Best way to test if your table is level or not?

skins

Likes to draw
Silver Member
If you dont have access to a good long level and or machinists level, slow roll a ball down the length of the table a couple inches off each rail from each side of the table. Then do the same thing bottom left corner to upper right, bottom right to upper left and then same from the other side of the table. You can at least get a good idea if your table is close.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just slow roll balls all over the table in several directions. You will see immediately and with no special tools if there is a problem.
 

Geosnooker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a couple of lesser levels I picked up at a thrift store for 2 or 3 dollars each. They are dead accurate across the surface of a table. Some toy games use laser lights and, again, often available at thrift stores.

Note. The eye can be deceiving. The shadows, rails, background features can make level hard to judge. And, of course, balks rolling fall away depending on momentum.


The lights are also fun to set up for hitting angles, bank shots, etc. on a table. I like to shoot swerves on my snooker table and a fun challenge to see how much of the cueball ball can bend off the straight line of the light on the cloth.
 

slach

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Get a flat piece of glass about 1'x1'. Lay it on various parts of your table, put a ball on the middle of the glass and see which way the ball rolls off.
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I drop a ball from a low height so that just the edge of it clips the rail. That sends it rolling straight and you can then tell if it rolls off. I try it from each rail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
What is the best way to test if your table is level or not?

Once you determine if there is a sag or level issue, determining what caused it is another problem.

There are two things involved 1) if the pieces of slate are each perfectly flat and level to each other to form a flat plane. 2) If the table itself is level.

Problem 2 is easy to fix with shims or leg adjustments. Problem 1 requires a lot of skill and knowledge or hiring a pool table mechanic.
 
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Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
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What is the best way to test if your table is level or not?
No table is level. Some tables are level enough. Do balls roll off more than you feel is reasonable? If not, your table is fine.

If you want to fix your table, that's a different problem.

When Diamond installs multiple tables at tournaments, they use 18 short levels simultaneously. There are about 20 screw-driven wedges under the slate. They turns the screws until all the levels are happy. It takes about 20 minutes.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No table is level. Some tables are level enough. Do balls roll off more than you feel is reasonable? If not, your table is fine.

If you want to fix your table, that's a different problem.

When Diamond installs multiple tables at tournaments, they use 18 short levels simultaneously. There are about 20 screw-driven wedges under the slate. They turns the screws until all the levels are happy. It takes about 20 minutes.
Very interesting - I’d love to see a video of that. Are they using 12-inch Starret machinist levels or something similar I assume? Thanks
 

Bob Jewett

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He does the video with a single 12-inch level. It goes a lot faster when he has a level sitting on each of the lines.

I suppose he shows the 1-level method so as not to scare off the typical viewer. If you have to level a bunch of tables quickly more equipment helps. The reason that Diamond got the table contract for the US Open 9-Ball (Matchroom in Las Vegas) is that they are the only company that can install and level 32 tables in the time the casino lets them have the room. The one-piece slate and the leveling system are the keys to that.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
He does the video with a single 12-inch level. It goes a lot faster when he has a level sitting on each of the lines.

I suppose he shows the 1-level method so as not to scare off the typical viewer. If you have to level a bunch of tables quickly more equipment helps. The reason that Diamond got the table contract for the US Open 9-Ball (Matchroom in Las Vegas) is that they are the only company that can install and level 32 tables in the time the casino lets them have the room. The one-piece slate and the leveling system are the keys to that.
IIRC they level prior to shipping. Getting them re-leveled at the venue goes pretty quik. They set 'em up at DCC pretty darn quick.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I drop a ball from a low height so that just the edge of it clips the rail. That sends it rolling straight and you can then tell if it rolls off. I try it from each rail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

This is a great technique for checking the table roll.
 
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