what do you guys use to fill slate seams

dave_k

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i have been using beeswax for along time and havent tried anything else, just wondering if there is something that works as fast but WORKS better

thanks
 

winners07

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
slate seams

i have been using beeswax for along time and havent tried anything else, just wondering if there is something that works as fast but WORKS better

thanks

I like the bee's wax its easy to use and if you have to move the table it comes off with no problems,
 

QuickEdward

New member
Silver Member
Has anyone used the blue wax that's supposedly designed for seaming slate? Is it any better than pure beeswax?
 

Club Billiards

Absolute Billiard Service
Silver Member
Last time I moved a table with blue wax in the seam it had about the consistency of candle wax. I'm not saying it was the same stuff you guys are talking about...who knows, it could have been candle wax! I always had pretty good success with filtered beeswax until I tried bondo. I was skeptical at first and thought it would make it hard to separate the slates when you go to move the table. After trying it, it is faster to apply, doesn't sink into center slate holes like beeswax, won't soften if it's near a heat source in the winter, and did I mention it's faster to apply?

I was a doubter until I tried it.
 

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
remember guys, when you use bondo you need to score the seam when you dis-assemble the table otherwise you could get some flaking of the slate.
 

LCCS

New member
Silver Member
material

remember guys, when you use bondo you need to score the seam when you dis-assemble the table otherwise you could get some flaking of the slate.
It is preference. i used beeswax, Now i use bondo. Less cleanup, easier and you do not have to carry a torch.

Ron
 

LCCS

New member
Silver Member
bondo

You should really ask Jay. He loves to help people with bondo. LOL
He will know what i am talking about.
Ron
 

dave_k

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
works better? what are you having problems with?

well beeswax is not perfect for ever, here in the midwest we have lots of temp and humidity changes and if i could prevent seams popping for good then my job would be easier/better. i dont have alot of issues with it but 1 is more then enough. esp for a tech that cares about what he is doing
 

Club Billiards

Absolute Billiard Service
Silver Member
well beeswax is not perfect for ever, here in the midwest we have lots of temp and humidity changes and if i could prevent seams popping for good then my job would be easier/better. i dont have alot of issues with it but 1 is more then enough. esp for a tech that cares about what he is doing

It would be nice if there was a way to prevent the seams from popping. ;)
 

LCCS

New member
Silver Member
seems

well beeswax is not perfect for ever, here in the midwest we have lots of temp and humidity changes and if i could prevent seams popping for good then my job would be easier/better. i dont have alot of issues with it but 1 is more then enough. esp for a tech that cares about what he is doing
Dou you use super glue and paper as a wick betweek the slates?
 

mechanic/player

New member
Silver Member
Most if not all joint/seam failures are a result of the slates not being screwed down tight enuff or not glued together,which allows them to move just a bit,which will cause any seam filler to slowly dergade and then show thru the cloth . Here in VA we have drastic temp. changes, for example it can be 65-70 degrees at va beach and 175 miles in where I am it is snowing, the next day it's 70,day before it was 35 .Humidity is high here as well, my friends visit from Jersey in May and they say it's like being in a jungle, I say it's May come back in August.

The seam fillers fail when the slates are allowed to move. Bondo may hold them together a bit longer but the problem is still the moving slates doing the damage.

Do you glue your slates together somehow? If not that is the answer to your problem. I can honestly say that it's been over 4 yrs (200ish tables a yr)since I have had a beeswaxed filled joint/seam or screw hole fail on me.
 
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dave_k

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Most if not all joint/seam failures are a result of the slates not being screwed down tight enuff,which allows them to move just a bit,which will cause any seam filler to slowly dergade and then show thru the cloth . Here in VA we have drastic temp. changes, for example it can be 65-70 degrees at va beach and 175 miles in where I am it is snowing, the next day it's 70,day before it was 35 .Humidity is high here as well, my friends visit from Jersey in May and they say it's like being in a jungle, I say it's May come back in August.

The seam fillers fail when the slates are allowed to move. Bondo may hold them together a bit longer but the problem is still the moving slates doing the damage.

Do you glue your slates together somehow? If not that is the answer to your problem. I can honestly say that it's been over 4 yrs (200ish tables a yr)since I have had a beeswaxed filled joint/seam fail on me.

congrats on the slate sucess, i have never used glue as i was unawear to that process. could you expalin your method on useing glue
 

mechanic/player

New member
Silver Member
Sure, I use Elmers white glue,non-sagging ,when you are leveling and setting the slates together put 4-5 3-4 in strips of elmers evenly spaced between the slates, as you are setting and leveling the slates the elmers is slowly setting up and allows you to make all the adjustments that are needed to the slates without setting up on you too quickly.

Elmers is plenty strong enuff to hold them together. I used to use a solid strip all the way across but I found out that when I do it is very hard to seperate sometimes. I can stand at one end and lift all 3 pcs on a table and the only thing holding them together is the elmers glue, thats pretty strong stuff.
 

Majic

With The Lights ON !!
Silver Member
I use a tube of Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty. You don't have to mix it and goes straight from the tube to the slate. :wink:
 

tableman

New member
Silver Member
bee's wax

I've been a fulltime mechanic here in NC for 15+ yrs. I am a diehard beeswax man. It's always worked great for me and like the previous poster said, if you ever have to move it again it's a breeze to take apart. I'm personally very much against bondo and the like. Just my preference from experience.
 

Monk Slayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm not a mechanic by any mean, however, here at the local MWR in Kandahar, Afghanistan, there are four tables in desperate need of recovering. Beeswax won't work, as it easily reaches 100 degrees inside the building during the summer. I think bondo would be the way to go however googling for bondo brings up a myriad of choices. Suggestions for which brand and product would be very helpful. I intend to cover one of the tables with 860, (already on order) level it, and repair any dents and cracks. As stated, I'm not a mechanic by any means, however, having worked in an upholstery shop for a couple of years should provide at least some modicum of skill. Thanks!
 
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