Pool table installation part 3 slate seams mpeg2video

[@AHer04]

Hey just wanted to tell you that you have the best advice out of all the video I have watched... I recently purchased a pool table and my friend and I literally watched all of your videos as we went...we are just about finished with the bees wax and have the felt all ready. Btw, you were totally right...don't even bother with a level...the ball alone does the job 50 times better..we have a perfectly level pool table because of that advice. Thanks for uploading dude.

[@robertgroff2105]

I was told to use Bee wax in between the pieces of slate to make it smooth. The reason you use Bee wax is there are no petroleum products in the Bee wax so there would never be a mark on your felt later down the road... Works great...

[@snakeclaw]

Thx!

[@snakeclaw]

hey...thx for the good words. i was in your position a couple years ago and realized there were no vids that were helpful to me so i figured i'd try to help out. happy shooting!

[@snakeclaw]

and yes, pro's (no matter what kind of pro) will do the job in the fastest amount of time and get paid the most amount of money. that is why they are pro's. i'm a builder. I do construction every day. I am not a pro. I am a craftsman. Yes, I can work fast but choose to work at the speed required to yield perfect results. I would never say that my way is better than yours...ever. This is just one way to get the job done and the table plays great. That is all that matters to me.

[@mikepurdue7472]

Thank you for this. I am currently doing the exact same thing. And i am very cautious about it being good enough before laying the cloth down.

[@snakeclaw]

It's been perfect for all these years.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

Dude you are absolutely correct. I almost busted a gut laughing at the ball idea. I love it when guys give 20 seconds thought to the correct way of doing something. He should have spent an hour. Arrogant guys remain ignorant. Coming from the former plant manager of the Peter Vitalie billiard company.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

I just read some of the other post. You are right the about setting the slate. You were using the few hours a day for 4 weeks method. I was referring to the hour and a half then redy to play method.

[@snakeclaw]

interesting suggestion, trev. i've given that about 20 seconds of thought and have concluded that it makes no difference which piece of slate you start at. the end result will always be the same. i could be wrong but i cannot see how. no matter the order, the steps and process is exactly the same.

[@snakeclaw]

and i was serious. please, Mr. Pro pool table installer, please tell myself and the other enthusiasts why the center slate going first is so critical. All of us really do want to know this. I've had 500,000 views on my videos. This is your chance to shine. You will gain the admiration and respect of thousands, in addition to helping the billiard community. You might even restore some of your already tarnished reputation.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

Mike told me after playing a couple of rounds on a table I set up that it was the best table he has ever shot on. Put that in your credentials and then you opinion would count.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

.You would lose that bet. One of my duties as plant manager was setting up pool tables for trade shows and exhibitions for world class players. Just to name a couple, Mike Segal, AKA “Capitan Hook” Nick Varner. If it wasn’t a waste of my time I would explain to why you set the middle slate first and why you don’t use a pool ball to set up a table. You are a genus so you know more than an expert that has setup hundreds of tables.

[@PDigital2o3]

I should have thought of that. I actually used a new razor blade and ran it across. After a little while, I could swipe it across without getting stuck or running over any bumps.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

Just because you do not understand why, doesn’t make ALL of the professionals wrong. If you were really interested in an explanation, rather than just an argument. You would look at one of the videos that were done by a professional rather than arguing with me. One more question, how many tables have you setup? That is what I thought. Case closed.

[@snakeclaw]

pdigital....sounds like you did it right then. just takes patience. i cant remember how i came to this technique. i may have stolen it from someone else. i spent a few hours a day for about 4 weeks setting up this table. plays perfectly in the cold weather months as that is when i set it up. in the warm weather there is the tiniest amount of roll to the north. i'm guessing my joists on the first floor heat up and pitch the table a tiny bit . in a basement it should be fine.

[@joebradley1520]

To true the slate( make each slate level with each other) take three pieces of string and tie them over the length of the table ..one on each side and one on the midle..make sure they are pulled tight..now get 7 pieces of door moulding or anything that has the same thickness and place under each end of the string..now take your 7th piece of moulding and run it under the string and match the heighth by placing playing cards under the slate bed

[@shanebouchard6259]

If you are using a ball to level slate then you have not got the first clue what you are doing. This in no way guarantees a level surface.
In terms of leveling slate, and I see a lot of different theories in this discussion but in reality the table will dictate where you begin leveling.
After your frame is set and leveled on its own, put the slate pieces on and square them up (or find the existing holes and hope the first installer was correct).
Check around the entire table with a level, this will establish your high spot dictating where you need to start from. Simply bring everything up from there. If you level in a circle and your slates are set properly then your seams will be flush when you are done, possibly only needing a slight lift in the middle for perfection.

