Playing Height of Slate from Floor to Top of Playing Surface

L

lstevedus

One of the 47%
Silver Member
I put this in the ask the mechanic section, but I thought I would ask it here too. Can anyone tell me what it should be? The tables I play on seem low.
 
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This is just some of the information in the BCA Rule Book available right here at AZ Billiards for a couple bucks. All players should have one.
 
In olden days the tables would often be 31" (and a tad) high off the floor. There were fewer pool related back problems way back then.
 
Brunswicks are shorter. Diamonds are a little bit taller. I play on Diamonds nearly exclusively, so it takes a few balls to adjust when I play on a GC.
 
AtLarge said:
And what do you suppose the thought process was that led to the conclusion it should be 29 1/4 rather than 29?
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You might be surprised how much thought goes into such things. There are published Architectural Standards for table and counter heights of all kinds, as well as for chair seats and backs, light switches, etc., etc., all based on average human dimensions.

Lots of pool halls have uneven floors where in order to be level the table surface is a different height from the floor at each corner, sometimes noticably. Some vary by more than 1 3/4 inches (31 - 29 1/4) so it's impossible to be regulation height all the way around.

pj
chgo
 
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Slate Height

Baxter said:
Brunswicks are shorter. Diamonds are a little bit taller. I play on Diamonds nearly exclusively, so it takes a few balls to adjust when I play on a GC.
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I think most tables are height adjustable within a range of a couple of inches. I have a Diamond Professional with pedestal legs and was given a choice of height settings at set up.

bob c
 
MitchAlsup said:
In olden days the tables would often be 31" (and a tad) high off the floor. There were fewer pool related back problems way back then.
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Yes, I used to play on those 'elevated' elephant legged tables and today I put one inch blocks of wood under my Diamond table to save my back.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You might be surprised how much thought goes into such things. ...
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Sure, but after all the "scientific" analysis, it wouldn't hurt to make a simple statement of the requirement. In this case, I think 30" plus or minus 1" would have a nice ring to it. That's even the way Randy remembered it. Or if, for some scientific reason, a flat 29" is just too low on the bottom end, 30" plus or minus 3/4". Symmetry is nice. [Of course the current requirement is also symmetric -- around 30 1/8".]

Scaramouche said:
... The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushion rail shall be from 2ft 9½in to 2ft 10½in ...
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Now there's a spec I like: 2 ft. 10" plus or minus 1/2".:smile:
 
whitewolf said:
Yes, I used to play on those 'elevated' elephant legged tables and today I put one inch blocks of wood under my Diamond table to save my back.
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I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've figured out how to hide a pair of wedges under a table leg connected with a thread, such that you could both raise a table by 0.5-1.0 inches, and have a screw/bolt head where you could relevel the table by watching how the balls roll and cranking one of the 4 screws one direction or the other.
 
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