Why do slates lift?

[CharlieHustle]

Why do slates drop?

About eight months ago I had a Brunswick III set up in my garage. Last month the middle slate dropped so that you can actually hear the balls rolling over the lines that separate the three slabs. The garage has a concrete slab floor and it is kept between 60 and 85 degrees. The slates were sealed together with bees wax.

1. Given that information what could possibly cause the slabs to separate?

2. What should I expect from the table mechanic in negotiating a fix, which, of course, would mean re-doing the table. What would be fair, considering that I paid full price to have it done right in the first place?

Thanks.

P.S I just edited this post, from "Why do slates lift?" due to Mark's correct comment.

 

[perfectpocketz]

About eight months ago I had a Brunswick III set up in my garage. Last month the slates lifted up so that you can actually hear the balls rolling over the lines that separate the three slabs. The garage has a concrete slab floor and it is kept between 60 and 85 degrees. The slates were sealed together with bees wax.

1. Given that information what could possibly cause the slabs to separate?

2. What should I expect from the table mechanic in negotiating a fix, which, of course, would mean re-doing the table. What would be fair, considering that I paid full price to have it done right in the first place?

Thanks.

The slate don't lift....the slate next to it dropped.....you need to get someone that will bond the slates together.....super glue them....then bee's wax or what ever they like to use....or just pound a shim under the lower slate to lift it up for temporary fix for now..
Hire someone that knows how to bond the seams together the right way.

 

[jfred0826]

Slates lifting or dropping...

Charliehustle,

This information applies to wood cabinetry in general, and certainly to pool tables.

Wood reacts to load and moisture. Wood will compress, stretch, bend, swell or shrink in accordance with the conditions it is exposed to. Usually, these changes are in such minute increments that we don't notice the difference from one day to the next. However. over time, the changes can become noticeable.

Your GCIII is old. It may have been in one place for thirty years before you had it set up at your house. If so, it had long since acclimated to its previous environment. All its wooden parts had settled into a sort of equilibrium in response to the heavy load and relative humidity of its home. When it was reassembled in your garage, it had to adjust to new conditions. Some of that adjustment is immediate...some may take several months. Gluing the slates together like Mr. Gregory says, will help keep the playing surface from showing the effects of some of the changes going on underneath with the wood.

Lastly, your table may have been disassembled many times in its life. If so, some of the connections may have become a bit sloppy, so to speak. That, too, will account for some movement or shifting over time.

I said all this to make this point: More than likely, your installer is not liable. That is assuming that all the screws, bolts, and connectors are in place, and properly torqued. If your table played good for a reasonable time, then more than likely, it was properly set up. For the most part, an installer has very little control over the way your table will adjust to a new environment.

It is usually wise for an installer to discuss all this with the customer. If so, the customer knows to look for changes, and in some cases, trouble can be avoided. Also, the customer will have a good idea of what to expect, and not jump to any conclusion that the installer did a bad job.

Good luck with your table.

Joe

 

[CharlieHustle]

One question left to go.

Thank you Mark, and thank you Joe for your informative and well thought out answer. I just have one question left unanswered that pertains to the negotiation with the pool mechanic. I want to be fair.

The question is this. If you were the pool mechanic who set up and re-clothed the table, would you charge me the full price again considering that you did the job just 8 months ago?

Maybe shimming until the cloth has to be changed again is the answer.

Thanks.

 

[jfred0826]

Charge Full Price, or Not?

Charliehustle,

That depends on what that full price included. The repair you describe certainly involves less labor and logistics than a complete table move and re-cloth job. As such, it should be priced accordingly. However, if your guy's "full price" was some sort of really low "promotional" price, then your repair price might seem more than you would expect.

I will tell you this......loyal customers are worth their weight in gold. You sound like the type of person who would be a desirable loyal customer. As such, if I had done your original job, I would do that repair for you at a price that you would appreciate. Usually, a very happy follow-up can turn a client into a loyal customer.


Joe

 

[realkingcobra]

Thank you Mark, and thank you Joe for your informative and well thought out answer. I just have one question left unanswered that pertains to the negotiation with the pool mechanic. I want to be fair.

The question is this. If you were the pool mechanic who set up and re-clothed the table, would you charge me the full price again considering that you did the job just 8 months ago?

Maybe shimming until the cloth has to be changed again is the answer.

Thanks.

If it was a table I worked on....there would be no charge for labor! If it was common for slates to come apart like that....ALL 3 piece slate tables would be doing that, not just yours. If they're installed correctly the first time, and the slates are superglued together....they don't come apart later!

Glen