3 vs 1 piece slate

V

vlahmapoutras

Registered
Hi

I am on the lookout for a 8" table and my main concern is whether to choose for a single or three pieces slate.What are the main advantages/disadvantages between the two options?
 
trentfromtoledo

trentfromtoledo

8onthebreaktoledo
Silver Member
vlahmapoutras said:
Hi

I am on the lookout for a 8" table and my main concern is whether to choose for a single or three pieces slate.What are the main advantages/disadvantages between the two options?
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Other than Valley style bar boxes or Diamond tables, I am not sure you have a whole lot of options on a one piece slate. Those are the only types of tables that use one piece slates to my knowledge. Happy hunting and good luck!

Trent from Toledo
 
C

cnyncrvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
vlahmapoutras said:
Hi

I am on the lookout for a 8" table and my main concern is whether to choose for a single or three pieces slate.What are the main advantages/disadvantages between the two options?
Click to expand...

Several manufacturer's over the years have produces 8 foot single piece slate tables, both for commercial and home IE: furniture style tables. As was said by Trent, Valley and Diamond, but there were also Global, Delta, Brunswick tables produced in 8 foot with a single piece slate to name a few others.

The biggest drawback to most of the 8 foot single piece slate furniture tables is that they were "Budget" tables incorporating subpar or inferior materials in their design and construction. You will find a lot of these tables used cheap plywood or worse MDF in their construction.

The point however of three piece slate however is that when properly installed and leveled it should emulate a single piece of slate to a T. Obviously moving a 3 piece slate table is generally easier than that of a single piece. While finicky to setup sometimes, a 3 piece slate table offers a level of adjustability that you wont find on a single piece slate table. That adjustability allows you to "Dial" in the table to be perfectly straight and level. All of this however will depend on the skill level of the installer and how good of a job they do on the install.
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
cnyncrvr said:
Several manufacturer's over the years have produces 8 foot single piece slate tables, both for commercial and home IE: furniture style tables. As was said by Trent, Valley and Diamond, but there were also Global, Delta, Brunswick tables produced in 8 foot with a single piece slate to name a few others.

The biggest drawback to most of the 8 foot single piece slate furniture tables is that they were "Budget" tables incorporating subpar or inferior materials in their design and construction. You will find a lot of these tables used cheap plywood or worse MDF in their construction.

The point however of three piece slate however is that when properly installed and leveled it should emulate a single piece of slate to a T. Obviously moving a 3 piece slate table is generally easier than that of a single piece. While finicky to setup sometimes, a 3 piece slate table offers a level of adjustability that you wont find on a single piece slate table. That adjustability allows you to "Dial" in the table to be perfectly straight and level. All of this however will depend on the skill level of the installer and how good of a job they do on the install.
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All the 1 piece slates you're refering to are undersized slates, meaning the slate sits in the cabinet, and the rails don't bolt through the slate. Diamond has the ONLY full size 1 piece slate on the market that the rails bolt to the slate. I would normally agree that 1 piece slates can't be leveled as well as a 3 piece slate, but that does not appy with a Diamond, either slate can be leveled.
 
C

cnyncrvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
realkingcobra said:
All the 1 piece slates you're refering to are undersized slates, meaning the slate sits in the cabinet, and the rails don't bolt through the slate. Diamond has the ONLY full size 1 piece slate on the market that the rails bolt to the slate. I would normally agree that 1 piece slates can't be leveled as well as a 3 piece slate, but that does not appy with a Diamond, either slate can be leveled.
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Glen your absolutely right about Diamond tables being fully adjustable and able to be properly leveled, it does not matter if its their one or three piece slate. I was speaking in general terms of most of the one piece slate tables out there. I apologize for not being more clear on the matter.
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
cnyncrvr said:
Glen your absolutely right about Diamond tables being fully adjustable and able to be properly leveled, it does not matter if its their one or three piece slate. I was speaking in general terms of most of the one piece slate tables out there. I apologize for not being more clear on the matter.
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Problem with ALL other 1 piece slate tables is they just sit in the frame, not bolted or screwed down, then the rails are bolted down to a framework that sets the rails flush to the flatness of the slate with only about 1/2" rail overlap on the slate. If the slate is swayback and the center needs to be raised up, doing so with shims also raises the nose of the rails because the rails are not bolted to the slate. And don't be fooled into buying a 1 piece slate that has been cut into 3 piecez, as it's still an undersized 1 piece slate. If the rail bolts don't go through the slate to bolt the rails down....forget being able to adjust the level of the slate...the only adjustment you'll be able to do is with the legs!!
 
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