Slate at the pockets seems to slope

[SouthernDraw]

I just bought a new Brunswick. I needed a smaller table but wanted one for playability, not furniture. I bought a Black Wolf. The slate at the pockets look like they slope into the pocket slightly. Also the pockets are huge. Balls seem to almost suck into the pockets.

Is this my imagination? And if so, is Brunswick trying to create an easier to pocket table. This is a lower cost table marketed to new players and perhaps they feel that they will have a happier customer if they can pocket balls easily.

Or, again, maybe it's my imagination.

 

[gmillioni]

home table

all the above you mentioned i believe. when you shift to a brunswick gold crown for tournament play you'll be in a different level of skill. that's MOHO. gerald

 

[TableTek]

Hi Southern Draw,
If you knew how far out of true flat even the best slates are, you would be surprised any table could be leveled. If your table is a 3/4" unbacked slate, I have had seen them ear down near the corners. I have a technique to flatten slate out, unsure if I will post it online though. The faster the cloth you have, the more noticeable the slate error is. Typically I try not to install Simonis or something similar on the lower range tables, at least without a good explanation of frame strength and potential error. If you have the cloth off, send me a pm and I will see about helping you address the issue.
Rob

 

[Dartman]

I just bought a new Brunswick. I needed a smaller table but wanted one for playability, not furniture. I bought a Black Wolf. The slate at the pockets look like they slope into the pocket slightly. Also the pockets are huge. Balls seem to almost suck into the pockets.

Is this my imagination? And if so, is Brunswick trying to create an easier to pocket table. This is a lower cost table marketed to new players and perhaps they feel that they will have a happier customer if they can pocket balls easily.

Or, again, maybe it's my imagination.

A standard home-type table won't have pro-spec pockets regardless of manufacturer.
Consider that maybe 1 in 100 people are anal about specs - the other 99 just
want the enjoyment of a pool table where it's not overly difficult to pocket a ball.

"Brunswick Billiard’s Black Wolf pool table has been designed with families in mind.
The Black Wolf is part of Brunswick’s “Contender” range of billiard tables, which means that you shouldn’t expect tournament standard ‘SuperSpeed’ cushion rubbers, and you’ll have heavy duty plastic rail castings and apron corners, rather than solid metal. "

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

When you mention that the slate appears to slope in the pocket do you mean that it is on an incline from the mouth to the throat, or are you referring to the edge where the ball drops off being beveled?

 

[SouthernDraw]

First, thanks to everyone for your input.

Hi Southern Draw,
If you knew how far out of true flat even the best slates are, you would be surprised any table could be leveled. If your table is a 3/4" unbacked slate, I have had seen them ear down near the corners. I have a technique to flatten slate out, unsure if I will post it online though. The faster the cloth you have, the more noticeable the slate error is. Typically I try not to install Simonis or something similar on the lower range tables, at least without a good explanation of frame strength and potential error. If you have the cloth off, send me a pm and I will see about helping you address the issue.
Rob

Rob,
The table is 1" crated (I'm guessing that means same as backed). And I do have Simonis 860. Not related, but the pockets are not shimmed (my mistake on this one, I knew the pockets would be too big for my liking). But I didn't expect the slate problem. Anyway, in the future I will have them shimmed (probably before replacing the cloth) and prior to, I will pm you. Thanx

"When you mention that the slate appears to slope in the pocket do you mean that it is on an incline from the mouth to the throat, or are you referring to the edge where the ball drops off being beveled?

Dogs,
The pockets are not beveled. I have seen this on some older GC's. I was told they did this at one point to make pocketing balls easier for recreational players. And this is what prompted my post. But, the pockets seem to slightly slope at the pockets, helping the balls fall in easier.

Again, thanks to everyone for your input. Helpful post!

 

[Al Coholic]

I just bought a new Brunswick. I needed a smaller table but wanted one for playability, not furniture. I bought a Black Wolf. The slate at the pockets look like they slope into the pocket slightly. Also the pockets are huge. Balls seem to almost suck into the pockets.

Is this my imagination? And if so, is Brunswick trying to create an easier to pocket table. This is a lower cost table marketed to new players and perhaps they feel that they will have a happier customer if they can pocket balls easily.

Or, again, maybe it's my imagination.

Sounds like you slate is not level.
Did you install the slate or did you have a professional mechanic do it?

 

[SouthernDraw]

Sounds like you slate is not level.
Did you install the slate or did you have a professional mechanic do it?

Hi Al,
I had the dealer's guy set it up. He set up the table for the professional tournaments in town and he was their regular guy when they were a Olhausen dealer. He seemed professional. The slate plays very true all other places except maybe an inch or so into each pocket.

 

[JimS]

Home tables are made for home fun and often are sloped. That, in their misguided opinion, makes the game more fun.

 

[Dartman]

... The slate plays very true all other places except maybe an inch or so into each pocket.

?
This statement makes no sense.
Post a pic so we can see what you're talking about.

 

[Al Coholic]

Hi Al,
I had the dealer's guy set it up. He set up the table for the professional tournaments in town and he was their regular guy when they were a Olhausen dealer. He seemed professional. The slate plays very true all other places except maybe an inch or so into each pocket.

I just had to go fix an Olhausen table last week
that was set up by an Olhausen dealer.

The just got the slates to match up at the seams,
but did not put a straight edge on it to check to see if the slate was level.

Sounds like My customer had the same problem as you.

I had to shim the ends of the slate up
to level his slates out.

 

[Johnnyt]

Could the cloth have been pulled too tight at the pockets making the cloth thinner in that area? Johnnyt

 

[Jim Vondrell]

Someone may correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the contender slate is no different than any other brunswick slate and usually its pretty darn flat. My guess is its the install or your imagination