Nervous about safely transporting slate

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fatspool

Registered
Hi Folk's, I found a table thats 8 hr's away. I have a pick up with a six foot box and plan on a trailer as well. How do I transport the slate the easiest way. I don't want it to crack or anything like that. I have been told to transport it on edge??. Does anyone have any ideas how to fabricate something to transport 3 pieces of slate on edge. Also am nervous about slate maybe getting wet because of weather. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
Happy new year.
 
I would just lay it flat towards the front of the bed of the pickup, put a piece of carboard or a moving blanket between each piece and you should have no problems for the 8 hr trip. Long term it's best to store them on edge but you will worry less about them if they are laying flat as they have nowhere they can fall too.

You do need to keep them dry, especially the wood liner so that it doesn't swell up from the water and cold air that could get to them.
 
fatspool said:
Hi Folk's, I found a table thats 8 hr's away. I have a pick up with a six foot box and plan on a trailer as well. How do I transport the slate the easiest way. I don't want it to crack or anything like that. I have been told to transport it on edge??. Does anyone have any ideas how to fabricate something to transport 3 pieces of slate on edge. Also am nervous about slate maybe getting wet because of weather. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
Happy new year.
Click to expand...

Trasporting the Slate on edge is the only way to go!!!!!! If you lay it flat it will flex during transport, and it may break, no padding will help!!!!

I would rent a U-haul truck and transport the table correctly, or have it professionally moved to your location.

Short cuts will only create problems, and some may not be able to be fixed!!
 
I think maybe first you need to know if the slate is backed or unbacked. Unbacked slate has less to buffer any bouncing of the truck and you should pad between the pieces. In my professional opinion from moving tables all day every day for the last 8 years, slate can be moved laying flat. Not to take anything away from you, Manwon, but how many professional trucking/shipping/moving companies have you dealt with? Every one I've ever encountered has shipped the slate flat. Most companies drop-shipping an individual table will crate the 3 pieces of slate together, but there's no padding between and they're laid flat. Manufacturers shipping multiple tables at a time will band palettes of slate together, but it's also shipped flat with nothing in between.

Fastpool, I think your major concern here should be the slates moving against each other. You don't won't them bouncing. That's the benefit of crating them together is there's no room to bounce on each other. I do move tables locally all the time though and never transport slate on edge. I do however recommend having a professional tear down the table and individually crate each piece of slate to prevent them hitting each other in transport. I always recommend this for long-distance moves. Once they're properly and professionally crated, you'll be fine transporting them laying flat in the bed of your truck.

Good luck with the move!
 
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I transport slates flat. There much stronger this way, if you put them on their sides you risk chances of them chipping if they start bouncing. I make sure all the staples are removed and stack them with nothing in between, this will keep the slates in a stack. Slate are going to slide forward when you brake so make sure your tool boxes or something else is blocking them in. I move over 150-200 homes table per year, and there always moved this way, even when I go out of state. If a freight company is moving the slate, that's another story. Then I would built a wood crate around each slate.
 
The two inch thick slates for my Ellite Pro 5x10 three cushion table were transported from Mexico city to Arizona laying flat on 2x4s in a large van.No chips or problems.
 
sdbilliards said:
I transport slates flat. There much stronger this way, if you put them on their sides you risk chances of them chipping if they start bouncing. I make sure all the staples are removed and stack them with nothing in between, this will keep the slates in a stack. Slate are going to slide forward when you brake so make sure your tool boxes or something else is blocking them in. I move over 150-200 homes table per year, and there always moved this way, even when I go out of state. If a freight company is moving the slate, that's another story. Then I would built a wood crate around each slate.
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Sd is right on how to move the slate Lay them flat in the bed of the truck towards the front if you are going to leave the tailgate up that way when you put the frame in you can lock the slate down with the frame this way they wont jump around or slide around.

If you leave the tailgate down then bring some extra pieces of lumber to lock the slate's down when you put in the frame some frames are wide and ride on the wheel wells that's why for the extra pieces of would.

The third option if you have a head ache rack or lumber rack on the truck then carry the slate on edge. put two pieces of 1x2 down for cusion this way you can use rachet straps about 3 of them this will hold the slate perfect plus when you put the tailgate up and slide in the frame nothing will move it will all be locked in a secure.

All three methods work great and I still use all three ways depending on the style of table or size of slate's. the one that is great for short hauls but I dont recomend on long trips is putting the slate on the tailgate and slide it up to wheel wells 50\50 in the truck hard to securly strap it down sometimes you can lock it down good with frame, everytime I see a hill i think the slate gona slide out on the hills.


The other thing to watchout for is securing the rails dont strap down over the rubber rails they will dent or compress and not come back to shape.

Best of luck with the move.call if you need better explanations

Craig
916-825-2036
 
manwon said:
Trasporting the Slate on edge is the only way to go!!!!!! If you lay it flat it will flex during transport, and it may break, no padding will help!!!!

I would rent a U-haul truck and transport the table correctly, or have it professionally moved to your location.

Short cuts will only create problems, and some may not be able to be fixed!!
Click to expand...

Craig, I agree and would add that they should be professionally crated. However If they choose to ignore your advice and move them in a pick-up, as I have had to do on several occassions, I have had good results with laying a piece of inch thick styrofoam on the bed and one piece of slate then more foam then another piece of foam.. etc. And the advice on placing the slate forward in the truck bed, keeping them dry and securing them would also be well taken.
 
slate transportation

When I bought my Diamond 9' pro, I only had to move it across town. I guy my Dad works with had and enclosed trailor. He had wood brackets on the side and we used tie downs and pulled them tight on their side to each side of the enclosed trailor. It was very slick. We were able to put the entire frame in the middle of the trailor and tie the slates on the outside.

I would highly suggest spending the little bit of money in renting something or borrowing and having it done right. I know I was. All it cost me was dinner, drinks and gas.
 
Transporting Slates

I worked a few busy seasons at AZ Billiards part time. I worked a lot in the slate area, building skids for shipping slate. We sent them flat on a skid, no padding between each slate. We did put thick cardboard on the bottom and top of each skid (to insure a nail didn't creep out of the wood and hit the slate) and used metal banding to hold them tightly together. The idea was to keep them pressed together so they acted as 1 thick piece, rather than 3 separate pieces. Alternate the end pieces so you don't have the corner pockets on the same side. This way the corners of the center slate isn't hanging out in space unsupported. The veteran in that department told me to treat the slate as thick pieces of glass. This was mostly Brazilian slate. They only had Italian slate for their 6 foot tables and sometimes for the bumper pool tables. I loaded plenty of dealer's trucks with loose pieces of slate also. Most carried them flat and a few would place them against the wall of the truck on edge. We always shipped 7, 8, and 9 foot one piece slates on edge. They came that way in the container also. Real pain building those skids, LOL. Very scary dead bugs would sometimes be in the container. I saw a few VERY flat bugs between pieces of slate, too:eek:.
Hope this helps.
Ed Rannou
 
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