying a lot of money for some company to do it for you. If you go this route, give us a call and we’ll tell you how to break it apart and the best and safest way to move it. Now, back to slate.)
Slate is a natural product and is found all over the world. It forms in lateral sheets (think/ plywood) and is cut out of the ground in thick slabs. When a wedge is driven into the end of the slab, the slate breaks horizontally and stays in sheets. You can go on You Tube and see how it’s done. The slate is then milled down to a certain thickness, pocket openings are cut, rail bolt holes are drilled (if needed) and then the slate is allowed to cure for a month or so. It’s now a pool table slate.
Basically, slate is soft, cheap, rock and it doesn’t “move” the way wood does when subjected to extremes in temperature. Although there are many products that are flatter, stronger and lighter than slate, they cost about 10x as much. That’s why the pool industry loves slate. For our purposes, it’s almost the perfect product. I don’t mean to give you the idea that it’s free, but we’re not talking about polished marble here either. It’s really just dull grey soft (as far as rock goes) rock, and on many of our tables slate comprises about 1/7th the cost of building a table.
One Piece vs. Three Piece Slate
Pool table slate is available to the consumer in two ways: one piece (one solid piece) and 3 piece (the slate is cut into 3 individual pieces.
I would like to inject a qualifier here. I manufacturer one piece slate tables. We do offer 3 piece slate as an option, but no one have ever had us build one. In fact, probably the main reason our customers purchase our tables is because of all the advantages one piece slate tables offer. As you can see, I have a very strong bias towards one piece slate and I will try and explain why. This doesn’t mean that three piece slate tables are bad, because they aren’t. But three piece slate tables do have a number of significant disadvantages that can cost you thousands of dollars more over the life of the table. This is not a joke! This is real money we’re talking here and it’s something that the pool table world doesn’t want you to know. Even if you never purchase a table from us, this is the most important information you need to know about tables. You will never get this information from a dealer. The fact is, they would probably be more willing to give you one of their children than have to address these issues. I’ll lay all of this all out for you, and you can decide for yourself.
Walk into your local pool table dealer and you’ll see lots of different types of tables. They mainly break down into two (of three) typical styles of tables made, (to see pictures of the three styles, click here), the contemporary style and the antique or exposed leather net style. Within these two styles they have many (and I mean many) different types of cabinets, trim, legs etc. What they all have in common, is that they all use three piece slate, and there are a number of reasons for this.
A pool table dealer must have a couple of guys to install the tables they sell. If the dealer is small, that usually means the dealer himself, or sometimes the dealer sub-contracts the installation to a professional billiard mechanic. Much larger billiard retail operations usually have their own group that does nothing but pool table installation/service work.
Slate is heavy. I don’t care if you’re moving a one piece slate or one third of a piece of slate, it’s still a lot of weight. If your day job is moving pool tables, you’d probably rather make three trips into a house carrying 1/3rd of a piece of slate than one trip carrying a much heavier one piece slate. Although to be fair, we don’t carry one piece slates in, we dolly them. Think of it this way: if you were a furniture mover, it’s a hard enough job just moving furniture, so you really wouldn’t like to move say, a piano. If the movers had to move a piano every day, it would be very hard to find people to do the work. So, to keep everyone happy, dealers shy away form one piece tables. But the real reason dealers love 3 piece tables is because they make a lot of money off of them.
Before I address why dealers love 3 piece slates (and why we don’t, and why I feel it has definite downsides for the consumer), I need to take a moment and explain what it is that the slates actually sits on. Slate sits on either the “cabinet”, which is the main body of the table that you can see, or the “base frame” which is an internal structure that you can’t see. One isn’t any better than the other; it just depends what style of table you’re talking about. Either structure is then bolted to the legs, and the entire assembly needs to be leveled against the floor it’s sitting on.
With a three piece slate, all individual pieces are placed (and centered) on the table. Then each piece has to leveled, not only to the frame they sit on, but to the other two pieces of slate as well. This is done by driving small wooded shims (although some installers prefer playing cards) between the bottom of the slate and the framework that supports the slate. Once this is done, the slates are screwed to the frame so they don’t shift, the two seams (where the slates butt up to one another) are filled in (typically using natural beeswax) and then the slate is covered with cloth. If this sounds like complicated and meticulous work, it is, and it’s not something that the average Joe can do. It takes a long time to learn how to do this properly even when everything goes right, but it takes years of learning how to do a fine job when they don’t.
Pool table installation is a problem for small dealers (and consequently you) because many tables are sold by companies that also sell swimming pools, spas, outdoor furniture and playground equipment. The same kid that installs your swimming pool one day, is installing your new pool table the next. That’s not to say they can’t do a good installation job, but a lot of these guys are students working part time or just a fill-in job until something else better comes along, and since these aren’t the best paying jobs in the world and the work is complicated and hard, the turnover is very high. To be fair, given enough training, experience and a decent paycheck, I’m sure they could do a good job but that’s really not the point, because if they don’t do this well, you pay for it.
Now compare this to a one piece slate installation. The legs are bolted to the cabinet, the leg/cabinet assembly is leveled to the floor using (usually) hardwood leg levelers (which look like part of the leg) rather than an ugly stack of wood or rubber shims under the leg of a three piece slate table. The slate, with the cloth already attached to the slate, is brought in and set within a framework called a sub frame. Attach the rails to the table and you’re done. Yes, it really is that fast and easy. Over the last ten years or so, we’ve given our customers the option of either having us do the finish installation (for an additional charge) or have them do it. Installing our one piece slate tables is so easy, 85% of our customers choose to do the final installation work to save money, and I’m happy to report that over all that time, no one was injured and not one slate has been broken.
Pool table dealers love 3 piece slate tables for the very fact that you CAN’T do your own installation. When you purchase a new table, the cost/profit of installing a table is either buried in the total price of the table, or it’s an additional charge. Either way, you’re paying for it because you need them, and without you knowing it, you’ve just become married to the dealer for the lifetime of your table.
Outside of a catastrophic event, once a one piece slate table is set up there really isn’t much of anything that can go wrong. With a 3 piece slate, the fun is just beginning.
Slate Shift
Even if a 3 piece slate table is properly set up, over time, the shims that hold your slate level can fall out. Once that happens, the slate will begin to shift down because the weight of the slate has lost its support (shim). This separation is usually referred to as “slate shift”. Once this happens, the once smooth transition between the slates disappears, and there is a small ridge. Sometimes, this extra space is so small you can’t see or feel it and the ball doesn’t even seem to hop. What you will eventually get to see though is a straight line going across the table. This is the ball cutting the threads of the cloth as it passes over the now uneven seam. Now, it’s service time, and as long as the table is out or warranty, the dealers love it. It is a big job to fix this problem and on average, I’d guess the bill is about $200, and that’s without recovering it.
With a one piece slate table, no seam = no $200+ charge.
Here’s another little fun fact that dealers won’t tell you. Once your table is set in place, it cannot be moved. It shouldn’t be moved a foot, let alone carried to the other side of the room because a few things (all bad) can happen. First, about the only place to pick up a table by is the aprons (blinds), and there’s a good chance you’ll rip one off the table. Second, if it is a poorly constructed table, the support structure (which hold the slate) can’t take the stress of being picked up, so it transfers the stress to the slates and you can crack a slate. Finally, because of all the stress going on, you are almost guaranteed that you’ll pop the seams. As I’m sure you can see, any of these events is going to cost you a lot of money. Again, the dealers all know this. Many of the smart ones even go as far as have their installers secretly fill out a form showing the exact position of the table in your home, because they want to protect themselves from a call from an irate homeowner (who moved the table, but neglects to mention this fact to the dealer) and wants the dealer to fix the problem for free.
Our one piece tables are made to be moved around. Again, no seams = no additional money.
