Biggest mistakes made when reclothing a table

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ktrepal85

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I'm psyching myself up to recloth my table for the first time with Simonis and I'd like your feedback as to problems you've ran into and mistakes that you have made that I could learn from.

Background: I'm reclothing a 7' valley bar box. I'm buying the rails precovered so they are done. I just need to put the Simonis on the slate. I plan on using spray adhesive and following the instructions shown on the Simonis Installation DVD.

READY...GO!
 
ktrepal85 said:
I'm psyching myself up to recloth my table for the first time with Simonis and I'd like your feedback as to problems you've ran into and mistakes that you have made that I could learn from.

Background: I'm reclothing a 7' valley bar box. I'm buying the rails precovered so they are done. I just need to put the Simonis on the slate. I plan on using spray adhesive and following the instructions shown on the Simonis Installation DVD.

READY...GO!
Click to expand...

Just my .02 but why not practice with a cheap cloth to get a feel. Hey good luck and have fun...I might try it sometime.
 
I haven't done it...but people say the most frequent mistake with newbie Simonis installs is installing the cloth upside-down. People feel the "nap" and figure that must be the topside.
 
Come on people!

Install cheap cloth first?? What a waste of time and money. I'd rather just hire a table mechanic if I was that worried about screwing it up.

Installing the cloth upside down? That seems pretty amateur as well. If that's the hardest part then this will be a breeze...
 
The name Simonis is on the top edge of the cloth unless it was trimmed off.
Simonis seems to stretch more end to end than side to side. Stretch it tight.
.
 
ktrepal85 said:
I'm psyching myself up to recloth my table for the first time with Simonis and I'd like your feedback as to problems you've ran into and mistakes that you have made that I could learn from.

Background: I'm reclothing a 7' valley bar box. I'm buying the rails precovered so they are done. I just need to put the Simonis on the slate. I plan on using spray adhesive and following the instructions shown on the Simonis Installation DVD.

READY...GO!
Click to expand...
I have covered hundreds of tables from being in the pool room business and stretching the cloth correctly is important. There is a pattern to stretching it to have it come out without wrinkles and have the thread lines run nice and straight. I have it written down somewhere but I think you may find it on line somewhere.
 
The other biggest mistake(s) is:

Not stretching the cloth enough, or not stretching it evenly.

Messing up the pocket cuts (not unique to Simonis; you can mess up the pocket cuts of any cloth).
 
Starting from the outside in.

I've always been told to work the middle and go out.
 
I once bought a used table that literally had " felt" glued to the bed:angry:
Not along the edge , but every inch of the bed. Took 10 hrs to remove that.

You follow video you will be fine. Be carefull not to get adhesive where
you dont want it!
 
Simonis plays fast, but only if its properly stretched. A couple of years ago, a defunct poolhall tried to attract the players crowd by upgrading to Simonis. Their hired table mechanics were not used to Simonis. So, the owner ended up paying for Simonis but the tables were as slow as before.
 
The worst mistake I have made was in 1998 I somehow forgot to remove a seven ball that was used to level the slate. Yes I stretched the bed cloth over it.....that table never played correctly after that.
 
I think the Simonis web site has cloth installation diagrams. Secure it on one
side and stetch toward the other. Measure and mark how much cloth you pull.
.
 
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"The worst mistake I have made was in 1998 I somehow forgot to remove a seven ball that was used to level the slate. Yes I stretched the bed cloth over it.....that table never played correctly after that."

Hahaha, don't you just hate when that happens...
 
ktrepal85 said:
I'm psyching myself up to recloth my table for the first time with Simonis and I'd like your feedback as to problems you've ran into and mistakes that you have made that I could learn from.

Background: I'm reclothing a 7' valley bar box. I'm buying the rails precovered so they are done. I just need to put the Simonis on the slate. I plan on using spray adhesive and following the instructions shown on the Simonis Installation DVD.

READY...GO!
Click to expand...

Glad you posted this.
I just moved our table from the rec room above the garage into the house.
We play on some diamond tables during league so we chose to cloth our 7' united barbox in simonis as well. We needed new rails so like you- I opted to have a local company recover them as well but plan to do the slate myself.
I recovered a 4x8 once when I was about 14. It was pretty easy as the slate bolted to the frame and the rails are completly removed which helped out while stretching it.
Whats the best way to support a slate that lifts out on barbox tables (valley, united, dynamo) while stretching the cloth?
I watched the diamond youtube video but their tables come completely apart.
 
I have not done Simonis yet, but I was told by someone that has done many one of the tricks with that cloth is to wet it before putting it on the slate as it will shrink and tighten up.

From the website: http://www.simoniscloth.com/installation/installation-information
Note for Glue-Down Installations
When installing Simonis cloth, be sure to put the SMOOTH SIDE UP. The smooth side also has printing on the edge with the grade, i.e. SIMONIS 860. This is the playing surface of the cloth. (The back of the cloth is not sheared as fine and appears slightly fuzzy...DO NOT install the fuzzy side up)

Simonis cloth can be glued, but only with certain adhesives. Most spray adhesives, WILL NOT hold the cloth in a edge-glue application.

We recommend 3M Fast-Bond10™ for edge-glue glue-down installations. Currently, we are not aware of any other adhesives that will give proper adhesion for a straight edge-glue install.
 
knuckleduster said:
Whats the best way to support a slate that lifts out on barbox tables (valley, united, dynamo) while stretching the cloth?
Click to expand...

I have redone numerous valley boxes and I typically just put the slate across the table on 2x4's with a cover over the rest of the table so overspray (when doing standard cloth) doesnt get on the table or I will use saw horses with 2x4's between them.

The 2nd method gives more work room and being I am anal and fully clean the clue from previous installs it makes it much easier.
 
cuebuddy said:
the worst mistake i have made was in 1998 i somehow forgot to remove a seven ball that was used to level the slate. Yes i stretched the bed cloth over it.....that table never played correctly after that.
Click to expand...
what?! What?! What?!!!!!!!!!
 
Skippy27 said:
I have not done Simonis yet, but I was told by someone that has done many one of the tricks with that cloth is to wet it before putting it on the slate as it will shrink and tighten up.
Click to expand...

I have three answers in response to your above statement.. No... No.. and NO!
Actually if you can soak the cloth so it's wet enough no f...ing glue will stick to it.

As far as the shrink goes, your someone buddy with many tricks should see one.
.
 
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