So What Does One Do When They Don't Have a Decent Local Mechanic...?

tomatoshooter said:
I'm kind of in a similar place with my table but a different table would probably cost $1200+, or at least that's what I'd want to have in my pocket before I started shopping. Then I'd have to pay $450 to get it installed, and maybe get a few hundred for my current table. The thing is, the "new" will not have new cloth or 4.5" pockets so I've got to fix what I've got, probably to the tune of nearly $1000.
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This is exactly the problem. I can buy a "nearly new" Black Crown currently for $3k. The cloth will be very good shape, but not 'new'. The pocket cuts still won't be what I'd want them to be, and then I'm on the hook for breaking it down, getting it to my place, and then the reassemble. ...plus unloading my current table to someone else.

That's a whole lot of effort to replace something that has the potential to be perfectly fine and suited to my tastes. That said, it appears I don't own a pair of pants with deep enough pockets to get the rail work done. That assuming that that level of reconstructive surgery is even needed.

I'd be tearing apart my rails now for some deeper recon but the kids are playing around with it.

A Black Crown for those unfamilar:
kmkmkm.png
kmkm.png
 
The_JV said:
This is exactly the problem. I can buy a "nearly new" Black Crown currently for $3k. The cloth will be very good shape, but not 'new'. The pocket cuts still won't be what I'd want them to be, and then I'm on the hook for breaking it down, getting it to my place, and then the reassemble. ...plus unloading my current table to someone else.

That's a whole lot of effort to replace something that has the potential to be perfectly fine and suited to my tastes. That said, it appears I don't own a pair of pants with deep enough pockets to get the rail work done. That assuming that that level of reconstructive surgery is even needed.

I'd be tearing apart my rails now for some deeper recon but the kids are playing around with it.

A Black Crown for those unfamilar:
View attachment 616617View attachment 616618
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I figured we could commiserate. I'm fortunate enough to have table mechanics nearby and I plan on extending the rails and replacing the cushions myself. I'll pay the guy who installed the table to do the cloth, hopefully he'll cut me a deal since the table will be broken down. I'm not quite sure why extending the rail is so important, I don't see why that last 1/4" of cushion really needs the support, at that point the ball is pretty much in the pocket. Maybe when the cloth is stretched over it, it matters. It just feels weird to spend nearly $1000 to fix what I bought for $800. In the end, I'll have the cloth I want and the pockets I want. I'll have the best 8' table in town. I just need to stop letting people ask for weight when we play for a buck a game. It's time for this to switch from being an expensive hobby to a lucrative hobby.
 
rexus31 said:
32106862038_3ca0c5f450_z.jpg

We like pics.
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I wasn't going to post my efforts, as I'm sure to experience some blow back. However, I'm bored and I have a few pics, so why not.

The 'zero void' plywood subrail extensions have been glued on and I'm in the process of trimming them down to match the subrail profile. I had a flush cut saw somewhere but ended up buying another via Amazon for ~$25.
received_391180686027492.jpg
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Edit: Just as a note to those who stumble passed this looking for insight.

In my specific case, my rails are milled out of a single piece of oak. Because of this, the original face that the extensions are fastened to were not flat at all. All faces were conditioned on some level to flatten them out so there wouldn't be voids filled with glue.

I need to come up with a more efficient way to clear out the feather strip groove. However I'll hopefully get to a point this weekend that I can glue on the new rubber :)
 
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Here is an example of the uneven face of the rail. In this particular pic it's merely the end of the rail face transitioning to the pocket opening, but the jist is the same. In the end, all the original faces were touched up in an effort not to have pockets of glue.
void.png
 
The_JV said:
I wasn't going to post my efforts, as I'm sure to experience some blow back. However, I'm bored and I have a few pics, so why not.

The 'zero void' plywood subrail extensions have been glued on and I'm in the process of trimming them down to match the subrail profile. I had a flush cut saw somewhere but ended up buying another via Amazon for ~$25.
View attachment 620307View attachment 620309View attachment 620310

Edit: Just as a note to those who stumble passed this looking for insight.

In my specific case, my rails are milled out of a single piece of oak. Because of this, the original face that the extensions are fastened to were not flat at all. All faces were conditioned on some level to flatten them out so there wouldn't be voids filled with glue.

I need to come up with a more efficient way to clear out the feather strip groove. However I'll hopefully get to a point this weekend that I can glue on the new rubber :)
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Nice work. I want to do this to my table soon.
 
The_JV said:
I wasn't going to post my efforts, as I'm sure to experience some blow back. However, I'm bored and I have a few pics, so why not.

