A word to the wise.

[realkingcobra]

Just thought I'd take a second to mention that I feel at some point down the not to distant road, Diamond is going to take my advice and stop producing tables with slates that require wood backing in order to install the bed cloths. When this happens I think everyone is going to see other manufactures follow in Diamonds foot steps. I've said it for a long time, when manufactures back the slates with particle board or mdf, they may be cutting corners and costs today, but SOMEONE is going to PAY for that little costs cutting corner somewhere down the road!!!! I'm almost done with my pictorial and written directions for installing the bed cloths with my gluing system, so they'll be available shortly, backed up with the DVD showing the same process, I'm advising everyone to pay attention and learn it as soon as you can, because it may not be soon enough for the future if you wait to long

Glen, the "Realkingcobra"

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Educate me.

Why is a backer behind the slate not the best setup?

 

[macaframa]

me want to know

 

[realkingcobra]

Diamond as well as just about all other table manufactures have turned away from using real wood because it's quit a bit more costly than using particle board or MDF, especially if you add in the fall down waste. Particle board and MDF is more consistent in thickness then real wood as well, and requires no thickness sizing with a planer. BUT, MDF and particle board fall apart when it's stapled end grain, such as into the thickness of the material when it's used as a backer on slates. Then, when leather drop pockets are stapled or screwed into the surface of the wood under the slates, then pulled out and put back in over and over, the wood falls apart as well. Brunswick, Olhausen, Diamond and just about everyone else has followed suit to make the same changes to the backing of the slates for installing the bed cloths. It really don't matter with the older GC's either, sooner or later the wood backing on them tables as well are going to get chewed out to where they need to be replaced, or they're already that way, or they're already missing chunks of wood to the point that who ever is recovering them, they're spray gluing the cloth to hold it in place where the wood is missing. Spray gluing the cloth with ANY kind of spray glue will NOT hold the cloth as tight as the contact glue I use, in which case I can install the cloth tighter with my glue than anyone can using a staple gun, there's a big difference in that

I'm not blaming anyone in this industry for the switch to particle board or MDF, all I'm saying is it's not right, it only works for a short period of time before it needs to be replaced, and therefore it's wrong...today, when there's a better way to install the bed cloths, AND it's MUCH cheaper and more efficient than what is being done today with backed slate pool tables.

 

[PoolTable911]

Then, when leather drop pockets are stapled or screwed into the surface of the wood under the slates, then pulled out and put back in over and over, the wood falls apart as well.

Hey Glen,
How would you attach the pockets when there is no backing? Will they change the design under where the pockets are so you have something to attach the pockets to? I am patiently waiting to learn your glue technique. (and it's killing me...lol)

 

[mechanic/player]

I was thinking the same thing .Of course they could make something work but I cant see all the manufactuers doing this at their cost to save the customer money later down the road. Maybe Glen can convince Diamond to do this but I doubt Brunswick and Olhausen will follow. Just my opinion.

 

[realkingcobra]

I was thinking the same thing .Of course they could make something work but I cant see all the manufactures doing this at their cost to save the customer money later down the road. Maybe Glen can convince Diamond to do this but I doubt Brunswick and Olhausen will follow. Just my opinion.

Well, to the manufacture, there would be a noticeable cost savings. When it comes to sales, and the sales pitch is non-backed slates are better in the long run because of..... It's the pool rooms that are going to see the short cuts in using particle board or MDF before the home owners do, since they recover their pool tables way more than the home owner does. And when the new rooms opening start having tables installed because of the advantages of gluing the cloth instead of stapling it, that helps decide the sales of the same kind of tables to home owners

 

[realkingcobra]

Hey Glen,
How would you attach the pockets when there is no backing? Will they change the design under where the pockets are so you have something to attach the pockets to? I am patiently waiting to learn your glue technique. (and it's killing me...lol)

I'm not going to show how it's done yet, but in this picture you can see the backing under the corner pocket that the leather pockets are attached to...it's not glued to the slate...that's a hint AND, it's not a fixed part of the table frame either, in other words...it's removable which means replaceable down the road should it need to be replaced with a new piece of plywood to start all over again. This was on a Diamond 8ft ProAm, fitted with a 3 piece 1" slate with no backing.

Glen

 

[scruffy1]

i have used unframed slate on some home leather pocket models. I just made some corner blocks and used the rail bolts to hold them in place.
worked great!:grin-square:

 

[realkingcobra]

i have used unframed slate on some home leather pocket models. I just made some corner blocks and used the rail bolts to hold them in place.
worked great!:grin-square:

Very good scruffy, now that's one that even I didn't think of

Glen