Sanded Slate

adra said:

Hi, I bought a table last year and just recently started looking at setting it up. Bondo was used at the seams I have cleaned them up and laid them out on the frame.

I was careful not to sand the slate, I carefully scraped the excess bondo and lightly sanded with 220grit. However it looks like at some point in the past someone did sand the slate from the edges at the seams and out at least 3-4 inches in some spots. The slate grind marks are gone or cant be felt in those areas, where in the middle they are still there. Laying a 4 ft level from seam to seam across the middle piece you can see daylight under the level on one end and the level rocks very slightly. The gap is a playing card thick at the edge maybe a touch more.

So, I didnt pay a lot for this table, and it needs new pockets and cloth, rubber, and I dont want to spend the money on something that will be half assed no matter what. As a fix I could only imagine filling the low spots with bondo, as maybe they previously were, but with hard breaks and a bouncing cue ball I have no idea if that would hold up. So I've just about decided to tear it down and move on but thought I would ask if there is any sense in trying to save it.

Al

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Are you sure that the slate has ever been leveled? I'm not talking the feet, but the slate to the bed. Leveling slate isn't terribly difficult if you have a machinist level ($150+ used) and a lot of patience. There's videos on youtube on how to do it, and how to seal the seams. A carpenter level has no real use in setting up a table, other than something to sit the machinist level on top of for rough leveling of the sub frame. I'd be highly suspect if the slate itself has dips or isn't level itself. If you've moved the table, the correct procedure is to take it down to the frame, level the frame first. Find the highest leg and have that one on bare concrete. Bring all the other legs up to level with leveling pads or screw the legs if they have adjustments on them. Next you place and level the slate. You need a machinist level because this isn't really something you want to eyeball. Get the slate level and flush to each other with wooden shims. Once the slate is dead nuts level and each piece is a flush, you can start on the seams. Next comes cloth and attaching the rails.

I'm going to assume from your description that the slate hasn't been leveled, but you can't really skip this step. If you're not super handy and patient, it might be worthwhile to talk to a local installer, or see if any on the forum here are in your area. I'd say any decent installer can look at the table and tell you if something is seriously wrong with it, but from your description I'm guessing the slate hasn't been leveled and shimmed.

You might be amazed at the effect of shim placement. Try placing your shims on the low sides of the slate screws. It may take care of your issues. However, it could make other areas worse.

Sometimes, we're chasing our tails. Experience tells us what is acceptable, and what is not.