Gandy uses a flat nut plate held in place with small wood screws, to tight and you'll pull that stamped out threaded washer right down to the slate like an upside down mole hill. 10lbs would be the most, but you'd do good at 8-9 lbs too.
realkingcobra is the man!!!
- Thread starter 9andout
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Gandy uses a flat nut plate held in place with small wood screws, to tight and you'll pull that stamped out threaded washer right down to the slate like an upside down mole hill. 10lbs would be the most, but you'd do good at 8-9 lbs too.
Yeah jviss, I would be all in on that fix if that was the only issue, but like RKC stated, there is a huge list of other issues with these rails, so kind of a waste of time and energy plugging one hole in a leaky damn when there are major structural issues with the damn. I kinka have my doubts that the old worn threads of my figure 8s would even hold up to the correct torque anyway, even if I fixed the screw holes to make them secure to the bottom of the rails. Much easier and better in my opinion to just salvage the cap portion of these old rails and rebuild with completely new sub rail and the lower 1 inch or so of the bottom of the rail, which is pretty much what the good mechanics are doing with these.
I think it would be interesting to post a video, both before and after to show the difference...and I think I'll do just that when the new rails are done. I chose an extra set of new rails due to the fact that it minimizes the down time associated with rebuilding just the old rails, furthermore I think it's really nice if, or when, I go to sell the table down the road if I have two professional sets of rails to offer, one with original specs and the other a pro-cut option of 4- 1/2" corners with 5" sides for the more serious players. So anyway, stayed tuned for that before and after video, I'll post that on it's own thread though. Thanks!
Rex
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Thank you! I look forward to the video.
In the case of the Gold Crown I, I don't think it's a design flaw. The assembly incorporates a domed washer. A domed washer offers several features, among which is to maintain tension with varying conditions.
This from:
https://www.bokers.com/dome_washers.asp:
So, assuming the figure-eight nut plates stay in place, the domed washer will maintain the necessary tension once the rail bolt is tightened.
By the way, the Anniversary uses the same dome washers under the rail bolts.
Do Diamond tables use dome washers, or some other means to maintain correct tension over temperature and humidity? Just as a bolt could loosen when the sub-rails shrinks as it dries out, if tightened in this condition it could become too tight when the wood swells as the humidity comes up. So, in New England, you might have to adjust those bolts at least twice a year, without a dome washer in place.
I bought a torque wrench and checked my rail bolts. All of them were between 5 and 10 lbs. All are right at 15 lbs. now. Thanks Glen for the heads up.
In the case of the Gold Crown I, I don't think it's a design flaw. The assembly incorporates a domed washer. A domed washer offers several features, among which is to maintain tension with varying conditions.
This from:
https://www.bokers.com/dome_washers.asp:
So, assuming the figure-eight nut plates stay in place, the domed washer will maintain the necessary tension once the rail bolt is tightened.
By the way, the Anniversary uses the same dome washers under the rail bolts.
Do Diamond tables use dome washers, or some other means to maintain correct tension over temperature and humidity? Just as a bolt could loosen when the sub-rails shrinks as it dries out, if tightened in this condition it could become too tight when the wood swells as the humidity comes up. So, in New England, you might have to adjust those bolts at least twice a year, without a dome washer in place.
Buddy, almost every pool table uses those dome washers, but EVERY table ends up with loose rail bolt for a reason. Lock washer types of washers DON'T work well with wood components involved.
Boy...it seems a lot of people who check their rails are at the 5 to 10 lb mark.
Just to play devils advocate, might it better to leave the rails as is since this may be common among other tables and you want your home table to simulate the most common conditions?
I assume the thought is dumb, but just thought it was food for thought...
Just to play devils advocate, might it better to leave the rails as is since this may be common among other tables and you want your home table to simulate the most common conditions?
I assume the thought is dumb, but just thought it was food for thought...
The loose rail bolts also effect your leveling system, since they work together.
And when rail bolts fall out and end up on the floor, should you leave them there as well, because that's exactly where they'll end up sooner or later!!
Just keeping the information straight is all I'm doing:thumbup:
As usual, sir
Dennis O hit so many balls on that table that he knocked the rail bolts loose. Now that is called practice.
Nice :thumbup:
I hope you realize almost NO pool table mechanic even own a torque wrench....right?
I leveled it too (in the legs) and the table is playing better than ever. I might have the potential to be a schlock table mechanic. Once upon a time I used to cover my own GCI's, all 22 of them, one at a time. It would take me a couple of weeks to do my whole poolroom. I hated dealing with those plastic skirts so after awhile I just left them off. So much easier!
I can take some photos and post them here later if you want....
Diamonds are the best design on that you can access the leveling system and rail bolts without taking anything apart or off the table.
I'll leave the mechanic videos to more qualified folks, so photos are better for me in this area. But I went down to Harbor Freight tools and picked up a basic torque wrench ($19.99) that could be set to 15 ft/lbs and set all 24 bolts to 15.
I did note that you could really damage the wood by over tightening those raised washers with the teeth and sink it right in. So the torque wrench was useful for not only getting them tight to specifications but also protecting the rails themselves.
RKC, would using some type of rubber washer under the dome washer stop damage?
Trent from Toledo
Trent from Toledo
I'm not familiar with the construction of the Diamond, but wouldn't the washers be bearing against the slate liner, not the rails?