Slatite
- Thread starter tradr48
- Start date
Sorry I have heard of many slate alternatives even Slatron which is basically a covering over sealed wood. They used to advertise it gave the same properties as slate with 1/3 the weight. It was all BS Slate is the only way to go.
Found this online though
The first product, called « slate » imported from Brazil, gives to the table a
flat surface and much stability because of its weight. The second product is presswood also
named as slatium, slatite, slateen or slatex . Don’t let yourself be put off, all these words, derived
from the word « slate », indicate that the beds are made from pressed wood.
Found this online though
The first product, called « slate » imported from Brazil, gives to the table a
flat surface and much stability because of its weight. The second product is presswood also
named as slatium, slatite, slateen or slatex . Don’t let yourself be put off, all these words, derived
from the word « slate », indicate that the beds are made from pressed wood.
Brunstone
It's called "Brunstone". GC's 1-3 used it. GC 4 was first GC w/real slate. It was also used in various other Brunswick home and commercial tables. Plays fine but is kinda brittle and can break if moved or re-assembled improperly. Update: early GC3's used Brunstone. They changed to slate for later 3's. GC4's&5's are all slate.
It's called "Brunstone". GC's 1-3 used it. GC 4 was first GC w/real slate. It was also used in various other Brunswick home and commercial tables. Plays fine but is kinda brittle and can break if moved or re-assembled improperly. Update: early GC3's used Brunstone. They changed to slate for later 3's. GC4's&5's are all slate.
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Agree. No Slatite/Slatron. These are a pressed-wood product. A table with this crap might play ok for a couple of years and then the trouble starts, warping/sagging, etc. Brunstone is NOT a honeycomb material. Only real drawback is it's brittle so shimming and moving one can crack it.
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I am new to this forum and it was just yesterday that I realized that GC's had bed surfaces that were not slate. The BCA from my understanding requires a 1" thick slate bed. Being as when I grew up the GC were the table used in tournaments I bever thought they would offer different surfaces. From my recent web browsing it seems they offered Brunstone, Bluestone, and slate. It seems to me though when they offered the alternatives to slate they were in an unframed bed and 1 1/4" thick. I have also seen on some sites that this was common on the GC1 and possibly 2 but my previous readings indicated by the time the GC3 came out they were all Slate. I have not seen any mention of the predecessors to the gold crown the Centennial for example. There are people on here that are far more informed on this I would hope they would point out any discrepancies in my response. The OP was asking about Slatite though and I had never heard of that on a GC before.
Here's from the Brunswick website, circa 1980's, regarding their artificial slate, Brunstone:
Summary Technical Information: From the 1981 Brunswick Corporate Flyer: Form No. 81--Brunstone
Brunstone is Brunswick's Solid Alternative to Slate
Made in 3 piece sets, drilled to conform to Brunswick slate sets. 1 1/4" thick to achieve the same weight as a standard 1" thick slate set.
We froze it. We thawed it. Exposed it to severe weather conditions. Measured its breaking point. Its resistance to deflection. And test after test, Brunstone met or exceeded the same rigid quality standards applied to slate. We're so confident Brunstone is a superior replacement for slate that we back it with our lifetime flatness guarantee--the same as our very best one-inch slate.
US Product--resists chipping and breakage.
Brunstone is quarried and processed in the United States. Which makes it readily available for shipment, unlike Italian slate. There's no waiting, no back orders. Brunstone is available in the same sizes as one inch slate, but with a thickness of 1 1/4" to assure fulfillment of our quality standards.
Through our extensive performance testing, we've found Brunstone resists chipping and cracking better than slate. There are no vein lines, as found in slate, which increase the possibility of breakage. And the surface is beautifully smooth and has the appearance and sound of slate.
Finding a suitable alternative to slate for billiard table beds is a difficult task. But Brunswick accepted the challenge and found the best alternative to slate available in Brunstone. We were as skeptical as you are, so we measured Brunstone against Italian slate in a series of tests.
Standards of rupture/elasticity: We measured both materials breaking point and found both are equally strong. This same test found Brunstone has the same strength and warp resistance as slate.
Environmental chamber: Both materials were subjected to severe environmental conditions for three weeks, on alternate cycles of extremely high and low humidity conditions. Brunstone matched slate throughout this test and encountered no problems.
