My table ain't stable

9BallPaul

Banned
(Also posted on the Main Board)

Yikes! My table ain't stable!

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Help me out here. I own an American-made 8-foot table with three piece, one-inch slate. Table was manufactured and made in the USA and assembled in my basement by a reputable mechanic employed by a reputable dealer, from whom I bought the table new.

For the past year, I've sometimes thought I noticed balls moving slightly when I backed away from shooting a shot from the end rail, one that caused me to lean my body weight against the table.

Yesterday I confirmed that this was happening by moving my weight against the end rail and watching the balls. Yep, they moved. Is this OK?

On a side note, the table features hard phenolic pockets. A shot fired hard into the side pockets sometimes bounces straight back onto the table, whereas a table equipped with softer, old-fashioned leather-slung pockets would almost surely acccept the ball. What to do?
 
What kind of table?

IMHO the table needs the legs shimed and to be leveled. If the slate is properly set and is stable and secured to the frame of the table this should not be a major problem. Concerning the pockets and not knowing what type of table you have I will say that I have often found that the problem you have described (shots being rejected from the pocket) can be caused by the pockets being adjusted or mounted with the backs of the pockets too low. Perhaps someone else will have more to say about this.
 
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what kind of table is it? all tables are made different. Is your legs bolted to the frame through a metal or wood bracket? have you moved the table, even a inch? my guess would be where you legs bolt to the frame is where you problem is. Either the metal bracket is bent, The leg stud isn't anchored well into the legs or maybe even bolts are loose. Also maybe you have a rug ontop of carpet and when you standing by the table the table sinks into the padding with the extra weight.

table type would help or pictures.
 
Just have to chime in here. I sell Presidential Billiards tables, although they are a great table I really hope no one actually sold you on 100% USA. The table is manufactured by Wilson International a South African company and is manufactured in Zimbabwe. I would tell you to definitely check the bolts for where the frame meets the legs I would imagine your problem lies there.
 
ChrisShanklin said:
Just have to chime in here. I sell Po residential Billiards tables, although they are a great table I really hope no one actually sold you on 100% USA. The table is manufactured by Wilson International a South African company and is manufactured in Zimbabwe. I would tell you to definitely check the bolts for where the frame meets the legs I would imagine your problem lies there.

Yeah, that stuff was explained to me. But I believe they're partially assembled in Texas with final assembly at the sale point.

The problem is very slight -- the balls don't move so much as they jiggle and return to where they were resting. My inclination is to ignore it unless the problem worsens.

Thanks to all of you who have responded.
 
I agree that the problem is probably in the legs. I've also seen a few tables on an upper floor where the floor itself has enough give in it that the table can be level if you're standing on one side of the table, but not on the other. Sometimes you can actually feel the floor "bounce" as you walk across it. Hard to keep a table level on a floor that moves.

Also, not to be funny, but I've seen a couple of pretty big guys that made the balls move leaning into the table on a 9' Gold Crown that I know was set up nuts. Especially when they go to stand back up and almost push off the table to push themselves back up.

Just some other possibilities than what other people mentioned, although that table is definitely NOT American made and I've set up enough Presidentials to feel like the problems is probably in the legs.

On a side not, isn't it funny how it's the foreign/imported companies that name the tables American sounding names like Presidential, American Heritage, Capital, etc. I know there's plenty of others out there that we've set up, but I can't think of them right now.
 
ChrisShanklin said:
Let's not put Presidential in the same boat as American Heritage


lol........Trying to decide if that comment is for here or NPR.....lol

I'll stick with here!:grin:
 
Leg pattern design also has a lot to do with the stability of the table. If the legs are mounted to close together and to far from the corner pockets, the table loses it's platform to stand on, it may look good from a distance or in pictures, but when pushing up against it....it can rock on the legs:wink:
 
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