The 'zero void' plywood subrail extensions have been glued on and I'm in the process of trimming them down to match the subrail profile. I had a flush cut saw somewhere but ended up buying another via Amazon for ~$25.
View attachment 620307View attachment 620309View attachment 620310

Edit: Just as a note to those who stumble passed this looking for insight.

In my specific case, my rails are milled out of a single piece of oak. Because of this, the original face that the extensions are fastened to were not flat at all. All faces were conditioned on some level to flatten them out so there wouldn't be voids filled with glue.

I need to come up with a more efficient way to clear out the feather strip groove. However I'll hopefully get to a point this weekend that I can glue on the new rubber :)
Click to expand...
Just letting you know, you're going to have a hell of a time tucking your pocket liner in behind those extentions.
 
The_JV said:
I wasn't going to post my efforts, as I'm sure to experience some blow back. However, I'm bored and I have a few pics, so why not.

The 'zero void' plywood subrail extensions have been glued on and I'm in the process of trimming them down to match the subrail profile. I had a flush cut saw somewhere but ended up buying another via Amazon for ~$25.
View attachment 620307View attachment 620309View attachment 620310

Edit: Just as a note to those who stumble passed this looking for insight.

In my specific case, my rails are milled out of a single piece of oak. Because of this, the original face that the extensions are fastened to were not flat at all. All faces were conditioned on some level to flatten them out so there wouldn't be voids filled with glue.

I need to come up with a more efficient way to clear out the feather strip groove. However I'll hopefully get to a point this weekend that I can glue on the new rubber :)
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Good work! I love it!

TFT
 
realkingcobra said:
Just letting you know, you're going to have a hell of a time tucking your pocket liner in behind those extentions.
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realkingcobra said:
No need to pre-fit, just understand the extentions can't go past the back of the featherstrip dado.
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The truly professional examples I have seen of this process follow the practice you're suggesting. My reasoning for not following those examples to the best of my abilities is merely because I'm honestly flying by the seat of my pants on this project. Figured it would be infinitely easier to remove access material once my miters have been cut, then finding myself needing more for whatever reason. Why would I possibly need more..?.., no clue. Again, flying by the seat of my pants...lol

This is a glowing example of where a real professional already knows and saves time/effort by doing only what he needs to. The unnecessary material I've used will be removed by sacrificing time/effort. Which isn't an annoyance for me, as it alows me to sleep knowing I won't have to scramble for a solution at a later date.

Thank you for chiming in.
 
The_JV said:
The truly professional examples I have seen of this process follow the practice you're suggesting. My reasoning for not following those examples to the best of my abilities is merely because I'm honestly flying by the seat of my pants on this project. Figured it would be infinitely easier to remove access material once my miters have been cut, then finding myself needing more for whatever reason. Why would I possibly need more..?.., no clue. Again, flying by the seat of my pants...lol

This is a glowing example of where a real professional already knows and saves time/effort by doing only what he needs to. The unnecessary material I've used will be removed by sacrificing time/effort. Which isn't an annoyance for me, as it alows me to sleep knowing I won't have to scramble for a solution at a later date.

Thank you for chiming in.
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Ok
 
The_JV said:
I need to come up with a more efficient way to clear out the feather strip groove. However I'll hopefully get to a point this weekend that I can glue on the new rubber
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The weekend is over and although I wasn't allowed in my basement for a good portion of it, I did manage to finish up clearing up the feather strip grooves in the extension pieces, and glue the new rubber on.

I ended up just using the flush cut saw again to cut the feather strip groove edges. Then rough cleared it with a chisel, and finished with sandpaper wrapped around a file.

Note to those taking notes. Keep in mind where/how you staple/brad nail those extensions while gluing up. In a couple of cases I ended up having to use a metal file to knock down brad nail shanks that ended up being in the new feather strip grooves.
Grooved.jpg
RubberDone.jpg
RailGlued.jpg
 
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realkingcobra said:
Slooooow cushions, but that's ok, you're all about trial and error, i get it😉
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Honestly, in this particular case, I just accepted the opinion of some more versed in such matters without digging into it. Not table mechanics mind you, but supply vendors that stated it was what I should be using on this specific table.

So there was no hidden personal reasoning behind the Tour Edition purchase. Simply what I was told to buy.

That said, I don't enjoy pinball machine like tables, and I don't make a habit of playing banks, so maybe slower cushions won't be such a concern for me...? Won't know till I try I suppose. I do know I could stretch some rubber bands across my rails and get more action then what I was experiencing with my old dead ones....lol

If it ends up being too slow for my liking then the worst case is I end up redo'ing the rails again at some point. I did get a great price on the Tour Edition cushions so the pain will be in time lost not so much $$.
 
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