Hardness: Samples of both slate and Brunstone were tested and both recorded hardness in the range of 118-123...which means Brunstone is as hard as slate and resists chipping better.
Weight: Brunstone actually weighs more than slate. A set of 4 1/2 x 9' slate weighs 597 pounds, while Brunstone weighed in a 609 pounds. The added weight ensures your table will be even more solid and stable.
Freeze-thaw test: Samples of Brunstone and slate were water soaked for 48 hours, to allow for maximum absorption. The samples were then frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 48 hours, then allowed to thaw at room temperature. After this severe test, the samples were checked with a planometer and revealed no surface cracks. To further verify these results, a microscope was used and revealed no damage to either material. This means that temperature and humidity changes will not cause cracks or breakage.
Playability: The end results of all these tests show that Brunstone will provide the same excellent playability and durability provided by slate.
Brunstone by Brunswick. Another fine product that meeds the standards of quality that have been a Brunswick trademark since 1845.
Summary Technical Information: From the 1981 Brunswick Corporate Flyer: Form No. 81--Brunstone
Brunstone is Brunswick's Solid Alternative to Slate
Made in 3 piece sets, drilled to conform to Brunswick slate sets. 1 1/4" thick to achieve the same weight as a standard 1" thick slate set.
We froze it. We thawed it. Exposed it to severe weather conditions. Measured its breaking point. Its resistance to deflection. And test after test, Brunstone met or exceeded the same rigid quality standards applied to slate. We're so confident Brunstone is a superior replacement for slate that we back it with our lifetime flatness guarantee--the same as our very best one-inch slate.
US Product--resists chipping and breakage.
Brunstone is quarried and processed in the United States. Which makes it readily available for shipment, unlike Italian slate. There's no waiting, no back orders. Brunstone is available in the same sizes as one inch slate, but with a thickness of 1 1/4" to assure fulfillment of our quality standards.
Through our extensive performance testing, we've found Brunstone resists chipping and cracking better than slate. There are no vein lines, as found in slate, which increase the possibility of breakage. And the surface is beautifully smooth and has the appearance and sound of slate.
Finding a suitable alternative to slate for billiard table beds is a difficult task. But Brunswick accepted the challenge and found the best alternative to slate available in Brunstone. We were as skeptical as you are, so we measured Brunstone against Italian slate in a series of tests.
Standards of rupture/elasticity: We measured both materials breaking point and found both are equally strong. This same test found Brunstone has the same strength and warp resistance as slate.
Environmental chamber: Both materials were subjected to severe environmental conditions for three weeks, on alternate cycles of extremely high and low humidity conditions. Brunstone matched slate throughout this test and encountered no problems.
Hardness: Samples of both slate and Brunstone were tested and both recorded hardness in the range of 118-123...which means Brunstone is as hard as slate and resists chipping better.
Weight: Brunstone actually weighs more than slate. A set of 4 1/2 x 9' slate weighs 597 pounds, while Brunstone weighed in a 609 pounds. The added weight ensures your table will be even more solid and stable.
Freeze-thaw test: Samples of Brunstone and slate were water soaked for 48 hours, to allow for maximum absorption. The samples were then frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 48 hours, then allowed to thaw at room temperature. After this severe test, the samples were checked with a planometer and revealed no surface cracks. To further verify these results, a microscope was used and revealed no damage to either material. This means that temperature and humidity changes will not cause cracks or breakage.
Playability: The end results of all these tests show that Brunstone will provide the same excellent playability and durability provided by slate.
Brunstone by Brunswick. Another fine product that meeds the standards of quality that have been a Brunswick trademark since 1845.
Interesting discussion, but I could have sworn there was no world wide web in the 1980s.
Gideon<-----remembers the world before the web
LOL - I mean from the 1980's now appearing on the Brunswick website. Me English no so good.
I too vaguely remember the world before the web. It was a strange, dark place, with book, music and Blockbuster video stores on each corner. There were these strange devices called "Payphones" that used money known as "coins" to communicate. There were pool rooms too, all over, where people used to hang around and play a game known as pocket billiards, now an extinct pastime except for remembrances on online forums...