How to know if you got a quality install?

[spoons]

For context, I'm not a mechanic. I'm a better than average player, and a reasonably effective DIY-er. For someone like me, how do I know that my installer did quality work? What types of things should I check?

We recently bought a new Diamond Pro-Am from a local dealer. The question comes from how the table plays. The rails play slow overall, and at the pocket facings, the ball almost completely dies. It just doesn't play like a Diamond. I've played on many over the years and I've played on tables with new cloth. I have a decent idea what I expect.

Secondary concerns are the amount of debris that we're finding in the ball return. Maybe my expectations aren't reasonable, but it seems like a quick hit with a vacuum before dropping the slate on top would have been part of the job.

What would you suggest, short of disassembling the table and somehow voiding warranties on the installation?

 

[boogieman]

If the rails play dead or funny, make sure the rail bolts are torqued to 15 foot pounds. This is something you can do yourself but you may have to buy a torque wrench. You can get some ok ones at harbor freight for around $20. Note this won't be the best torque wrench out there but it will work for what you need it to do.

Check the torque about once a month, often on new installations it will take quite a while for them to normalize, they will loosen or settle in through seasonal changes and you have to check them.

I bought a brand new one and they didn't clean the ball returns either. A new set of balls picked up dust from a gravel road from day one. I was seriously disappointed with the work they did. They didn't flush the seams before waxing, causing a bad roll off and they also didn't even touch the slate levelers. Hack work. I ended up buying new cloth and re-doing the install a month in because I couldn't stand it. I had to seam the slates and level them myself with the help of Glen (RKC) talking me through the leveling on the phone.

I'll be honest, I would rather have had them just drop it in the basement and go about the install myself. I didn't even call to complain, I didn't want them anywhere near my table after the hack job they did before. I would rather eat the cost and just do it right myself.

I honestly should have called Diamond to complain but I don't need the drama of potentially getting blackballed from future purchases since the ones who messed it up are the only distributor in my area.

Your table may be fine, but sorry to say, using an authorized dealer/installer means next to nothing. There's good work and hack work even in the official distributors.

 

[AtwoZ]

I just got a new 7’ pro am 3 piece slate. They did a good job with leveling the slate and stretching the cloth. But the ball return looked like it was in a barn for years. I spent a few hours cleaning the return out with a “mop” I made out of and old shaft and wash rags. Also the amount of residual buffing compound in all of the corners was disappointing.

 

[spoons]

If the rails play dead or funny, make sure the rail bolts are torqued to 15 foot pounds. This is something you can do yourself but you may have to buy a torque wrench. You can get some ok ones at harbor freight for around $20. Note this won't be the best torque wrench out there but it will work for what you need it to do.

Check the torque about once a month, often on new installations it will take quite a while for them to normalize, they will loosen or settle in through seasonal changes and you have to check them.

I bought a brand new one and they didn't clean the ball returns either. A new set of balls picked up dust from a gravel road from day one. I was seriously disappointed with the work they did. They didn't flush the seams before waxing, causing a bad roll off and they also didn't even touch the slate levelers. Hack work. I ended up buying new cloth and re-doing the install a month in because I couldn't stand it. I had to seam the slates and level them myself with the help of Glen (RKC) talking me through the leveling on the phone.

I'll be honest, I would rather have had them just drop it in the basement and go about the install myself. I didn't even call to complain, I didn't want them anywhere near my table after the hack job they did before. I would rather eat the cost and just do it right myself.

I honestly should have called Diamond to complain but I don't need the drama of potentially getting blackballed from future purchases since the ones who messed it up are the only distributor in my area.

Your table may be fine, but sorry to say, using an authorized dealer/installer means next to nothing. There's good work and hack work even in the official distributors.

Thanks for this! I actually did grab one of those torque wrenches today and tightened the bolts. ALL of them were under 5 ft lbs. After tightening, the rails play much more responsive. Still a little funny, but need more time to tell whether it’s the new cloth or the rails themselves.

Now I’m wondering what else should I check?

 

[gazman100]

If the rails play dead or funny, make sure the rail bolts are torqued to 15 foot pounds. This is something you can do yourself but you may have to buy a torque wrench. You can get some ok ones at harbor freight for around $20. Note this won't be the best torque wrench out there but it will work for what you need it to do.

Check the torque about once a month, often on new installations it will take quite a while for them to normalize, they will loosen or settle in through seasonal changes and you have to check them.

I bought a brand new one and they didn't clean the ball returns either. A new set of balls picked up dust from a gravel road from day one. I was seriously disappointed with the work they did. They didn't flush the seams before waxing, causing a bad roll off and they also didn't even touch the slate levelers. Hack work. I ended up buying new cloth and re-doing the install a month in because I couldn't stand it. I had to seam the slates and level them myself with the help of Glen (RKC) talking me through the leveling on the phone.

I'll be honest, I would rather have had them just drop it in the basement and go about the install myself. I didn't even call to complain, I didn't want them anywhere near my table after the hack job they did before. I would rather eat the cost and just do it right myself.

I honestly should have called Diamond to complain but I don't need the drama of potentially getting blackballed from future purchases since the ones who messed it up are the only distributor in my area.

Your table may be fine, but sorry to say, using an authorized dealer/installer means next to nothing. There's good work and hack work even in the official distributors.

Totally disgusting job by the so called installers.