What type of Beeswax for slate joint sealing?

You posted an asshole response and I responded to that.

Don't like it, then don't start it.


Jeff Livingston
Mis-information is one of the biggest problems i have to deal with when working on pool tables, following OTHER people's work. If my pointing out that if a person DON'T know what they're talking out, then DON'T spread the mis-information around makes me an asshole, then so be it! But I for one, am tired of fixing everyone else's attempts at working on pool tables after they apply the advice from friends....then call me to come fix their pool tables!!!
 
For your information, my beeswaxed table never had a problem in 15 years; my bondoed table split within the first year.


Jeff Livingston
 
I'm sure glad NONE of you are pool table mechanic! Here the truth, and the reasons why! Slates are for the most part, screwed down to wooden frames with slate screws, right?
Wood expands and contacts when it sucks up or expels moisture from the air! As it does so, the frame stretches, and what is the slates SCREWED TO? Thats right, the wooden frame. So when the frame expands in length, it pulls the slate seams apart, when it shrinks, it pulls the seams together! When wax is used, at first it might seem great, but the minute that frame shrinks and pulls them seams tightly together, where do you suppose that wax is going? Thats right, squeezed right up out of the seams, creating a nice little ridge right across the seams from one side to the other.
If you ever spill something on the cloth, and it soaks in, the cloth will loosen up, guaranteed. And for all of you that has ever tried using a hair dryer or iron to dry out the cloth, what happened? Thats right, the wax sucked right up into the cloth creating those nice, cute black lines right across the cloth right in line with the seams!

Plaster, give me a break, if you have plaster in the seams, then you've NEVER vacuumed your table, because if you had, you'd find you have nice little rocks spread out everywhere under the cloth. And guess what, plaster breaks apart when that frame expands and contracts, don't even tru telling me it don't. I've seen it ALL over the last 38 years working on pool tables!

Since super glue has been used to lock slate seams together, in order to stop the slates from being effected by the frame always changing, that solved that problem, but you still have a problem with wax and plaster, BUT, Bondo don't share ANY of those faults, so why use anything else. If you have a chip in the slate seam that needs filled in, say about an 1" round, do you really think either wax or plaster is going to hold up under balls hitting that spot? I use Bonds to do ALL slate repairs, and if its perfect for that process, then its more than adequate to fill in the slate seams!!!

And WHY fill the slate seams with something? Because its a ditch across the slate, and if you DON'T fill it in, just the balls rolling across the seams will create a nice straight line stencil mark in the cloth from side to side!

But, you EXPERTS go ahead and do what you think is the BEST for YOUR pool table at home, but my advice is, if you have NO idea what you're talking about, DON'T give your advice to anyone else, please!!!
Very accurate post. You know how a table can behave. The frame of a table can also course problems. Especially if it's slightly warped or twisted from being moved from place to place. Filling that seam between the slate. Beeswax will crack if its not screwed down right. especially once you start playing on it. Same goes for other types. I have never used bondo. I just use, what I know will set as hard as possible. If it doesn't crack over time, it's going to be OK. Filling in chips in the slate bed where big bits have chipped off. Is a skill in its self. I rather learn myself than have to fork out well over 450 plus new cloth.
I am by no means an expert. Not At all.
 
Very accurate post. You know how a table can behave. The frame of a table can also course problems. Especially if it's slightly warped or twisted from being moved from place to place. Filling that seam between the slate. Beeswax will crack if its not screwed down right. especially once you start playing on it. Same goes for other types. I have never used bondo. I just use, what I know will set as hard as possible. If it doesn't crack over time, it's going to be OK. Filling in chips in the slate bed where big bits have chipped off. Is a skill in its self. I rather learn myself than have to fork out well over 450 plus new cloth.
I am by no means an expert. Not At all.
Bondo and superglue used correctly, will never fail.
 
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