Levelling Question

S

Steelman

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I have a problem with my custom table. The table seems to be quite level rolling balls slowly down the length of the table on both sides and down the middle. Also rolls straight when rolled diagonally into the pockets. I do this from both ends and all is good. The problem is that when I roll the ball along the short rails at each end, both ends roll toward the middle. Could someone please give me an idea on what needs to be done to correct this. Thanks alot for any help.

Steelman
 
Table

Steelman said:
I have a problem with my custom table. The table seems to be quite level rolling balls slowly down the length of the table on both sides and down the middle. Also rolls straight when rolled diagonally into the pockets. I do this from both ends and all is good. The problem is that when I roll the ball along the short rails at each end, both ends roll toward the middle. Could someone please give me an idea on what needs to be done to correct this. Thanks alot for any help.

Steelman
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Take a strait edge and go under the table and put it where you say it rolls toward the middle. Is there frame warp? Also notice to see if the slate is sitting on shims or the frame? How many shims do you see?
What kind of table is this? Probably a three piece slate?
Thanks, Ron
 
Thanks for the response Ron. It is a 3-piece slate table. There is no frame warpage. As for shims there is 1 business card in the middle on the cross frame where the seam sits on and 2 cards at the other seam in the middle on the other cross frame. Where they are it looks like they were used to bring the slate pieces in line to each other. That is the only shims on the table.

Steelman
 
table

My guess would be that you have crowned slates or that the slates are not screwed down tight. I would make sure that the slate screws are tight and you may be able to apply wooden wedges in the center. If the slates are not glued you may pop the seems. Do you have a machinist level?
Ron
 
Steelman said:
I have a problem with my custom table. The table seems to be quite level rolling balls slowly down the length of the table on both sides and down the middle. Also rolls straight when rolled diagonally into the pockets. I do this from both ends and all is good. The problem is that when I roll the ball along the short rails at each end, both ends roll toward the middle. Could someone please give me an idea on what needs to be done to correct this. Thanks alot for any help.

Steelman
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have a sag in the center. Whoever installed the table most likely just got the seams even and leveled from side to side. The center slate is lower than the outside slates. You will need to have the cloth pulled and the slates releveled.
 
Slates

PoolTable911 said:
Sounds like you have a sag in the center. Whoever installed the table most likely just got the seams even and leveled from side to side. The center slate is lower than the outside slates. You will need to have the cloth pulled and the slates releveled.
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Hey Pat. I have to disagree. In his post he says on the ends. He does not say anything about the center slate. He also says the ends are shimmed. That makes me believe the end slates were brought up to the center slate. Making the center high? It sounds like the two end slates are crowned. I will agree that the slates need to be leveled. I would wait untill it needs to be refelted and then start from scratch.
Ron
 
LCCS said:
Hey Pat. I have to disagree. In his post he says on the ends. He does not say anything about the center slate. He also says the ends are shimmed. That makes me believe the end slates were brought up to the center slate. Making the center high? It sounds like the two end slates are crowned. I will agree that the slates need to be leveled. I would wait untill it needs to be refelted and then start from scratch.
Ron
Click to expand...

Steelman said:
I have a problem with my custom table. The table seems to be quite level rolling balls slowly down the length of the table on both sides and down the middle. Also rolls straight when rolled diagonally into the pockets. I do this from both ends and all is good. The problem is that when I roll the ball along the short rails at each end, both ends roll toward the middle. Could someone please give me an idea on what needs to be done to correct this. Thanks alot for any help.

Steelman
Click to expand...

Ron if the ends are rolling to the middle it must be low in the middle. Unless I am not understanding his problem correctly.:confused:
 
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Sounds like middle is low. When have you seen a center slate high? other than uneven slate thicknesses on cheapo tables that is....
I am sure if you watched the diagonal roll probably isn't dead straight. Doesn't take much.
Rob
 
Slates

Steelman said:
I have a problem with my custom table. The table seems to be quite level rolling balls slowly down the length of the table on both sides and down the middle. Also rolls straight when rolled diagonally into the pockets. I do this from both ends and all is good. The problem is that when I roll the ball along the short rails at each end, both ends roll toward the middle. Could someone please give me an idea on what needs to be done to correct this. Thanks alot for any help.

Steelman
Click to expand...
Are you saying to the center of the table or to the center of the end slates?:confused:
 
I think he's saying when shooting a ball parallel to the head and foot rails the balls roll away from the rail.
 
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Thanks for all the responses. You are correct Mechanic, the ball rolls off the end rails when rolled parallel to the head and foot spot towards the middle of the table.

Steelman
 
Steelman said:
Thanks for all the responses. You are correct Mechanic, the ball rolls off the end rails when rolled parallel to the head and foot spot towards the middle of the table.

Steelman
Click to expand...

Move out to the 1st diamond and see if you get the same drift.
 
slates

Steelman said:
Thanks for all the responses. You are correct Mechanic, the ball rolls off the end rails when rolled parallel to the head and foot spot towards the middle of the table.

Steelman
Click to expand...

Oh ok. Tear the table down and start from scratch. Pat is correct. The slates were not leveled properly. Also use super glue with a wick in between the slates.
Thanks, Ron;)
 
Steelman said:
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I will tear the table down after league is done for the year.

Steelman
Click to expand...

There are plenty of tables out there that show small frame sag, and that can cause what you're talking about. I installed one for a friend of mine a couple of years ago. The table was level when we left. Two weeks later, the balls would roll in a diamond and a half from the end rail because the frame had sagged so much in the middle under the weight of the slate!

I've also seen homeowners try to level their own table, either thinking they're helping, or thinking they're going to save themselves money by us not having to level it. In one case, the guy was really proud of his 8' level. Maybe the logic was that it's quality was in direct proportion to its size? So it must have been 12 times better than my level. ;) I showed him why that's not the case when his 8'er showed dead level along the length of the table, but you could see 1/4" of light under the level on the center slate.

I'd say what you're seeing is one of these cases. Either your frame has sagged in the middle where it's not supported by a leg, or whoever levelled it used a large enough level that it spanned the center and didn't catch the sag. I'd bet on frame sag.
 
There is a very small percentage of tables that don't have a sag in the middle. you should have seen the 9' Vitale le mieux we moved today
1 1/2'' slate and no center legs which i thought was weird. now that had a sag!:eek:
 
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