no slate screws and more questions?!

F

femur

New member
Thanks for the replys last time i had some questions:thumbup:
Anyway i finaly bought an old 8 foot one peice table,we went to start moving it and realised its simple to move this table, the top just lifted off cusions/rails/everything,got it to my place put it in my pool room leveled using the six legs and a 1200mm level,plays fairly well although the cloth is old and worn and feels like the slate might be sagged like i have heard they can reading in this forum .have got onto some second hand cloth from a snooker table that was used in a local club for a while, the bloke is a good snooker player and says it will be better than we play in the club now.so i am going to build a new hardwood frame and use the original casions/rails/ legs/ recloth /refinish etc.thats where i am at anyway. any help would be great.
the tables cloth is stapled to timber that is glued to the slate but the slate sits next to the timber directly on the base with no screws through the slate,although it has four screws sideways through the base into the timbers glued to the slate, in my opinion these screws dont really do anything,i hope this makes scence.
Q1 should i drill the slate and make the new base to suit the new design,or go with the way it was with just the weight holding it down.
Q2 if i drill the slate and after pulling the cloth off it i find the slate is slightly sagged, could it be shimmed to flex the center of the slate up.and how far can i flex it without cracking or breaking the slate.
Thanks for any help in advance:thumbup:
cheers.
James.
PS how do i drill the slate anyway i guess masonry bit but not a hammer drill???cheers
 
Q1 should i drill the slate and make the new base to suit the new design,or go with the way it was with just the weight holding it down.


For the most part the only tables I have seen where the slate is not screwed down are the coin -op 1 pce slates. Having the slates screwed down simply provides a more stable environment. Being screwed down also helps when shimming/ adjusting the slates. I would make sure to put the screw holes under the rails so you don't have to fill them.

Q2 if i drill the slate and after pulling the cloth off it i find the slate is slightly sagged, could it be shimmed to flex the center of the slate up.and how far can i flex it without cracking or breaking the slate.

Yes the slate can be shimmed. Most tables need the slates shimmed to take out any sway back from the ends to the center. Slate is more flexible than you might think. If all things are right, you shouldn't have to shim more than about an eighth inch in the center. Anything close to a quarter inch and you may want to think about replacing the slate.

PS how do i drill the slate anyway i guess masonry bit but not a hammer drill???cheers


Most slate is very porous, making it soft. I have seen slates that were a little more crystalline. Either way it's easy to drill through slate with no hammer drill. Don't forget to counter sink the screw heads.
 
Thanks for the advice,i am still unsure on what i should do with the table.
To drill or not to drill,or the table being one piece and hopefully only having to shim the centre 1mm or so, would the weight on the ends and the screws sideways into the slate timber be ok?thanks again.
cheers.
James
PS.to drill the slate should i use a masonry drill bit maybe with some water to cool it down or just go fairly slow with it?i might try to get some broken slate to practice.cheers.
 
femur said:
Thanks for the advice,i am still unsure on what i should do with the table.
To drill or not to drill,or the table being one piece and hopefully only having to shim the centre 1mm or so, would the weight on the ends and the screws sideways into the slate timber be ok?thanks again.
cheers.
James
PS.to drill the slate should i use a masonry drill bit maybe with some water to cool it down or just go fairly slow with it?i might try to get some broken slate to practice.cheers.
Click to expand...

You won't need water or anything to cool. Just make sure you go slow when you get to the bottom so you don't blow out the back side of the slate. You might try shimming before you go to all that trouble though.
 
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