Moving Tables In Home
As you can see, moving a three piece slate table isn’t smart. But what happens if you want to change or install new carpet. Or take the carpet out and put in a hardwood floor, or just want to move the table from one room to another? Here’s what happens… you get to pay a lot of money to move your table. We actually charge around $325 - $350 for this service, but many retailers in southern Wisconsin charge as much as $600 - $700.
Whatever the cost, it’s a lot of money, and here’s why. A three piece table has to be almost completely disassembled to move it into another room while the work is being done. First, the rails need to come off, then the cloth is removed from the slate, the slates are then unscrewed from the cabinet and the legs are taken off the cabinet. Then all pieces need to be moved into another area. Later, the installers need to come back and put the table back together again. It’s a lot of work, and a lot of money - your money.
Let's compare the same job with our one piece slate table. You unbolt the rails, you and a buddy lift out the slate and slide (or dolly) it to another room. Unbolt the legs from the cabinet, and you’re done. To re-install, basically reverse the process. Total time for both jobs is about 1 - 1 ½ hours. For that small amount of time, and a small amount of effort, you’ve just saved many hundreds of dollars.
Moving a Table From House to House
In life, things happen. People change jobs, they move and some even get divorced. And when that happens, your pool table needs to be moved. I read somewhere that families move on the average of once every seven years. To me, that seems low, but we can all agree, people do move. Another thing that we can all agree on, is that unless you’re fortunate to have a “corporate move,” just moving your stuff is expensive let alone your pool table. Many of us don’t have the deep pockets to hire Mayflower, so we suck it up, call up family and friends and do it ourselves. After all, this is America and we’re hard workers and Ryder and U Haul thank you for it. You and your pals can move everything… except your three piece slate pool table. And depending on the travel time between homes, you now get to pay even more money than the numbers above. Lucky you.
If I sound a bit facetious about all of this, it’s hard not to be. I know that this is a long read and in my own way, I’m trying to keep all of this interesting. I freely admit, that I hope some of you will consider purchasing one of my tables, but I also hope you will agree, that this really is information you need to know. I have spent my entire life in the pool table world and at this point, I really am one of those “old grizzled veterans” whose really has about seen it all. If there is one constant over my almost 50 + years in pool world it’s that people buy pool tables without any knowledge and then over their lifetime get financially punished for it. For now, let's just recap what I’ve been talking about with a quick example.
Meet the Average Family
Joe Average and his wife like to play pool They also have family members who really think they’re the best ever. They also have a couple of almost teenage kids and they not only want a table for themselves, they hope that by having a pool table it will keep their kids and friends at their home.
Joe (probably) will spend a little bit of time on the internet. He gets off with only two pieces of information: he needs slate and pool tables cost lot of money. The next stop for Joe and his wife is their local billiard dealer. Joe would like to get out of there with spending about $1,500, but his wife really loves the look of that $2,500 table so instead of writing a check, they finance the payments for two years.
From this point on, everything goes well, the entire Average family loves the table, but down the road, Joe's wife decides she wants to change the carpet in the room. Joe and his friend move all of the furniture out of the room but then Joe realizes that he has to call the dealer to get advice about what to do about the table. Joe calls the dealer who informs him that no, you can’t just pick up the table and move it, and it needs to broken down. Joe has no idea how to do this and is worried if he tried, he might break something. He calls back the dealer who happily sends out his guys to get the table out of the way so the new carpet can be laid. For this and the re-set he charges Joe $500.
A few years later, Joe and his wife are doing so well at their jobs that they decide to buy a new home. It’s 40 miles from their existing home but a bit closer to their jobs and they really do have better schools. This time, the bill for moving the table is $700. Joe thinks the price is a bit high, so he makes a few calls. He gets a price of $450 from another guy, but he doesn’t know him, and since he does knows the dealer and the dealer knows the table, he tells the dealer go ahead.
Things go well for the Average family. They get the kids through college but now the house is too big and they decide to downsize. Unfortunately, the new house isn’t big enough for the pool table and they have to sell it. Sure, the table has some scratches (especially that one big one) and a few other dents and dings and the finish is starting to wear off and the cloth needs to be replaced, but the dealer told Joe “it’s built like a rock and will last 100 years” so Joe puts it on Craigslist for $1,100. He thinks this is more than a fair price for a table that cost him $2,500 new, but his phone never rings. He lowers the price and still no calls. Finally, a guy comes over but tells Joe he’ll only give him $150 for the table. Joe can’t believe it but the guy explains that he has to spend $500 to have the table moved and another $275 to get it recovered. Joe doesn’t want to think about the table anymore and takes the $150.
Here are the numbers. Between the purchase price and the move jobs Joe has invested $3,700 in his table. He sold it for $150. Not only has he lost $3,550 in the table but he spent $1,200 in moving costs alone. That’s almost half the new cost of the table.
Lets compare this scenario with our $2,100 Paladin Classic one piece slate table. Joe would avoid paying the $1,200 in moving costs because he could easily move the table himself. When it was time to sell, because the table is covered in HPL(high pressure laminate), the table would still look almost new so it would demand a higher price merely because of the appearance, but the resale price can also be higher because the only money the buyer has to put into it is to get it recovered. Joe could probably easily get $800 - $1,000. And there is one other great advantage to the buyer. Not only do they get a really nice table, the buyer also avoids all of the breakdown/re-set costs associated with a three piece slate table.
The Arguments Against One Piece Slate
(1)One piece slate is heavy. (2) If you’re not really careful you can break it or hurt your back, (3)Three piece slate is “oversize” and One piece slate is “undersize” and (4) all one piece slates warp.
Argument - One piece slate is heavy.
The slate we use on our league tournament table weighs 265 lbs. The slate for our 4’ x 8’ table weighs 425 lbs. To be fair, weight is relative to the actual weight of what’s being lifted and those doing the lifting.
Our most popular table size by far is our official league size table with a playfield of 40” x 80”. The slate weighs 265 lbs. For two average 45 year old guys, carrying the slate flat( like you would a piece of plywood) is no big deal at all. However, when you have to flip the slate up on its edge to walk it through a doorway, because of all of the weight shifting to one arm, the slate suddenly gets very heavy. There are two ways we resolve this. The easiest way to do this is to borrow your neighbor for 5 minutes and when you flip the slate on edge, have the neighbor stand in the middle of the slate with one hand in the side pocket of the slate lifting up, and the other hand on top of the slate. This does two things. First by having an extra hand lifting, it reduces the weight on everyone’s arms, and by having the middle person place his other hand on top of the slate, it add some stability. Once inside, return the slate to flat. This entire procedure probably takes all of about 15 seconds.
The other way to move slate is by the use of a drywall dolly (see picture). It makes the job easier but we’ve found that with our normal slate, it’s usually more of a hassle than moving the slate by hand
The slate in our 4 x 8’ tables weighs 425 lbs and is an entirely different animal. This now moves to a 4 man crew type of job. And unless you have a “pick up the slate, move it 10 feet and place in table” type of installation, you definitely want to use a drywall dolly. We make these available to you. With this size/weight slate, it works very well for tables on ground level or if you have a walk out basement. Sliding this slate down a set of stairs isn’t so bad, but it’s really hard work going up.
Argument - If you’re not really careful, you can break it or hurt your back.
Does one piece slate break? Sure, if you drop it. And if you drop one 1/3rd of a piece of slate, it will break also. The answer to this is just use your head, plan out each step in the process and be careful. As an example, check out your path and remove anything (like a dog toy) that you can trip over. I mentioned earlier the fact that for more than a decade, we’ve given our customers the option of doing the finish off installation themselves. Over 85% have chosen that option and no one has ever been hurt or broken a slate.
You can hurt your back lifting a lot of things. Usually, people hurt their backs lifting because they get out of position or don’t know what the proper position is to begin with, and slate is no different. That’s why we show you how to handle slate. Do it the way we show you, and you won’t get hurt.
Argument - Slate Warps.
