Table bowing

mnShooter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is it normal for a table to bow in the middle? I noticed my old home table used to do this also. I have a Gabriels 9' Signature Pro

Last night I was playing some one hole and noticed my banks seemed to roll toward the middle of the table. This is the first time I've noticed this. So I got out my trusty starett 12" and the two outside slates were 3 marks lower toward the center. The center slate was perfectly level. When I had it recovered about 6 months ago they were all within 1 mark of level.

Either someone has been jumping on the middle of the table or the stretcher is loose or this is just normal settling and I'll have to shim. So what should I do? I don't want the frame to become warped if possible. Should I take it all apart and reset the legs and tighten the stretcher?
 
This table has I beams right? I couldnt see it sagging if it has I beams. The slate could move... Do you have it in a basement or garage? You didnt crank your rail bolts down too tight did you? It is very common for a lot of home and commercial tables to bow in the center. The older Gandy's and Golden West tables were notorious for it. We have an Olhausen set up on our showroom with 5000 lbs. of slate in the middle. Its been there for 3-4 years and it has moved 1 1/2 lines. Thats pretty strong huh?
 
I've set up Gabriels 9' Signature Pro's before, so I'm assuming the stretcher you're referring to is the metal frame as the only stretchers I've seen on a Gabriel table is on their 10 billiards tables, which is a steel wire cable running the length of the frame that can be tightened to help support the 1500lbs of slate. Gabriel has a lousy slate bolt leveling system called a threaded bolt at the seams of the slate. 4 on each side, 2 at each seam joint. These bolts work fine to raise the slates up to level and match them to each other, but when you tighten down the rails, because of how it's designed, the rail bolt washers are stopping the head of the bolt against the frame of the table causing the rail bolts to pull the slate down against the leveling bolts. All the pressure of tightening the rails is being placed right against the 4 leveling bolts on both sides of the table at the seams. There's nothing to stop these leveling bolts from coming loose, and with vibration...they will, and when they do...they'll let the slate come back down from being leveled. Check and see if they've come loose first, if not, then yes, the frame of your table developed a sag in it due to the weight of the slates.

Glen
 
How long have you had the table? Who did you buy it through? And who set the table up in the first place?

Glen
 
I bought it used and set it up in my basement. I've had it for about a year now. It was fine about 6 months ago when I had a professional come in and recloth the table. When I first set it up I leveled the frame and everything else was within one division on the Starrett, with a miniscule bow in the center. It has the U-Beam frame. I did not use the slate levelers. No shims either. Only the four leg levelers.

I set the legs up and the stretcher. Then put the frame on. Then leveled the legs, Then put the slate on. Leveled the legs again. Then used the existing cloth. Put the rails on and it was ready to go.

The stretcher I'm referring to is the wood in between the two legs. You can't really tighten and loosen it. It has two allen wrench bolts on each side that connect to the pedastels. You can barely see it here http://www.gabrielsbilliards.com/english/download/SignaturePro_eng_LR-5.pdf
 
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mnShooter said:
I bought it and set it up. I've had it for about a year now. It was fine about 6 months ago when I had a professional come in and recloth the table. When I first set it up I leveled the frame and everything else was within one division on the Starrett, with a miniscule bow in the center. It has the U-Beam frame. I did not use the slate levelers. No shims either. Only the four leg levelers.

I set the legs up and the stretchter. Then put the frame on. Then leveled the legs, Then put the slate on. Leveled the legs again. Then used the cloth. Put the rails on and it was ready to go.

The stretcher I'm referring to is the wood in between the two legs. You can't really tighten and loosen it. It has two allen wrench bolts on each side that connect to the pedastels. You can barely see it here http://www.gabrielsbilliards.com/english/download/SignaturePro_eng_LR-5.pdf

Okay, now I understand what you mean by stretcher...LOL, that's the leg pedestal brace, which only purpose is to give support and strength to the leg pedestals from moving back and forth. It has nothing to do with the actual support of the slate. So now my comment is that yes, the frame of the table has sagged a little. Short of tearing the table apart, you could try and install the leveling bolts, turning them with equal pressure slightly to raise the center slate up to level out the end slates, loosen the rails first. But I should warn you first, the slate seams could come apart as you do this...so be careful to make sure you turn the bolts with equal pressure to raise the center slate as well as the center of the end slates.

Glen
 
Won't the slate bow if it's only supported by the levelers? Right now they are supported all the way around by the frame. If I use the slate levelers the side closest to the end will be supported by the frame. The rest will be supported only by the two bolts. The center will be on 4 bolts. It's got 1 1/4" slate but the slate backing is attached to the frame. When I shimmed my old table I used shims in 9 different places on each slate so it had support throughout.
 
mnShooter said:
Won't the slate bow if it's only supported by the levelers? Right now they are supported all the way around by the frame. If I use the slate levelers the side closest to the end will be supported by the frame. The rest will be supported only by the two bolts. The center will be on 4 bolts. It's got 1 1/4" slate but the slate backing is attached to the frame. When I shimmed my old table I used shims in 9 different places on each slate so it had support throughout.
That is exactly my point about this style of leveling system. Once you've got the slate level, then you tighten down the rails, and the rails pull down the slate between the leveling bolts, and on top of them as well. Even though it's a Gabriel, you're still going to have to shim it as if it was like any other table, that means between the leveling bolts as well.

Glen
 
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