How "risky" is it to move an already disassembled pool table without a professional?

NYCnoob99 said:

Not talking about disassembling (would have pro). Not talking about assembling (would have pro).

Literally pick up disassembled table, put into a U Haul, drive 2 hours, unload into home, and then have a pro come by and install it. No stairs.

Is this a bad idea? Is it really that hard to be careful with slate? Etc.

It would save me hundreds of dollars.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Welcome, you came to the right place

I did exactly that with my 9' Dufferin Challenger table some years back ... the drive was even close to 2 hours :thumbup:. I just made sure that the slates were laid flat on no bumps or ridges, and there was some cushioning between the slates (I used some old cloths I got from the pool hall). It worked for me.

Hope other chime in with good advice.

Dave

You can do it
I've done it, and disassemble without any knowledge on tables

I’ve dissembled and moved tables...sometimes hundreds of miles...just common sense.
....I wouldn’t dare set one up though.....have everything waiting in your house for the mechanic.
....have the slate standing up...leaning against a wall.

I drove a cargo van from Dallas to Lubbock to pick up an Anniversary (it was really cheap but needed a lot of work). Placed the slates in the rear with moving blankets between them. Placed the wood on top. No problems.

BTW, Enterprise car rental used to have the best deals for the van. $20 per day unlimited mileage. Much cheaper than U-Haul.

Stand up or be very sure they are on a flat surface

Anything fragile like the slate I like to stand up. Notice how glass is hauled up and down the highway. I would knock together a two by four frame. A little padding or not. Use whitewood for the frame and throw the scrap under the slate where the frame ain't.

As everyone is saying, it isn't that big a deal to just move a table. Make sure you have adequate muscle on hand, and a little more! The biggest danger of damage comes from somebody trying to handle more weigh than they are capable of.

It should be noted that there is probably more danger of hurting people than the table. Back injuries, and slate makes a great finger nipper. A mechanic made a mistake at a pool hall I go to and lost the whole last joint of his finger.

Hu

NYCnoob99 said:

Not talking about disassembling (would have pro). Not talking about assembling (would have pro).

Literally pick up disassembled table, put into a U Haul, drive 2 hours, unload into home, and then have a pro come by and install it. No stairs.

Is this a bad idea? Is it really that hard to be careful with slate? Etc.

It would save me hundreds of dollars.

Thanks

Click to expand...

No, not risky, as long as you have enough manpower to comfortably pick up and carry the slates. Slates can be laid flat down and stacked on each piece - all three facing up. Some might put shipping blankets under the first piece, and between each piece, but not really necessary as long as you are sliding wood on slate and don’t have any exposed staples in the bottom of the wood that will gouge the top of the piece of slate under it while sliding the piece out or in.

Just try to avoid any big pot holes as well as securing the slates well enough so they don’t shift side to side or up and back rounding curves or fast starts/stops. Of course common sense when loading up the rails, aprons, legs and cabinet, so as not to scrape up the finished surfaces against each other or against anything else.

It might be nice to be the person to disassemble the table so you know you have all the parts. Also, I would mark each part, rails and slate, so you can get everything back together smoothly.
Unless this is a very expensive table it’s worth the risk to save some money.

I would go for it...
The crucial times are accounted for with the pro’s, so the beast of burden part is open for you...

The real benefit to hiring a true professional to move a disassembled table from one place to another is insurance against breaking something during the move. If you dropped a piece of slate and broke it, then you have to pay for a new piece of slate. If a pro broke it, their insurance would cover the cost of replacement assuming they are licensed and bonded.

Run by Home Depot and pick up a 2” thick 4x8 sheet of insulation foam...run you about $30.