Gold Crown I - Cover Slate Bolt Holes?

mattman · Apr 27, 2020

Hello, I have owned a Gold Crown I for nearly 20 years. In the past, when I covered my own table, I always filled the bolt holes. It has been disassembled for the last 5+ year and I have an outfit finally coming out to cover it this week. Guy says there is no need to cover the bolt holes. I ask what will happen if I slam a ball into the cushion where the bolt hole is located. He said no worries, they set back far enough.

What would you do, put on a couple of rails before they cover the table, and push a ball into the rail to see if it's true or just insists that they cover the holes? The guy might be right, but my gut tells me that every table is different.

(I am sure this has been discussed before, but I searched and couldn't find anything)

What do you think?

fastone371 · Apr 28, 2020

mattman said:
Hello, I have owned a Gold Crown I for nearly 20 years. In the past, when I covered my own table, I always filled the bolt holes. It has been disassembled for the last 5+ year and I have an outfit finally coming out to cover it this week. Guy says there is no need to cover the bolt holes. I ask what will happen if I slam a ball into the cushion where the bolt hole is located. He said no worries, they set back far enough.

What would you do, put on a couple of rails before they cover the table, and push a ball into the rail to see if it's true or just insists that they cover the holes? The guy might be right, but my gut tells me that every table is different.

(I am sure this has been discussed before, but I searched and couldn't find anything)

What do you think?

I also have a GCI, I did not fill the slate holes under the cushion that run parallel with the rail. Cloth has been on 5 or 6 years so far, in fact its due for new cloth and I have had no problems.

pocket · Apr 28, 2020

fastone371 said:
I also have a GCI, I did not fill the slate holes under the cushion that run parallel with the rail. Cloth has been on 5 or 6 years so far, in fact its due for new cloth and I have had no problems.

Just had mine setup, the mechanic did not fill them.

PoolTable911 · Apr 28, 2020

mattman said:
Hello, I have owned a Gold Crown I for nearly 20 years. In the past, when I covered my own table, I always filled the bolt holes. It has been disassembled for the last 5+ year and I have an outfit finally coming out to cover it this week. Guy says there is no need to cover the bolt holes. I ask what will happen if I slam a ball into the cushion where the bolt hole is located. He said no worries, they set back far enough.

What would you do, put on a couple of rails before they cover the table, and push a ball into the rail to see if it's true or just insists that they cover the holes? The guy might be right, but my gut tells me that every table is different.

(I am sure this has been discussed before, but I searched and couldn't find anything)

What do you think?

They do not need to be filled.

Lawnboy77 · Apr 28, 2020

I have never heard of anyone filling those holes. Those holes would never come into play unless a crazy amount of the subrail was cut off by some hack, and maybe the wrong profile cushion installed, and in that case the fix would not be filling those holes, that deficiency would necessitate a subrail overhaul/recalibration. I almost had this exact same scenario on my Anniversary before I had the original rails overhauled by Jack Zimmerman. Somewhere in it's lifespan someone recut the subrail bevel to accommodate the new K-55 rubber, but later on I suppose someone else made the mistake of putting K-66 profile on them, which further reduced the depth of the subrail. Another good reason that simply recutting subrail bevel angles is not a good idea, not to mention what it does to other aspects of the table, like pocket shelves and playfield specs.

mattman · May 1, 2020

Thanks for all the help guys. I feel a little at ease now.

jviss · Dec 27, 2020

Lawnboy77 said:
I have never heard of anyone filling those holes.

From the GC I Service Manual (assembly manual):

"With the table completely level, fill all slate cracks, chips and screw holes with the fast setting plaster of paris material furnished with each shipment. When dry, sand smooth and thoroughly clean slate with bench or dust cloth."

rexus31 · Dec 27, 2020

jviss said:
From the GC I Service Manual (assembly manual):

"With the table completely level, fill all slate cracks, chips and screw holes with the fast setting plaster of paris material furnished with each shipment. When dry, sand smooth and thoroughly clean slate with bench or dust cloth."