If you were ever going to try and make a case against a one piece slate, it would be this. The fact is, if you take a one piece slate, suspend it between two sawhorses it would eventually start to sag (not warp) in the middle. This is not a big secret. I know it, along with just about everyone else in the billiard industry. To avoid slate sag, it forces every one piece slate manufacturer to spend a lot more money in time and materials to build a very strong framework to support the slate. These additional costs, are the main reason we sell to you direct. If we tried to sell our tables through a dealer, they’d cost a small fortune.
Argument - “Oversize” slate vs. “Undersize” slate
This is a very common argument and when I was a dealer selling three piece slate tables I used it myself. It sounds like a good argument until you understand what the actual story is all about.
What we are talking about is the how the rails attach to the table. The rail is the part of the table that runs around the outside of the table, and what you place your hand on. Attached to the front of each rail is what we call the cushion or, what most people call the “bumpers”.
What follows, is a very easy example of an “oversize” slate. Imagine a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood lying flat. The plywood represents the slate. Now imagine placing four pieces of 2 x 4’s sitting on the outside edge of the plywood. These represent the rails. To attach the rails to the table, there are holes drilled through the slate directly under the rails. A bolt goes up through the slate and attaches to a nut in the rails. When you tighten the bolts, the rail is pulled down tight to the slate. This is what everyone means when they say “oversize” slate. It’s simply a way of attaching the rails to the table, and it is a very efficient way to do it. It’s also the easiest.
When we use the words “undersize” or “standard” slate, what we mean is that the slate is smaller and the rails don’t bolt down through the slate. Even with all of the advantages that a single slate offers for the consumer, for us, the manufacturer, it’s a bit harder (and more expensive) because we have to build what is called a “sub frame”. Imagine a picture frame that’s lying flat. You have the outside framework and the picture sits inside of that frame. Essentially, that’s a sub frame: An outside frame with the slate sitting inside it.
Unlike an oversize slate where the rails sit directly on top of the slate and are bolted down through the slate, with a sub frame, part of our rails also sits on the slate, but the rails bolt down to the wood frame.
The argument goes like this… “because we use an oversize slate, and the rail is bolted down through the slate, the slate and rails act as one unit, and because of this, you get less vibration and the ball rebounds better”. This sounds great. I mean, who doesn’t want the ball to rebound well?
A normal pool table rail uses three rail bolts per rail. Our Western table uses three. On our Paladin Series of tables, each rail uses 5 bolts per rail. In my day, I was an average professional pool player. I was good, just not world class. Today, when I hit balls on a Western, and then on our Paladin, I can’t tell the difference, nor can I detect any difference when I hit balls on an oversize slate table. The obvious point, is that if I can’t tell any difference neither will you.
However, there is one more example that completely destroys the theory that an oversize slate is a benefit to the consumer, and that’s the coin-operated pool table. If you’ve played any pool in a club or tavern, you’ve played on a coin-operated pool table.
When you look at a list of who are the best pool players in the country, professionals are obviously at the top. I would think that at best, there are about a couple hundred professionals. The next best level of players is what are called “league or former league” players, and the super majority of these players play their league games on a coin-operated pool table. And this is where the claim about “oversize” slate really falls apart.
Again, a portion of our rails sits on top of the slate, but the rail attachment does not run through a hole in the slate, but rather a hole in the wood sub-frame, but it is still pulled down tight to the slate. On a coin-op table, the rails are actually a permanent part of the frame and are completely independent of the slate. Without getting too technical, this should mean that coin-operated tables would have awful rebounding. They don’t. But don’t take my word for it, just ask any of the hundreds of thousands of current league, or ex-league players. Over the years, I’ve heard a few complaints about the rebounding on coin-op tables, (I’ve probably complained a few time myself) but it was always in reference to a bad/old cushion on the table, and not the way the table typically rebounded. And to be fair, almost weekly, I see (replace) bad cushions on three piece tables.
One final note on coin-operated tables. Not only are they recognized as being one of the best built tables in the industry, they also use the identical one piece slate we have in ours. Looking for a good used pool table? Buy a used coin-op table. Sure, they’re beat up, but they will still give you a good game and for a lot of people, that’s what counts most.
Finally, for dealers, you can’t have it both ways. Many dealers also dabble in antique pool tables. Most of these are about 80-100 years old, and they can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. On these tables, the rails actually bolt through the wood apron and goes into the edge of the slate so the rail is actually pushed into the side of the slate. If this method didn’t work, how can you sell a $25,000 antique table if the buyer can’t play on it?
Cabinet Sag
What you really need to worry about, and another thing that a pool table dealer will never bring up is “cabinet/base frame sag”. As I described elsewhere, the cabinet is the main body of the table. A good example of this is a leather net pocket table. The main body of the table is called the cabinet. On different styles of tables, rather than a cabinet that you can see, they use what is called a base frame, which is an internal part of the table but hidden from view. The main function of both of these is to support the slates.
Think of it this way. Take two sawhorses and place them about 6 feet apart. Now lay two 2 x 4’s between them. Essentially, this is what a cabinet/base frame structure is. Now, take (3) 80 lbs sandbags, place the first sandbag directly in the middle of the 2 x 4’s and place the other two directly to the left and right of the middle sandbag. You don’t need to be a structural engineer to figure out what’s going to happen. The weakest point is in the middle, and that is where you get sag. Here’s what’s really funny. The entire billiard industry knows about sag but many, still produce tables that they know will have this problem.
Here is why sag is so bad. As the middle of the cabinet/base frame sags, so does the middle slate and the end result is the table is un-level. To fix this, the billiard mechanic drives shims between the cabinet/base frame and the slate to bring the slate back up to level (of course, your paying for it). Sometimes this works (at least for a while) but often times, the framework is so cheap that when you drive in the shims, instead of pushing the slate up, it actually pushes the framework down farther. This is the ultimate nightmare for an owner. The only solution to this, is the entire table needs to be torn apart and the framework reinforced. But there is one other problem. Because by this point, the framework material has now warped. the entire framework needs to be re-manufactured to get it straight again. With all due respect to billiard mechanics, this is simply something they are not able to do unless they happen to have a woodworking shop. Over the years, we’ve done a few of these repairs but unless the table has an emotional connection (it was dad's or grandpa’s table) it’s not worth it. At that point, since the table is unplayable, take the rails off and turn it into an expensive workbench.
Since cabinet sag, which causes slate separation, is such a prevalent issue for the entire 3 piece slate industry, it is now a standard and accepted practice, by professional billiard mechanics, to glue the two slate seams together with superglue. Probably nothing speaks more to the ongoing problem of slate/cabinet sag as the furtive and ineffective measure of trying to glue slates together.
So how do you avoid buying one of these? It’s not easy, but here are some suggestions. The first thing is to keep in mind that the longer the span (the distance between the legs) the more susceptible the table is to sag. Although this formula applies to both contemporary and leather net pocket styles of tables, it is a much larger problem on leather net pocket tables, because the legs are placed out near the ends of the table so the span is much greater. Contemporary tables use a base frame structure and typically the legs are place farther inside the table so you have less span which means less chance of sag.
From this point on, I’m going to stay with the leather net pocket/cabinet style of table. This is by far the most popular style of table sold today and is also the style that is most susceptible to sag.
The next thing to do is get down on your hands and knees and actual look at the underside of the table. Just don’t take the salesman’s word that this table is “super strong” because there is a very good chance even he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Look at the underside of the cabinet, not just how thick it is, but what material the cabinet is actually made of. If it’s solid hardwood you’re good to go. It can also be (from a structural view) plywood, and here’s why. Plywood is made up of individual thin sheets of wood. The grain of each sheet is laid at right angles to the next, then all the sheets are glued together under pressure. If you hold a sheet of plywood flat, it’s very “springy” like a diving board. But when you turn plywood on edge it becomes incredibly strong, and that’s the way it’s primarily used in the billiard industry. We use both ¾” plywood (Western) and 1” thick plywood (Paladin) in many of our tables. To be honest, the 1” plywood we use in our Paladin models is just overkill.
