Hey everyone, I’m looking for some clarity on this topic.
Let’s start with slate precision. What’s the maximum acceptable error? For me, anything more than 0.02 mm/m is already too much. Normally I aim for less than 0.01 mm/m, though I sometimes feel like its not necessary. I’m the only one going this far in 700km radius.
Is this level of precision really needed? Hard to say. If you level with a ball, the margin of error is about 0.06 mm/m (without cloth). And once cloth is on, part of that precision is “canceled out.” In reality, I wonder: could even the best players tell the difference between 0.01 / 0.02 / 0.03 mm/m? My guess — probably not, they’d all feel the same.
Things get more complicated with cheap tables vs. normal tables. For me, slate should always be as close to 0.01 mm/m as possible. But with cheaper tables, a bent frame isn’t even considered a warranty issue — they’re just not built to be flat. Achieving high precision is only possible if installation time is 2–3× longer than on a standard table.
The problem isn’t with the clients — they expect a flat table, and that’s reasonable. The real issue is with sales personnel: they don’t understand the technical requirements, and they don’t communicate them properly. I can’t just leave a table “not flat,” and I can’t call anyone an idiot. The only solution is to charge extra and upgrade the frame to meet the client’s expectations.
For me, the way out is to stop selling cheap tables altogether. If I sell tables myself, I can control expectations. But even then, expensive tables (5–7000€) don’t always mean the parts fit together properly. Becoming a manufacturer is possible, but I can’t make them cheaper than China or with better design than Italy. What I can do is build a much better sport table, because most so-called “sport tables” are really just standard tables with correct dimensions.
Another option is moving to a location with better opportunities — but that’s a different story. If have anything to offer im open.
Let’s start with slate precision. What’s the maximum acceptable error? For me, anything more than 0.02 mm/m is already too much. Normally I aim for less than 0.01 mm/m, though I sometimes feel like its not necessary. I’m the only one going this far in 700km radius.
Is this level of precision really needed? Hard to say. If you level with a ball, the margin of error is about 0.06 mm/m (without cloth). And once cloth is on, part of that precision is “canceled out.” In reality, I wonder: could even the best players tell the difference between 0.01 / 0.02 / 0.03 mm/m? My guess — probably not, they’d all feel the same.
Things get more complicated with cheap tables vs. normal tables. For me, slate should always be as close to 0.01 mm/m as possible. But with cheaper tables, a bent frame isn’t even considered a warranty issue — they’re just not built to be flat. Achieving high precision is only possible if installation time is 2–3× longer than on a standard table.
The problem isn’t with the clients — they expect a flat table, and that’s reasonable. The real issue is with sales personnel: they don’t understand the technical requirements, and they don’t communicate them properly. I can’t just leave a table “not flat,” and I can’t call anyone an idiot. The only solution is to charge extra and upgrade the frame to meet the client’s expectations.
For me, the way out is to stop selling cheap tables altogether. If I sell tables myself, I can control expectations. But even then, expensive tables (5–7000€) don’t always mean the parts fit together properly. Becoming a manufacturer is possible, but I can’t make them cheaper than China or with better design than Italy. What I can do is build a much better sport table, because most so-called “sport tables” are really just standard tables with correct dimensions.
Another option is moving to a location with better opportunities — but that’s a different story. If have anything to offer im open.