Deviations from factory instructions do not mean it is an incorrect practice. The slate screw holes do not come into play therefore, there is no need to fill them. Mine are not filled and it hasn't been an issue at all.

Lawnboy77 · Dec 27, 2020

jviss said:
From the GC I Service Manual (assembly manual):

"With the table completely level, fill all slate cracks, chips and screw holes with the fast setting plaster of paris material furnished with each shipment. When dry, sand smooth and thoroughly clean slate with bench or dust cloth."

I still say it’s a waste of time. If it’s the slate screws that under the rails they are not in play. Obviously if there are screws out in the field of play then you would want to fill those, but to my knowledge Brunswick never did that.

jviss · Dec 27, 2020

Mine aren't filled, either, and it doesn't seem to matter. I was just supplying some info.

trentfromtoledo · Dec 27, 2020

annnnndd PLASTER OF PARIS SHOULD NOT BE USED ANYWHERE ON A POOL TABLE> Yup.

TFT

p.s. this guy crawled out from under a rock to say something....

jviss · Dec 27, 2020

trentfromtoledo said:
annnnndd PLASTER OF PARIS SHOULD NOT BE USED ANYWHERE ON A POOL TABLE> Yup.

TFT

p.s. this guy crawled out from under a rock to say something....

Trent, there's no reason to make a disparaging comment about me for just replying to a thread.

chefjeff · Dec 27, 2020

I've got rips in all the holes on my Olhausen that weren't filled.

One of 'em came from my finger when I made a bridge!

Jeff Livingston

jviss · Dec 27, 2020

I don't see anything wrong with using plaster of paris or water putty or beeswax on table slates. I think Bondo is a mistake, though I've heard folks promote it. Why would plaster of paris be bad? Brunswick recommended it and used it for years. I'd like to hear cogent arguments against it.

Type79 · Dec 27, 2020

When my Gold Crown was professionally installed this past spring, the holes were filled with beeswax.

trentfromtoledo · Dec 27, 2020

jviss said:
I don't see anything wrong with using plaster of paris or water putty or beeswax on table slates. I think Bondo is a mistake, though I've heard folks promote it. Why would plaster of paris be bad? Brunswick recommended it and used it for years. I'd like to hear cogent arguments against it.

Again, you are not a mechanic and have no real basis for any type of your own opinion in here. Having said that, I feel basically that you just want to hear people ARGUE.... Here is the answer: because over time it dries out to the point where it chips out and then there are "crumbs" under the cloth... Now move on... Nothing here for you to argue or to comment any further on. You spread misinformation by suggesting what you think matters.

TFT

jviss · Dec 28, 2020

Trent, it is possible to communicate your views and expertise without being rude and arrogant. In fact, folks would be more willing to listen, and to take you seriously.

garczar · Dec 28, 2020

trentfromtoledo said:
Again, you are not a mechanic and have no real basis for any type of your own opinion in here. Having said that, I feel basically that you just want to hear people ARGUE.... Here is the answer: because over time it dries out to the point where it chips out and then there are "crumbs" under the cloth... Now move on... Nothing here for you to argue or to comment any further on. You spread misinformation by suggesting what you think matters.

TFT

In 40yrs of playing and seeing tables worked on i've yet to see ONE person use plast-of-paris anywhere on the table. Never seen rail bolt holes filled either. Grew up on GC's and those holes are out-of-play anyway.

jviss · Jan 3, 2021

garczar said:
Never seen rail bolt holes filled either.

The holes he's talking about here aren't rail bolt holes, they are the holes in the slate for the wood screws attaching it to the frame. On my GC I they are, indeed, out of play, but you can feel them, and I suppose in some cases one might notice them, but I would only think rarely.
What brought me back to this thread, though, is this:

Funny, on one billiard supply site it's $3 for an 8 oz. package; on Amazon, same size, $16!

Anyone ever hear of this, or use it?

Gold Crown I - Cover Slate Bolt Holes?

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