The products you don’t want are particle wood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Without getting technical, MDF is ground up wood fibers and glue, and particle wood is wood chips, sawdust and glue. If properly used, these products are fine, but because both products are about at the bottom in “structural integrity/ load bearing,” the last place they should be used is in a cabinet that’s main job is supporting hundreds of pounds of slate.
You need to be careful about this because many manufactures will glue a thin piece of wood veneer to these products which, when viewed from outside the table, appears like it’s solid wood, when it’s anything but.
If you think that this just applies to import tables let me tell you a great story… At one time, I was a billiard dealer with two retail stores. At that time, the tables I sold were all manufactured in the U.S., and the company introduced a new leather net pocket table. The entire cabinet and legs were made of particle wood. The table was so bad that when we set the center slate on our showroom model, you could see it sag. I don’t remember how many of these I had in stock, but the way I resolved this was by ordering an extra set of legs for each table and placing them in the middle of the cabinet for extra support. Magically, just a short time later, the company discontinued the table.
The easiest way avoid cabinet sag is to purchase a smaller size table, like a 7’ or our league/tournament table. Because these tables have a much smaller span, they are far less subject to cabinet sag.
The absolute last table I would purchase would be a leather net pocket style table in a regulation (9’) length. The span is simply too long. To support this, over the years, we’ve moved dozens of tables that are 60 - 100 years old. Compared to tables made today, these tables used massive amounts of old growth hardwood and many times the cabinet was twice as thick. Every one of these tables suffer from slate sag. Straightening out these cabinet pieces is one of the major challenges faced by the experts who specialize in the restoration of antique tables. This is one of the few things we leave to other, more qualified professionals. The only way I’d ever purchase a table of this size and style would be if it included a set of middle legs. I’ve seen 9’ tables with middle legs but that was a long time ago. I imagine the reason they don’t do this anymore is because the customer would ask why a particular table has six legs while the others don’t, and this would push the dealer into explaining the concept of “cabinet sag,” and they really don’t want to talk about that.
Between 7’ and 9’ sizes is the ole 8 footer. One of the two most common sizes of tables. Even these tables will probably eventually sag, and yes, even our one piece slate table. However, a one piece slate is much more resistant to sag because the center of the slate, actually gets a bit more lateral support from the rest of the entire slate. Compare that with an individual center slate that’s not connected to the other slates in any way other than a thin film of beeswax (and superglue! Lol!) which is used to fill in the seam between the slates.
If you still have your heart set on an 8’ table and want to minimize the chance of slate sag (or at least put it off for decades) I have two suggestions. One, don’t buy an import table. If furniture manufactures excel at anything, it’s the ability to make something look really good, even when it lacks quality materials. You probably have had this experience for yourself with other furniture. My second piece of advice is going to hurt but there is no getting around it. Be prepared to spend a lot of money! Up to a certain point, the more expensive a table is, the higher quality materials in it. What that actual price is, I honestly don’t know anymore, but it’s probably somewhere in the $3,000 - $4,000 range.
As you can see, billiard dealers will never talk about slate/cabinet sag, but what they do love to talk about is the topic of our last part in this section… slate thickness.
Slate Thickness
To the average consumer, when judging the quality of a pool table, nothing speaks louder than how thick the slate is. The reasoning goes like this: if a 1” thick slate is good, a 2” thick slate is better and a 3” slate is better yet. I’m now going to attempt to change you from an “average” consumer to an “educated” one. It’s time to go for one last ride into the world of pool table slate.
The most common thicknesses of slate are ¾”, 7/8” and 1”, and as you’ve read above it’s just about the perfect material for a pool table playfield. But then you may ask, “why the different thicknesses?”. Here are another few “secrets of the pyramids” in pool table world and this first one might surprise you.
There is not a professional pool player in the world who can tell you what the thickness of slate is under the cloth!
The reason for this is actual simple… because there is no difference. The ball doesn’t know if it’s rolling on ¾” slate or 10” thick slate. It just does its job and rolls!
And here’s the other little secret that dealers don’t want you to know. They are trading (and relying) on your ignorance. As consumers, all of us (myself included) have a “thicker is better” mentality, and in some cases this is true. Your home is built with 2 x 4 lumber. If your home was built with thicker lumber, you’d have a stronger house that would have some advantage in a tornado. Now look at your dining room table. It probably has a ¾” wood top. Would it be a “better” table if it had a 3” top? Perhaps, if you were going to smack it with a sledgehammer, but whose going to do that? For your dining room table to perform it’s functional job, all that is required is a ¾” top and even if it did have a 3” top, its function wouldn’t be improved. However, to the furniture dealer that sells 3” table tops, it does have a big advantage. He gets to take advantage of you and charge you more money, and that same rule applies to pool table world. And here’s how they use it…
There are many different “less than ethical tactics,” that sales people employ, and, if you’d like, you have an opportunity to read about them in a different section. However, one of the most common of all tactics is to take a customer to a table and announce, “this is our entry level table and it has ¾” slate”, then take them to another table (which is much higher in price and has significantly better profit margins) and say, “this is one of our most popular tables and it has 1” slate.” And they get a solemn look on their face, and look you in the eye and they shake their head up and down knowingly, as if they’ve just shared the greatest secret ever, and the customer begins to shake his head in agreement, and thinks, “Of course! That other table only has ¾” slate and since thicker is better, this has to be a vastly superior table otherwise the salesman wouldn’t be letting me in on this secret.” Not another word needs to be said . Even if you asked the question about the difference in thickness you’ll probably get answers like this. It adds weight to the table - yeah, like slate isn’t heavy enough. It’s quieter - I wasn’t aware that a rolling ball made noise. It won’t break as easily - see sledgehammer above.
In fact, a thicker slate can actually hurt you. Many tables are designed to carry the weight of a ¾’ slate but because pool table world is very competitive, dealers will upgrade to 1’ slate in the hope of gaining an advantage. This added weight significantly increases the likelihood of slate/cabinet sag.
Well, that’s about it. Even as biased as I am towards one piece slate tables, I don’t want to leave you with the impression that all three piece slate table are bad because that’s not truthful. If you spend an appropriate amount of money, not only will you get a great table that will last a lifetime, but you’ll also minimize the chance that some structural flaw will force you to spend additional money fixing it. However, it is also fair to point out that regardless of the level of quality, three piece slate tables, by their very nature, have additional costs associated to them, that are simply unavoidable, and it’s important for you to recognize and accept these long term costs. The “Average Family” story above really does illustrate what these costs are. In fact, the one part I left out is that many times, people get so frustrated in putting money in their table, that for many who move, they just give up and leave it in the house and write the whole thing off to experience.
I also need to be fair about the tables I build. Are they the best built and prettiest tables in the world? No, but they are very well made and attractive enough for most people. Also, outside of the obvious advantages of using one piece slate, there are many more built-in features that also have considerable benefits for you. They might not be the prettiest tables on the planet, but when viewed through the prism of cost + feature + benefits, they are without question the best value.
Our best selling tables (Paladin Series) cost about $2,000. To crate the table and ship it to your driveway will cost you around $500 - $600. At that point, you and a buddy will spend another 1 ½ hrs., uncrating and assembling your table. The actual assembly of our tables is so easy, we tell customers that if someone carried in the pieces, your 13 year old daughter could put it together.
So, for about $2500 bucks and a little extra effort, not only will you have a table that is good looking (and stays that way) it also plays great and you will avoid the enormous, long term additional costs associated with three piece slate tables.
No other pool table component is talked about more than slate. This is because slate is probably the only component the average consumer has even heard of. They might not know what slate is; they just know they need it.
Before I go on, let me quickly address non-slate tables. Pool tables come two ways: slate and non-slate. Because slate tables are more expensive than non-slate ones. People who don’t have a lot of money can find themselves in the position that they have to drop down and purchase a non-slate table. I strongly suggest you don’t do it. You’re simply throwing your money away. Also, be careful of words like: Slatron, Slatex or the host of other names that have the word slate in it. These are not real slate tables and just a marketing ploy to make the unaware customers believe they are buying a genuine slate table. If you don’t think this happens, countless times we’ve shown up at the customers house only to find that we have to inform the customer that the table they have isn’t slate.
