AMF Grand Prix - Center Slate Question

[BasementDweller]

I have an old AMF Grand Prix that has a badly damaged center slate that I repaired to the best of my ability and I have managed to play on it for several years (granted I'm no table mechanic). I always told myself I was going to upgrade to a different table at some point in time but here I am still playing on it.

My question is - do the GC's or the newer AMF Playmasters have the same cut on the center slate? I'm thinking I could possibly get my hands on a replacement center slate and redo this table. Of course, if I can't replace this center slate with one from a GC or something else I can find locally I will just have to live with it a little longer while I search for a new table.

I was just thinking that the pocket cut would possibly be the same on the Gold Crowns at least for the center slate.

Does anybody know off hand?

Thanks.

 

[Club Billiards]

I have an old AMF Grand Prix that has a badly damaged center slate that I repaired to the best of my ability and I have managed to play on it for several years (granted I'm no table mechanic). I always told myself I was going to upgrade to a different table at some point in time but here I am still playing on it.

My question is - do the GC's or the newer AMF Playmasters have the same cut on the center slate? I'm thinking I could possibly get my hands on a replacement center slate and redo this table. Of course, if I can't replace this center slate with one from a GC or something else I can find locally I will just have to live with it a little longer while I search for a new table.

I was just thinking that the pocket cut would possibly be the same on the Gold Crowns at least for the center slate.

Does anybody know off hand?

Thanks.

Do you have any pictures of the damage to the slate?

 

[BasementDweller]

Do you have any pictures of the damage to the slate?

No. My table is currently covered for play.

The slate cracked from one side (near the dowel) all the way over to the other side. I actually bought the table this way thinking I could use it for a while and then replace the slate. Well, that was almost 10 years ago now.

Anyway, I repaired it the best that I could at the time but I didn't get the two pieces perfectly level with each other. The problem is the slate is very thin along the crack. Actually much of the bottom of the slate isn't even there.

I suppose an actual experienced mechanic could have done a much better job. Now that I think about it, maybe I could actually do a much better job myself....Hmmm....not too sure about that.

The table plays okay as it is. Most players wouldn't even notice the crack but that's partially because I set the table up to play quite slow to hide this issue.

Now I really need my table to play faster. My slow table is really killing my game when it comes to adjusting to a more normal speed table.

So now my 3 options are:

1. Redo the repair job.
2. Get a replacement center slate.
3a. Get a different table. Probably a used Gold Crown.
3b. Get another table that's exactly the same. I just saw another AMF-Grand Prix listed for $500. I could buy that and then use the best parts from the two and end up with a decent table.

Anyways, thanks for chiming in.

 

[ROB.M]

Table

U saying your no mechanic, just wondering how you set your table up to play fast or slow?
as for the slate...
Just save your monie$ and get a GC.
-
Just my two hundredths of a dollar' OMO
Rob.M

 

[Black-Balled]

U saying your no mechanic, just wondering how you set your table up to play fast or slow?
as for the slate...
Just save your monie$ and get a GC.
-
Just my two hundredths of a dollar' OMO
Rob.M

set your table up to play fast or slow

Prob by cloth choice...I'd ASSume

 

[BasementDweller]

U saying your no mechanic, just wondering how you set your table up to play fast or slow?
as for the slate...
Just save your monie$ and get a GC.
-
Just my two hundredths of a dollar' OMO
Rob.M

Sorry for the late response I was out of town for a bit there.

I guess after reading here in this forum a bit I realize now that I had a bit of a misconception about what affects table speed.

When I set the table up I didn't stretch the cloth as tight as I could have thinking this would slow it down (which it did). Now I think I realize that even if I pulled the cloth super tight it wouldn't make the table play as fast as the tables I'm comparing it to. Now I realize that my rails are quite slow in comparison to other tables.

I think I'm going to just take your advice and get a Gold Crown.

 

[rexus31]

Just because you get a Gold Crown doesn't mean it will play like the tables you are used to playing on. It may need rail work done too. I would do your research and purchase a table that has already had the rails done properly. If your slate wasn't cracked, I would recommend getting your rails recalibrated and the rubber replaced. The old Grand Prix tables are nice playing tables if set up properly.