One piece slate vs 3 piece slate

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pat is 100% right about a three piece slate if installed correctly not coming apart at the seams. But I've gone way beyond that with steel plating the slate seams together. I'll post some pictures on the whole process of converting a 3 piece slate to a 1 piece slate in a thread of its own shortly.

Do you come across the shims coming out often? I've noticed lately when I've covered tables in basements that the owner is saying that they have a bump going across there table and it's always a shim that needs tapped back into place. I attribute it to bing in a basement and the wood shims expanding and contracting with the humidity.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
If properly bonded and sealed you will never see a seam on a 3 piece slate table.

I bought a case of that from Al Conte....RIP
I believe liquid dowel was his concept...he was Brunswick's go-to guy.

...but I still prefer one-piece

but I'm interested in RKC's steel plate
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Keep in mind, when I post this documentary on the transformation from a normal 3 piece slate to a steel plated 3 piece slate....the slate will no longer be mounted anywhere to the frame of the table, nor will it have one staple holding down the bed cloth, not even in the pockets....AND Diamond has already made the change over to the steel plated slate system;)
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pat is 100% right about a three piece slate if installed correctly not coming apart at the seams. But I've gone way beyond that with steel plating the slate seams together. I'll post some pictures on the whole process of converting a 3 piece slate to a 1 piece slate in a thread of its own shortly.
Anything done correctly is fine though. The goal is to engineer 'un-fine' out.

IMO, the 1pc slate is anexample of process/ product evolution, eliminating a potential source of problems.

It is also an example of the attitude at diamond and its concern for always bettering its product...one of many reasons it is the preeminent pool table manufacturer,
 
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JE54

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
diamond 5 x 10

So Diamond makes a 5 x 10 one piece slate? What's the thickness of the slate ? Any idea what the slate weighs ? How about the weight of the entire table? It probaly couldn't be put in a basement, even if its a straight shot down the stairs, could it? What do they cost?
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
So Diamond makes a 5 x 10 one piece slate? What's the thickness of the slate ? Any idea what the slate weighs ? How about the weight of the entire table? It probaly couldn't be put in a basement, even if its a straight shot down the stairs, could it? What do they cost?

That's a lot of questions...LOL the slate is 1 3/16' thick, weighs 800lbs, table assembled weighs 1,500lbs...and it can be fitted with a 3 piece steel plate joined slate...and runs about $10,000 in cost...before shipping and install pricing.
 

wirednine

Registered
Resurrecting an old thread, but it makes more sense than starting a new one.

I'm going to be purchasing a 9ft Diamond for my new house I'm moving into in about a week. I also had the 1 piece vs 3 piece question.

Finally, can anyone recommend a good vendor and/or installer in the St. Louis, MO area? I'll pay for it to be done right. A good roll and rails are far more important to me than a couple hundred $$$.

Appreciate if anyone can assist with this. I've always just been a pool hall player and this will finally be my first table after many years of paying by the hour.
 

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Resurrecting an old thread, but it makes more sense than starting a new one.

I'm going to be purchasing a 9ft Diamond for my new house I'm moving into in about a week. I also had the 1 piece vs 3 piece question.

Finally, can anyone recommend a good vendor and/or installer in the St. Louis, MO area? I'll pay for it to be done right. A good roll and rails are far more important to me than a couple hundred $$$.

Appreciate if anyone can assist with this. I've always just been a pool hall player and this will finally be my first table after many years of paying by the hour.

I recently bought a (my second) 9' Diamond ProAm. So glad I did. I sent you a PM.
 

wirednine

Registered
I recently bought a (my second) 9' Diamond ProAm. So glad I did. I sent you a PM.

Dude, thanks for the info! Responded to the PM.

I may order in the next month, but not sure since I have shoulder surgery next month and a new table in my basement is not gonna be good for my shoulder rehab. I'm actually finally getting my shoulder fixed because of pool. I took most of a decade off but started playing again. My older brain is able to learn the intricacies of the game much better and I'm gonna start regular tournament play. With my shoulder how it is, I can't run drills for more than 20 minutes and that's pretty painful at that. 2 tears to the labrum in the left shoulder (I'm right handed).
 

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Dude, this is a 4 year old thread I resurrected since I had questions in the same vein as the original thread. But while you're here, any comments on my questions?

His comments are useless, he cant hit a ball straight on either type of table:D.
 

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Dude, thanks for the info! Responded to the PM.

I may order in the next month, but not sure since I have shoulder surgery next month and a new table in my basement is not gonna be good for my shoulder rehab. I'm actually finally getting my shoulder fixed because of pool. I took most of a decade off but started playing again. My older brain is able to learn the intricacies of the game much better and I'm gonna start regular tournament play. With my shoulder how it is, I can't run drills for more than 20 minutes and that's pretty painful at that. 2 tears to the labrum in the left shoulder (I'm right handed).

What part of the country do you live in?
 

Dan_B

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
..um, I have to read a 4 year old thread to be updated that Glenn is banned. …again?

His comments are useless, he cant hit a ball straight on either type of table
I bought a case of that from Al Conte....RIP

substitute OP, hope this thread was helpful, is for me, :thumbup:

Liquid Dowel? does it break apart clean when dis-assembling?
Does that stuff dry rock hard, sandable? ...carefully or clean off excess before drying?
is this in lieu of bees wax.

...maybe talking 2 steps here on seams, holding the slates firm/tight, then fill/level?

in the interest of lower Advil use, about to finalize 3 piece acrylic set-up, they bolt
together leaving a slightly better than hair line seam/joint, still undecided what/ how to
finish it up, the seams.
 

one stroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Uuuh...yes, I have...lived in Italy and Germany for 7 years. And since Brunswick was the standard in pool tables for to many years to count...they were also the example to copy when it came to building pool tables for manufactures getting into the business. And, since Brunswick never used an oversized one piece slate...neither did anyone else.;) To date, Diamond is the only manufacture that has a one piece 9ft oversized slate...but you're more than welcome to find someone else that does:thumbup:

So if it warps your pretty much done , oh that's right slate don't warp lol


1
 

Skippy27

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have only worked with 1 piece slates so take this as you will, but I have heard that 3 piece slates can be leveled more precisely.
 
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Ak Guy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Woe is me

I wish I had a one piece slate. My nice old Rebco 9' table has been in my in floor heated garage for 3 years and for the 2nd time I have to have the installers back to level the end slate and tighten the loose Simonis 860 HR cloth.

Drives me nuts. Finding a Diamond table in Alaska is near impossible!
 

fastone371

Certifiable
Silver Member
Dude, thanks for the info! Responded to the PM.

I may order in the next month, but not sure since I have shoulder surgery next month and a new table in my basement is not gonna be good for my shoulder rehab. I'm actually finally getting my shoulder fixed because of pool. I took most of a decade off but started playing again. My older brain is able to learn the intricacies of the game much better and I'm gonna start regular tournament play. With my shoulder how it is, I can't run drills for more than 20 minutes and that's pretty painful at that. 2 tears to the labrum in the left shoulder (I'm right handed).

I had rotator cuff surgery last year along with some bone grinding, I was playing pool 4-5 days later. It was on my bridge arm, I would put my hand in place then move my body away from my hand into position so I didnt need to use my shoulder to lift my arm.
 
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