I'm looking at an older (90's) Peter Vilalie (Sterling) table, 9' long with 1" slate, it's solid ash with leather drop pockets. Opinions?
Peter Vitalie
- Thread starter Menelaus10
- Start date
I've installed a number of these tables.
The short list I would check goes like this.
1. Is the body/frame square? Almost all of their 9' tables weren't pre-assembled from the factory so you may have to loosen the bolts and adjust the frame to square it up. If it does happen to be a pre-assembled body then make sure it wasn't bonded at the factory. Because you can't disassemble the frame at that point. Its rare but worth checking.
2. Flip the rails over and check the threaded insert for the rail bolts. Not only was it common to see these stripped but the entire threaded insert could be loose or ripped from the rail.
2A. Check the top of the rail directly above those inserts as well. I've seen over tightening crack the top part of the rail as well.
3. Check all the holes where the pockets were attached. Notorious weak spot where the installer would over tighten the bolt which holds the pocket causing the rail to crack between the end of the rail and the bolt hole. Not the end of the world but you want the next installer to know about it prior to assembly.
4. Check the rubber for dead spots. Might be a good time to just replace the rubber. It was common to see the rubber poorly bonded to the rail from the factory.
The short list I would check goes like this.
1. Is the body/frame square? Almost all of their 9' tables weren't pre-assembled from the factory so you may have to loosen the bolts and adjust the frame to square it up. If it does happen to be a pre-assembled body then make sure it wasn't bonded at the factory. Because you can't disassemble the frame at that point. Its rare but worth checking.
2. Flip the rails over and check the threaded insert for the rail bolts. Not only was it common to see these stripped but the entire threaded insert could be loose or ripped from the rail.
2A. Check the top of the rail directly above those inserts as well. I've seen over tightening crack the top part of the rail as well.
3. Check all the holes where the pockets were attached. Notorious weak spot where the installer would over tighten the bolt which holds the pocket causing the rail to crack between the end of the rail and the bolt hole. Not the end of the world but you want the next installer to know about it prior to assembly.
4. Check the rubber for dead spots. Might be a good time to just replace the rubber. It was common to see the rubber poorly bonded to the rail from the factory.