(If you don’t have enough money to purchase a new slate table, I suggest you go to something like Craigslist and for about $500 you can purchase a used coin-operated pool table. Even though they might be a bit banged up, they’re very well built and use a one piece slate, which makes it possible for you to move the table into your home without paying a lot of money for some company to do it for you. If you go this route, give us a call and we’ll tell you how to break it apart and the best and safest way to move it. Now, back to slate.)
Slate is a natural product and is found all over the world. It forms in lateral sheets (think/ plywood) and is cut out of the ground in thick slabs. When a wedge is driven into the end of the slab, the slate breaks horizontally and stays in sheets. You can go on You Tube and see how it’s done. The slate is then milled down to a certain thickness, pocket openings are cut, rail bolt holes are drilled (if needed) and then the slate is allowed to cure for a month or so. It’s now a pool table slate.
Basically, slate is soft, cheap, rock and it doesn’t “move” the way wood does when subjected to extremes in temperature. Although there are many products that are flatter, stronger and lighter than slate, they cost about 10x as much. That’s why the pool industry loves slate. For our purposes, it’s almost the perfect product. I don’t mean to give you the idea that it’s free, but we’re not talking about polished marble here either. It’s really just dull grey soft (as far as rock goes) rock, and on many of our tables slate comprises about 1/7th the cost of building a table.
One Piece vs. Three Piece Slate
Pool table slate is available to the consumer in two ways: one piece (one solid piece) and 3 piece (the slate is cut into 3 individual pieces.
I would like to inject a qualifier here. I manufacturer one piece slate tables. We do offer 3 piece slate as an option, but no one have ever had us build one. In fact, probably the main reason our customers purchase our tables is because of all the advantages one piece slate tables offer. As you can see, I have a very strong bias towards one piece slate and I will try and explain why. This doesn’t mean that three piece slate tables are bad, because they aren’t. But three piece slate tables do have a number of significant disadvantages that can cost you thousands of dollars more over the life of the table. This is not a joke! This is real money we’re talking here and it’s something that the pool table world doesn’t want you to know. Even if you never purchase a table from us, this is the most important information you need to know about tables. You will never get this information from a dealer. The fact is, they would probably be more willing to give you one of their children than have to address these issues. I’ll lay all of this all out for you, and you can decide for yourself.
Walk into your local pool table dealer and you’ll see lots of different types of tables. They mainly break down into two (of three) typical styles of tables made, (to see pictures of the three styles, click here), the contemporary style and the antique or exposed leather net style. Within these two styles they have many (and I mean many) different types of cabinets, trim, legs etc. What they all have in common, is that they all use three piece slate, and there are a number of reasons for this.
A pool table dealer must have a couple of guys to install the tables they sell. If the dealer is small, that usually means the dealer himself, or sometimes the dealer sub-contracts the installation to a professional billiard mechanic. Much larger billiard retail operations usually have their own group that does nothing but pool table installation/service work.
Slate is heavy. I don’t care if you’re moving a one piece slate or one third of a piece of slate, it’s still a lot of weight. If your day job is moving pool tables, you’d probably rather make three trips into a house carrying 1/3rd of a piece of slate than one trip carrying a much heavier one piece slate. Although to be fair, we don’t carry one piece slates in, we dolly them. Think of it this way: if you were a furniture mover, it’s a hard enough job just moving furniture, so you really wouldn’t like to move say, a piano. If the movers had to move a piano every day, it would be very hard to find people to do the work. So, to keep everyone happy, dealers shy away form one piece tables. But the real reason dealers love 3 piece tables is because they make a lot of money off of them.
Before I address why dealers love 3 piece slates (and why we don’t, and why I feel it has definite downsides for the consumer), I need to take a moment and explain what it is that the slates actually sits on. Slate sits on either the “cabinet”, which is the main body of the table that you can see, or the “base frame” which is an internal structure that you can’t see. One isn’t any better than the other; it just depends what style of table you’re talking about. Either structure is then bolted to the legs, and the entire assembly needs to be leveled against the floor it’s sitting on.
With a three piece slate, all individual pieces are placed (and centered) on the table. Then each piece has to leveled, not only to the frame they sit on, but to the other two pieces of slate as well. This is done by driving small wooded shims (although some installers prefer playing cards) between the bottom of the slate and the framework that supports the slate. Once this is done, the slates are screwed to the frame so they don’t shift, the two seams (where the slates butt up to one another) are filled in (typically using natural beeswax) and then the slate is covered with cloth. If this sounds like complicated and meticulous work, it is, and it’s not something that the average Joe can do. It takes a long time to learn how to do this properly even when everything goes right, but it takes years of learning how to do a fine job when they don’t.
Pool table installation is a problem for small dealers (and consequently you) because many tables are sold by companies that also sell swimming pools, spas, outdoor furniture and playground equipment. The same kid that installs your swimming pool one day, is installing your new pool table the next. That’s not to say they can’t do a good installation job, but a lot of these guys are students working part time or just a fill-in job until something else better comes along, and since these aren’t the best paying jobs in the world and the work is complicated and hard, the turnover is very high. To be fair, given enough training, experience and a decent paycheck, I’m sure they could do a good job but that’s really not the point, because if they don’t do this well, you pay for it.
Now compare this to a one piece slate installation. The legs are bolted to the cabinet, the leg/cabinet assembly is leveled to the floor using (usually) hardwood leg levelers (which look like part of the leg) rather than an ugly stack of wood or rubber shims under the leg of a three piece slate table. The slate, with the cloth already attached to the slate, is brought in and set within a framework called a sub frame. Attach the rails to the table and you’re done. Yes, it really is that fast and easy. Over the last ten years or so, we’ve given our customers the option of either having us do the finish installation (for an additional charge) or have them do it. Installing our one piece slate tables is so easy, 85% of our customers choose to do the final installation work to save money, and I’m happy to report that over all that time, no one was injured and not one slate has been broken.
Pool table dealers love 3 piece slate tables for the very fact that you CAN’T do your own installation. When you purchase a new table, the cost/profit of installing a table is either buried in the total price of the table, or it’s an additional charge. Either way, you’re paying for it because you need them, and without you knowing it, you’ve just become married to the dealer for the lifetime of your table.
Outside of a catastrophic event, once a one piece slate table is set up there really isn’t much of anything that can go wrong. With a 3 piece slate, the fun is just beginning.
Slate Shift
Even if a 3 piece slate table is properly set up, over time, the shims that hold your slate level can fall out. Once that happens, the slate will begin to shift down because the weight of the slate has lost its support (shim). This separation is usually referred to as “slate shift”. Once this happens, the once smooth transition between the slates disappears, and there is a small ridge. Sometimes, this extra space is so small you can’t see or feel it and the ball doesn’t even seem to hop. What you will eventually get to see though is a straight line going across the table. This is the ball cutting the threads of the cloth as it passes over the now uneven seam. Now, it’s service time, and as long as the table is out or warranty, the dealers love it. It is a big job to fix this problem and on average, I’d guess the bill is about $200, and that’s without recovering it.
With a one piece slate table, no seam = no $200+ charge.
Here’s another little fun fact that dealers won’t tell you. Once your table is set in place, it cannot be moved. It shouldn’t be moved a foot, let alone carried to the other side of the room because a few things (all bad) can happen. First, about the only place to pick up a table by is the aprons (blinds), and there’s a good chance you’ll rip one off the table. Second, if it is a poorly constructed table, the support structure (which hold the slate) can’t take the stress of being picked up, so it transfers the stress to the slates and you can crack a slate. Finally, because of all the stress going on, you are almost guaranteed that you’ll pop the seams. As I’m sure you can see, any of these events is going to cost you a lot of money. Again, the dealers all know this. Many of the smart ones even go as far as have their installers secretly fill out a form showing the exact position of the table in your home, because they want to protect themselves from a call from an irate homeowner (who moved the table, but neglects to mention this fact to the dealer) and wants the dealer to fix the problem for free.
