To put new cloth on a bar table...
1. The old cloth was glued on and this may have been done many times. Scrape off all of the old glue or use adhesive remover (do this outside). The old glue will cause the slate to sit higher and the cushions will not go down flush with the rails. So remove the old glue to do the job right.
2. Get a long piece of straight L shaped aluminum and sight down it to be sure it is straight. Cut it to the long size of your table and to the short size of your table. With the slate removed, place the L metal on the sides where the slate rests. Be sure all the supports are even. Use playing cards to shim low areas. Check the short directions and cross ways as well. You want all the slate supports flat all around. I used half a deck of cards to shim my table and had to sand down some areas.
If the supports were uneven before and you evened them out, (and the slate was warped a bit) it is my understanding that the slate will go back to being flat over time.
3. Lay out cloth on top of slate with a couple of inches overhang on all sides. Cut long pieces of cardboard to shield the table and the cloth from overspray of the spray adhesive.
4. Start at one of the long ends. Fold back the cloth laying on the slate and put a long piece of cardboard under it. Spray the cloth. Then spray the underside of the slate while holding a piece of cardboard so overspray will not get on anything else (if for example you have the slate sideways on top of your table). If you're not careful, overspray will get on the balls, side of the table, and rails. This stuff goes everywhere!
5. Wait about 2 or 3 minutes for the adhesive to dry a little. Then get another person. Fold the cloth down over the side. Have other person press with all their might with their thumb on the center of the cloth. Then pull with all your might to stretch cloth toward the corner pocket and press cloth to underside. Now pull the other direction, then other person can remove thumb.
6. Spray opposite long end. Have person do thumb thing again. This time pull with all your might (enough to pull slate off table) toward the corner pocket. You are stretching the cloth longways and shortways at the same time. Then do opposite side.
7. You now have the cloth stretched long ways. Next do the rest of the table.
8. Doing the pockets takes experience. You need to cut with scissors so the cloth can be glued under the slate to hold it in place. Leave plenty of extra cloth. I guess you just need to do this a few times to get the hang of it. But use a half circle shaped piece of cardboard to spray adhesive on the underside of the cloth so overspray will not get on the table top cloth. Also spray the pocket sides of the slate, as well as under the pockets, so the cloth will stay put.
Important note: Get a box of those medical gloves and wear a long sleeve shirt. Change gloves to a new clean pair as many as 20 times while doing this project. You don't want that spray adhesive on your hands or on hairy arms. Not fun to try to get it off! Do this in a well ventilated room.