Rail cloth install without Dado

SNO · Mar 16, 2015

cammel8 said:
I have used acetone and zip strip before to clean a slate and both have worked. as far as flipping over slate, there are usually groves ground into the playing surface of the slate to help keep the cloth in place. if you have them you will now it and that is your top. You have to use that side.to get the best results. i myself would stop scraping if i where you. if you can't get it off with acetone and scotch brites then you are doing it wrong. It shouldn't take scraping to get it off unless you re being impatient.

As far as super 77 don't use it. I have 5 tables i have to go repair because i used super 77. Apparently they changed the formula and every table i have done with it since, the felt has come loose. I guess they sell the original formula under super 77 classic now but I'm not going to chance it. i will just go get fastbond 10 (scotch weld 10). A friend of mine who also does tables is having the same problems.

ill give acetone a try, but mineral spirits, goof off and 3m adhesive remover didnt really make a difference. i was assuming that both sides would be like the bottom side (the latest pictures) like on a traditional 3 piece slate table where both faces are smooth. If thats the case and I am just scraping the grooves off, would it be best to do the acetone route, and use the origional top side, or just use the bottom side? I ask because i already scraped almost a quarter of the table and I do not want it to affect play. The bottom side seems to be in relatively good condition, aside from the glue on the edges. Ill return the super 77 and use fastbond 10.
Thank you

cammel8 · Mar 17, 2015

SNO said:
ill give acetone a try, but mineral spirits, goof off and 3m adhesive remover didnt really make a difference. i was assuming that both sides would be like the bottom side (the latest pictures) like on a traditional 3 piece slate table where both faces are smooth. If thats the case and I am just scraping the grooves off, would it be best to do the acetone route, and use the origional top side, or just use the bottom side? I ask because i already scraped almost a quarter of the table and I do not want it to affect play. The bottom side seems to be in relatively good condition, aside from the glue on the edges. Ill return the super 77 and use fastbond 10.
Thank you

if you have scraped the groves off then yes ui guess flipping it would technically be better but its not the easiest to remove the grooves so more than likely your fine

SNO · Mar 17, 2015

cammel8 said:
if you have scraped the groves off then yes ui guess flipping it would technically be better but its not the easiest to remove the grooves so more than likely your fine

Thank you. I basically scraped the first quarter till it was smooth under the impression it was just glue. May be hard to tell from these pics I posted earlier but everything light grey is smooth like the bottom of the slate, while the darker part has the texture to it.http://m.imgur.com/a/bQVtR

bradsh98 · Mar 17, 2015

The grooves are a result of the manufacturing process.

The playing surface is ground flat. The grooves are left by the grinding wheel. They serve no technical purpose.

Without seeing your table, in person, I have to guess, like others have said, that someone may have glued the entire playing surface. While it would be nice if you could remove all of the glue residue, it may not be absolutely necessary.. I would suggest that you just take a razor or utility blade, and give a quick scraping of the whole surface (hold the blade almost perpendicular to the surface, and just scrape back and forth). Focus on the high build-up areas, and just knock the top layer off the rest of it. It looks like you may have put some deep gouges in the surface, so you'll want to address those. Keep in mind, if you decide to use beeswax, using the torch may melt that glue residue, and make a big mess.

Watch this video, to help you better understand how slate is processed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zez5kWsKvIo

Keep in mind, not all pool table manufacturers use the same process. I have to guess, not all table manufacturers may put as much care into surfacing the backside of the slate.. I have seen some slate with quite noticeable surface imperfections, on the backside.

Good luck.

SNO · Mar 17, 2015

bradsh98 said:
The grooves are a result of the manufacturing process.

The playing surface is ground flat. The grooves are left by the grinding wheel. They serve no technical purpose.

Without seeing your table, in person, I have to guess, like others have said, that someone may have glued the entire playing surface. While it would be nice if you could remove all of the glue residue, it may not be absolutely necessary.. I would suggest that you just take a razor or utility blade, and give a quick scraping of the whole surface (hold the blade almost perpendicular to the surface, and just scrape back and forth). Focus on the high build-up areas, and just knock the top layer off the rest of it. It looks like you may have put some deep gouges in the surface, so you'll want to address those. Keep in mind, if you decide to use beeswax, using the torch may melt that glue residue, and make a big mess.

Watch this video, to help you better understand how slate is processed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zez5kWsKvIo

Keep in mind, not all pool table manufacturers use the same process. I have to guess, not all table manufacturers may put as much care into surfacing the backside of the slate.. I have seen some slate with quite noticeable surface imperfections, on the backside.

Good luck.

Okay so the grooves arent cut in to help hold the cloth? Basically the "grooves" on the top are like a very tiny grid. Which makes me think it was formed from the backed cloth and glue. If you are talking about the giant arched grooves I can see what you mean. I guess basically it comes down to me evaluating both sides of slate and picking the one that's in better shape. I'll take a look at the video when I get home. Next step is to get all the glue off the edges and vertical part, then I will evaluated my slate faces to determine the most playable side and go from there. You guys have been a tremendous amount of help and knowledge and I appreciate it. I'll no doubt have some more questions as I go but ill be sure to try and do a search to make sure it hasn't been covered before.
Thank you.

ROB.M · Mar 17, 2015

Table

The machine marks are on top, they could of very easily made the top smooth. The grooves do serve a purpose, they hold chalk dust so it won't build up under the cloth. Like little gutters'

Rob.M

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SNO · Mar 18, 2015

dontlitethat said:
The machine marks are on top, they could of very easily made the top smooth. The grooves do serve a purpose, they hold chalk dust so it won't build up under the cloth. Like little gutters'

Rob.M

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I'm a little confused here Rob. Are these grooves specifically made for that purpose, or is it just a side affect of the slate process and it happens to work that way? When I did a 3 piece table the only grooves were giant arched grooves that were from the grinding process I assume. On this little bar box the grooves look like a micro grid, like the backing on the cloth. If the former is the case then I think it's safe to say that my "grid grooves" are just glue and anon print left from the backed cloth

Rail cloth install without Dado

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cammel8

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bradsh98

Bradshaw Billiard Service

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