Our one piece tables are made to be moved around. Again, no seams = no additional money.
Moving Tables In Home
As you can see, moving a three piece slate table isn’t smart. But what happens if you want to change or install new carpet. Or take the carpet out and put in a hardwood floor, or just want to move the table from one room to another? Here’s what happens… you get to pay a lot of money to move your table. We actually charge around $325 - $350 for this service, but many retailers in southern Wisconsin charge as much as $600 - $700.
Whatever the cost, it’s a lot of money, and here’s why. A three piece table has to be almost completely disassembled to move it into another room while the work is being done. First, the rails need to come off, then the cloth is removed from the slate, the slates are then unscrewed from the cabinet and the legs are taken off the cabinet. Then all pieces need to be moved into another area. Later, the installers need to come back and put the table back together again. It’s a lot of work, and a lot of money - your money.
Let's compare the same job with our one piece slate table. You unbolt the rails, you and a buddy lift out the slate and slide (or dolly) it to another room. Unbolt the legs from the cabinet, and you’re done. To re-install, basically reverse the process. Total time for both jobs is about 1 - 1 ½ hours. For that small amount of time, and a small amount of effort, you’ve just saved many hundreds of dollars.
Moving a Table From House to House
In life, things happen. People change jobs, they move and some even get divorced. And when that happens, your pool table needs to be moved. I read somewhere that families move on the average of once every seven years. To me, that seems low, but we can all agree, people do move. Another thing that we can all agree on, is that unless you’re fortunate to have a “corporate move,” just moving your stuff is expensive let alone your pool table. Many of us don’t have the deep pockets to hire Mayflower, so we suck it up, call up family and friends and do it ourselves. After all, this is America and we’re hard workers and Ryder and U Haul thank you for it. You and your pals can move everything… except your three piece slate pool table. And depending on the travel time between homes, you now get to pay even more money than the numbers above. Lucky you.
If I sound a bit facetious about all of this, it’s hard not to be. I know that this is a long read and in my own way, I’m trying to keep all of this interesting. I freely admit, that I hope some of you will consider purchasing one of my tables, but I also hope you will agree, that this really is information you need to know. I have spent my entire life in the pool table world and at this point, I really am one of those “old grizzled veterans” whose really has about seen it all. If there is one constant over my almost 50 + years in pool world it’s that people buy pool tables without any knowledge and then over their lifetime get financially punished for it. For now, let's just recap what I’ve been talking about with a quick example.
Meet the Average Family
Joe Average and his wife like to play pool They also have family members who really think they’re the best ever. They also have a couple of almost teenage kids and they not only want a table for themselves, they hope that by having a pool table it will keep their kids and friends at their home.
Joe (probably) will spend a little bit of time on the internet. He gets off with only two pieces of information: he needs slate and pool tables cost lot of money. The next stop for Joe and his wife is their local billiard dealer. Joe would like to get out of there with spending about $1,500, but his wife really loves the look of that $2,500 table so instead of writing a check, they finance the payments for two years.
From this point on, everything goes well, the entire Average family loves the table, but down the road, Joe's wife decides she wants to change the carpet in the room. Joe and his friend move all of the furniture out of the room but then Joe realizes that he has to call the dealer to get advice about what to do about the table. Joe calls the dealer who informs him that no, you can’t just pick up the table and move it, and it needs to broken down. Joe has no idea how to do this and is worried if he tried, he might break something. He calls back the dealer who happily sends out his guys to get the table out of the way so the new carpet can be laid. For this and the re-set he charges Joe $500.
A few years later, Joe and his wife are doing so well at their jobs that they decide to buy a new home. It’s 40 miles from their existing home but a bit closer to their jobs and they really do have better schools. This time, the bill for moving the table is $700. Joe thinks the price is a bit high, so he makes a few calls. He gets a price of $450 from another guy, but he doesn’t know him, and since he does knows the dealer and the dealer knows the table, he tells the dealer go ahead.
Things go well for the Average family. They get the kids through college but now the house is too big and they decide to downsize. Unfortunately, the new house isn’t big enough for the pool table and they have to sell it. Sure, the table has some scratches (especially that one big one) and a few other dents and dings and the finish is starting to wear off and the cloth needs to be replaced, but the dealer told Joe “it’s built like a rock and will last 100 years” so Joe puts it on Craigslist for $1,100. He thinks this is more than a fair price for a table that cost him $2,500 new, but his phone never rings. He lowers the price and still no calls. Finally, a guy comes over but tells Joe he’ll only give him $150 for the table. Joe can’t believe it but the guy explains that he has to spend $500 to have the table moved and another $275 to get it recovered. Joe doesn’t want to think about the table anymore and takes the $150.
Here are the numbers. Between the purchase price and the move jobs Joe has invested $3,700 in his table. He sold it for $150. Not only has he lost $3,550 in the table but he spent $1,200 in moving costs alone. That’s almost half the new cost of the table.
Lets compare this scenario with our $2,100 Paladin Classic one piece slate table. Joe would avoid paying the $1,200 in moving costs because he could easily move the table himself. When it was time to sell, because the table is covered in HPL(high pressure laminate), the table would still look almost new so it would demand a higher price merely because of the appearance, but the resale price can also be higher because the only money the buyer has to put into it is to get it recovered. Joe could probably easily get $800 - $1,000. And there is one other great advantage to the buyer. Not only do they get a really nice table, the buyer also avoids all of the breakdown/re-set costs associated with a three piece slate table.
The Arguments Against One Piece Slate
(1)One piece slate is heavy. (2) If you’re not really careful you can break it or hurt your back, (3)Three piece slate is “oversize” and One piece slate is “undersize” and (4) all one piece slates warp.
Argument - One piece slate is heavy.
The slate we use on our league tournament table weighs 265 lbs. The slate for our 4’ x 8’ table weighs 425 lbs. To be fair, weight is relative to the actual weight of what’s being lifted and those doing the lifting.
Our most popular table size by far is our official league size table with a playfield of 40” x 80”. The slate weighs 265 lbs. For two average 45 year old guys, carrying the slate flat( like you would a piece of plywood) is no big deal at all. However, when you have to flip the slate up on its edge to walk it through a doorway, because of all of the weight shifting to one arm, the slate suddenly gets very heavy. There are two ways we resolve this. The easiest way to do this is to borrow your neighbor for 5 minutes and when you flip the slate on edge, have the neighbor stand in the middle of the slate with one hand in the side pocket of the slate lifting up, and the other hand on top of the slate. This does two things. First by having an extra hand lifting, it reduces the weight on everyone’s arms, and by having the middle person place his other hand on top of the slate, it add some stability. Once inside, return the slate to flat. This entire procedure probably takes all of about 15 seconds.
The other way to move slate is by the use of a drywall dolly (see picture). It makes the job easier but we’ve found that with our normal slate, it’s usually more of a hassle than moving the slate by hand
The slate in our 4 x 8’ tables weighs 425 lbs and is an entirely different animal. This now moves to a 4 man crew type of job. And unless you have a “pick up the slate, move it 10 feet and place in table” type of installation, you definitely want to use a drywall dolly. We make these available to you. With this size/weight slate, it works very well for tables on ground level or if you have a walk out basement. Sliding this slate down a set of stairs isn’t so bad, but it’s really hard work going up.
Argument - If you’re not really careful, you can break it or hurt your back.
Does one piece slate break? Sure, if you drop it. And if you drop one 1/3rd of a piece of slate, it will break also. The answer to this is just use your head, plan out each step in the process and be careful. As an example, check out your path and remove anything (like a dog toy) that you can trip over. I mentioned earlier the fact that for more than a decade, we’ve given our customers the option of doing the finish off installation themselves. Over 85% have chosen that option and no one has ever been hurt or broken a slate.
You can hurt your back lifting a lot of things. Usually, people hurt their backs lifting because they get out of position or don’t know what the proper position is to begin with, and slate is no different. That’s why we show you how to handle slate. Do it the way we show you, and you won’t get hurt.
Argument - Slate Warps.
If you were ever going to try and make a case against a one piece slate, it would be this. The fact is, if you take a one piece slate, suspend it between two sawhorses it would eventually start to sag (not warp) in the middle. This is not a big secret. I know it, along with just about everyone else in the billiard industry. To avoid slate sag, it forces every one piece slate manufacturer to spend a lot more money in time and materials to build a very strong framework to support the slate. These additional costs, are the main reason we sell to you direct. If we tried to sell our tables through a dealer, they’d cost a small fortune.
Argument - “Oversize” slate vs. “Undersize” slate
This is a very common argument and when I was a dealer selling three piece slate tables I used it myself. It sounds like a good argument until you understand what the actual story is all about.
What we are talking about is the how the rails attach to the table. The rail is the part of the table that runs around the outside of the table, and what you place your hand on. Attached to the front of each rail is what we call the cushion or, what most people call the “bumpers”.
What follows, is a very easy example of an “oversize” slate. Imagine a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood lying flat. The plywood represents the slate. Now imagine placing four pieces of 2 x 4’s sitting on the outside edge of the plywood. These represent the rails. To attach the rails to the table, there are holes drilled through the slate directly under the rails. A bolt goes up through the slate and attaches to a nut in the rails. When you tighten the bolts, the rail is pulled down tight to the slate. This is what everyone means when they say “oversize” slate. It’s simply a way of attaching the rails to the table, and it is a very efficient way to do it. It’s also the easiest.
When we use the words “undersize” or “standard” slate, what we mean is that the slate is smaller and the rails don’t bolt down through the slate. Even with all of the advantages that a single slate offers for the consumer, for us, the manufacturer, it’s a bit harder (and more expensive) because we have to build what is called a “sub frame”. Imagine a picture frame that’s lying flat. You have the outside framework and the picture sits inside of that frame. Essentially, that’s a sub frame: An outside frame with the slate sitting inside it.
Unlike an oversize slate where the rails sit directly on top of the slate and are bolted down through the slate, with a sub frame, part of our rails also sits on the slate, but the rails bolt down to the wood frame.
The argument goes like this… “because we use an oversize slate, and the rail is bolted down through the slate, the slate and rails act as one unit, and because of this, you get less vibration and the ball rebounds better”. This sounds great. I mean, who doesn’t want the ball to rebound well?
A normal pool table rail uses three rail bolts per rail. Our Western table uses three. On our Paladin Series of tables, each rail uses 5 bolts per rail. In my day, I was an average professional pool player. I was good, just not world class. Today, when I hit balls on a Western, and then on our Paladin, I can’t tell the difference, nor can I detect any difference when I hit balls on an oversize slate table. The obvious point, is that if I can’t tell any difference neither will you.
However, there is one more example that completely destroys the theory that an oversize slate is a benefit to the consumer, and that’s the coin-operated pool table. If you’ve played any pool in a club or tavern, you’ve played on a coin-operated pool table.
When you look at a list of who are the best pool players in the country, professionals are obviously at the top. I would think that at best, there are about a couple hundred professionals. The next best level of players is what are called “league or former league” players, and the super majority of these players play their league games on a coin-operated pool table. And this is where the claim about “oversize” slate really falls apart.
Again, a portion of our rails sits on top of the slate, but the rail attachment does not run through a hole in the slate, but rather a hole in the wood sub-frame, but it is still pulled down tight to the slate. On a coin-op table, the rails are actually a permanent part of the frame and are completely independent of the slate. Without getting too technical, this should mean that coin-operated tables would have awful rebounding. They don’t. But don’t take my word for it, just ask any of the hundreds of thousands of current league, or ex-league players. Over the years, I’ve heard a few complaints about the rebounding on coin-op tables, (I’ve probably complained a few time myself) but it was always in reference to a bad/old cushion on the table, and not the way the table typically rebounded. And to be fair, almost weekly, I see (replace) bad cushions on three piece tables.
One final note on coin-operated tables. Not only are they recognized as being one of the best built tables in the industry, they also use the identical one piece slate we have in ours. Looking for a good used pool table? Buy a used coin-op table. Sure, they’re beat up, but they will still give you a good game and for a lot of people, that’s what counts most.
Finally, for dealers, you can’t have it both ways. Many dealers also dabble in antique pool tables. Most of these are about 80-100 years old, and they can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. On these tables, the rails actually bolt through the wood apron and goes into the edge of the slate so the rail is actually pushed into the side of the slate. If this method didn’t work, how can you sell a $25,000 antique table if the buyer can’t play on it?
Cabinet Sag
What you really need to worry about, and another thing that a pool table dealer will never bring up is “cabinet/base frame sag”. As I described elsewhere, the cabinet is the main body of the table. A good example of this is a leather net pocket table. The main body of the table is called the cabinet. On different styles of tables, rather than a cabinet that you can see, they use what is called a base frame, which is an internal part of the table but hidden from view. The main function of both of these is to support the slates.
Think of it this way. Take two sawhorses and place them about 6 feet apart. Now lay two 2 x 4’s between them. Essentially, this is what a cabinet/base frame structure is. Now, take (3) 80 lbs sandbags, place the first sandbag directly in the middle of the 2 x 4’s and place the other two directly to the left and right of the middle sandbag. You don’t need to be a structural engineer to figure out what’s going to happen. The weakest point is in the middle, and that is where you get sag. Here’s what’s really funny. The entire billiard industry knows about sag but many, still produce tables that they know will have this problem.
Here is why sag is so bad. As the middle of the cabinet/base frame sags, so does the middle slate and the end result is the table is un-level. To fix this, the billiard mechanic drives shims between the cabinet/base frame and the slate to bring the slate back up to level (of course, your paying for it). Sometimes this works (at least for a while) but often times, the framework is so cheap that when you drive in the shims, instead of pushing the slate up, it actually pushes the framework down farther. This is the ultimate nightmare for an owner. The only solution to this, is the entire table needs to be torn apart and the framework reinforced. But there is one other problem. Because by this point, the framework material has now warped. the entire framework needs to be re-manufactured to get it straight again. With all due respect to billiard mechanics, this is simply something they are not able to do unless they happen to have a woodworking shop. Over the years, we’ve done a few of these repairs but unless the table has an emotional connection (it was dad's or grandpa’s table) it’s not worth it. At that point, since the table is unplayable, take the rails off and turn it into an expensive workbench.
Since cabinet sag, which causes slate separation, is such a prevalent issue for the entire 3 piece slate industry, it is now a standard and accepted practice, by professional billiard mechanics, to glue the two slate seams together with superglue. Probably nothing speaks more to the ongoing problem of slate/cabinet sag as the furtive and ineffective measure of trying to glue slates together.
So how do you avoid buying one of these? It’s not easy, but here are some suggestions. The first thing is to keep in mind that the longer the span (the distance between the legs) the more susceptible the table is to sag. Although this formula applies to both contemporary and leather net pocket styles of tables, it is a much larger problem on leather net pocket tables, because the legs are placed out near the ends of the table so the span is much greater. Contemporary tables use a base frame structure and typically the legs are place farther inside the table so you have less span which means less chance of sag.
From this point on, I’m going to stay with the leather net pocket/cabinet style of table. This is by far the most popular style of table sold today and is also the style that is most susceptible to sag.
The next thing to do is get down on your hands and knees and actual look at the underside of the table. Just don’t take the salesman’s word that this table is “super strong” because there is a very good chance even he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Look at the underside of the cabinet, not just how thick it is, but what material the cabinet is actually made of. If it’s solid hardwood you’re good to go. It can also be (from a structural view) plywood, and here’s why. Plywood is made up of individual thin sheets of wood. The grain of each sheet is laid at right angles to the next, then all the sheets are glued together under pressure. If you hold a sheet of plywood flat, it’s very “springy” like a diving board. But when you turn plywood on edge it becomes incredibly strong, and that’s the way it’s primarily used in the billiard industry. We use both ¾” plywood (Western) and 1” thick plywood (Paladin) in many of our tables. To be honest, the 1” plywood we use in our Paladin models is just overkill.
The products you don’t want are particle wood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Without getting technical, MDF is ground up wood fibers and glue, and particle wood is wood chips, sawdust and glue. If properly used, these products are fine, but because both products are about at the bottom in “structural integrity/ load bearing,” the last place they should be used is in a cabinet that’s main job is supporting hundreds of pounds of slate.
You need to be careful about this because many manufactures will glue a thin piece of wood veneer to these products which, when viewed from outside the table, appears like it’s solid wood, when it’s anything but.
If you think that this just applies to import tables let me tell you a great story… At one time, I was a billiard dealer with two retail stores. At that time, the tables I sold were all manufactured in the U.S., and the company introduced a new leather net pocket table. The entire cabinet and legs were made of particle wood. The table was so bad that when we set the center slate on our showroom model, you could see it sag. I don’t remember how many of these I had in stock, but the way I resolved this was by ordering an extra set of legs for each table and placing them in the middle of the cabinet for extra support. Magically, just a short time later, the company discontinued the table.
The easiest way avoid cabinet sag is to purchase a smaller size table, like a 7’ or our league/tournament table. Because these tables have a much smaller span, they are far less subject to cabinet sag.
The absolute last table I would purchase would be a leather net pocket style table in a regulation (9’) length. The span is simply too long. To support this, over the years, we’ve moved dozens of tables that are 60 - 100 years old. Compared to tables made today, these tables used massive amounts of old growth hardwood and many times the cabinet was twice as thick. Every one of these tables suffer from slate sag. Straightening out these cabinet pieces is one of the major challenges faced by the experts who specialize in the restoration of antique tables. This is one of the few things we leave to other, more qualified professionals. The only way I’d ever purchase a table of this size and style would be if it included a set of middle legs. I’ve seen 9’ tables with middle legs but that was a long time ago. I imagine the reason they don’t do this anymore is because the customer would ask why a particular table has six legs while the others don’t, and this would push the dealer into explaining the concept of “cabinet sag,” and they really don’t want to talk about that.
Between 7’ and 9’ sizes is the ole 8 footer. One of the two most common sizes of tables. Even these tables will probably eventually sag, and yes, even our one piece slate table. However, a one piece slate is much more resistant to sag because the center of the slate, actually gets a bit more lateral support from the rest of the entire slate. Compare that with an individual center slate that’s not connected to the other slates in any way other than a thin film of beeswax (and superglue! Lol!) which is used to fill in the seam between the slates.
If you still have your heart set on an 8’ table and want to minimize the chance of slate sag (or at least put it off for decades) I have two suggestions. One, don’t buy an import table. If furniture manufactures excel at anything, it’s the ability to make something look really good, even when it lacks quality materials. You probably have had this experience for yourself with other furniture. My second piece of advice is going to hurt but there is no getting around it. Be prepared to spend a lot of money! Up to a certain point, the more expensive a table is, the higher quality materials in it. What that actual price is, I honestly don’t know anymore, but it’s probably somewhere in the $3,000 - $4,000 range.
As you can see, billiard dealers will never talk about slate/cabinet sag, but what they do love to talk about is the topic of our last part in this section… slate thickness.
Slate Thickness
To the average consumer, when judging the quality of a pool table, nothing speaks louder than how thick the slate is. The reasoning goes like this: if a 1” thick slate is good, a 2” thick slate is better and a 3” slate is better yet. I’m now going to attempt to change you from an “average” consumer to an “educated” one. It’s time to go for one last ride into the world of pool table slate.
The most common thicknesses of slate are ¾”, 7/8” and 1”, and as you’ve read above it’s just about the perfect material for a pool table playfield. But then you may ask, “why the different thicknesses?”. Here are another few “secrets of the pyramids” in pool table world and this first one might surprise you.
There is not a professional pool player in the world who can tell you what the thickness of slate is under the cloth!
The reason for this is actual simple… because there is no difference. The ball doesn’t know if it’s rolling on ¾” slate or 10” thick slate. It just does its job and rolls!
And here’s the other little secret that dealers don’t want you to know. They are trading (and relying) on your ignorance. As consumers, all of us (myself included) have a “thicker is better” mentality, and in some cases this is true. Your home is built with 2 x 4 lumber. If your home was built with thicker lumber, you’d have a stronger house that would have some advantage in a tornado. Now look at your dining room table. It probably has a ¾” wood top. Would it be a “better” table if it had a 3” top? Perhaps, if you were going to smack it with a sledgehammer, but whose going to do that? For your dining room table to perform it’s functional job, all that is required is a ¾” top and even if it did have a 3” top, its function wouldn’t be improved. However, to the furniture dealer that sells 3” table tops, it does have a big advantage. He gets to take advantage of you and charge you more money, and that same rule applies to pool table world. And here’s how they use it…
There are many different “less than ethical tactics,” that sales people employ, and, if you’d like, you have an opportunity to read about them in a different section. However, one of the most common of all tactics is to take a customer to a table and announce, “this is our entry level table and it has ¾” slate”, then take them to another table (which is much higher in price and has significantly better profit margins) and say, “this is one of our most popular tables and it has 1” slate.” And they get a solemn look on their face, and look you in the eye and they shake their head up and down knowingly, as if they’ve just shared the greatest secret ever, and the customer begins to shake his head in agreement, and thinks, “Of course! That other table only has ¾” slate and since thicker is better, this has to be a vastly superior table otherwise the salesman wouldn’t be letting me in on this secret.” Not another word needs to be said . Even if you asked the question about the difference in thickness you’ll probably get answers like this. It adds weight to the table - yeah, like slate isn’t heavy enough. It’s quieter - I wasn’t aware that a rolling ball made noise. It won’t break as easily - see sledgehammer above.
In fact, a thicker slate can actually hurt you. Many tables are designed to carry the weight of a ¾’ slate but because pool table world is very competitive, dealers will upgrade to 1’ slate in the hope of gaining an advantage. This added weight significantly increases the likelihood of slate/cabinet sag.
Well, that’s about it. Even as biased as I am towards one piece slate tables, I don’t want to leave you with the impression that all three piece slate table are bad because that’s not truthful. If you spend an appropriate amount of money, not only will you get a great table that will last a lifetime, but you’ll also minimize the chance that some structural flaw will force you to spend additional money fixing it. However, it is also fair to point out that regardless of the level of quality, three piece slate tables, by their very nature, have additional costs associated to them, that are simply unavoidable, and it’s important for you to recognize and accept these long term costs. The “Average Family” story above really does illustrate what these costs are. In fact, the one part I left out is that many times, people get so frustrated in putting money in their table, that for many who move, they just give up and leave it in the house and write the whole thing off to experience.
I also need to be fair about the tables I build. Are they the best built and prettiest tables in the world? No, but they are very well made and attractive enough for most people. Also, outside of the obvious advantages of using one piece slate, there are many more built-in features that also have considerable benefits for you. They might not be the prettiest tables on the planet, but when viewed through the prism of cost + feature + benefits, they are without question the best value.
Our best selling tables (Paladin Series) cost about $2,000. To crate the table and ship it to your driveway will cost you around $500 - $600. At that point, you and a buddy will spend another 1 ½ hrs., uncrating and assembling your table. The actual assembly of our tables is so easy, we tell customers that if someone carried in the pieces, your 13 year old daughter could put it together.
So, for about $2500 bucks and a little extra effort, not only will you have a table that is good looking (and stays that way) it also plays great and you will avoid the enormous, long term additional costs associated with three piece slate tables.