[@alyssadunn899]

He wasn't using a ball to level the table he was using a ball to make sure all the slate was flush

[@snakeclaw]

+Alyssa Dunn in previous videos, yes, i was using a ball to level the slate. this is the best way to ensure your slate is level. i know installers who have installed for 20 years plus and do it that way too.

[@snakeclaw]

+Shane Bouchard i did use a level to find the high spot on the frame. then i set all the pieces of slate on the frame and got them in position. then i spent a good deal of time getting the first piece of slate perfectly level, and then i did the 2nd piece, bringing up the seam to where it was perfect, and rolling the ball across 2 pieces of slate. once perfect, i did the same with the 3rd piece. table is as perfect as the slate will allow. by you saying i have no clue indicates that you have no clue.

[@gingerwizard69]

i have many different size levels. im a contractor. when starting fresh i will level with the level. then i use natural physics of studying the balls natural rolls and geometry to see if it needs adjusted. which usually does. ball tells you what you need to know more than the level

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

That was the only way I could figure out to convey it.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

Although they don’t cover all the reasons for setting the middle slate first they cover the main ones. The rest of the reasons cannot be explained in two sentences.
You said “i would like you to tell the world why that matters. i'm betting you cannot”
I believe “betting” in this context is a verb.

[@snakeclaw]

thank you for the link. i've tried various versions of that link (and replaced the "dot" with a period, and cannot get it to stream. despite my genius ability, i still cannot figure out how to make that link work. maybe just give me the username or some key words to navigate. and yes, setting up a table in an hour and a half doesn't work well, at least not at my house. i am on a floor with wood joists and would have liked the floor to settle and the wood to acclimate to my room.(cont)

[@joebradley1520]

Lmfao! Take a penny (AFTER you level the table slate) and slide it back and forth on the seam..if you hear a click thats where its high

[@snakeclaw]

and btw, please provide the link that illustrates why the center slate being installed first is so critical. i've seen most the youtube vids and they were lacking, which is why i posted mine. judging by the overwhelming positive feedback, your remarks are in the minority. the reason you cannot tell us or provide the link is that there is no advantage to doing it that way. its nothing more than preference and I called you out on it. sorry, but that is life.

[@snakeclaw]

if i were dumb i would take the bait and pursue the tangential topic that you are offering, but i will not. i'm staying on topic and will not let you hijack the thread with non-related issues. i've offered you plenty of chances to tell the world why the center slate being installed first will yield better results and all you can offer is that you are a pro, and that i have an ego, that i use crayons, that i've made a bet, and that you can name drop a name of some pro.

[@brianesparza598]

he was probably a tweeker for 25 years too.. anyways, enjoy your table that isn't properly set up

[@snakeclaw]

well..if the goal is to have the balls roll true and flat, then i have succeeded. however if the goal was to impress trolls like yourself who dont care about how the balls roll, then yes i have failed

[@brianesparza598]

snakeclaw, you would be laughed at in the industry

[@snakeclaw]

i met a guy who did pro installations for 25 years. many tables a day. and guess how he did it? the exact same way i just illustrated. the industry is laughing at you, bud

[@snakeclaw]

i met a guy who did pro installations for 25 years. many tables a day. and guess how he did it? the exact same way i just illustrated. the industry is laughing at you, bud

[@jacobjones5269]

You got angry in our other conversation, and you’re spewing a lot of anger in the comments, here.. Personally, I think it’s great you found a different way to level your slates, but as I stated before, it’s not the best or proper way.. And personally, I think it would be better if you explained that..
No matter what you think or believe, you’re not more accurate than a machinist level that zeroes in to a 5,000th of an inch.. lol.. Not even close, quit saying it cause you sound ignorant when you do..

[@jacobjones5269]

@@snakeclaw
And your buddy who’s been doing it 25 years is not doing it properly either, sorry..

[@brianesparza598]

@@jacobjones5269 100%

[@snakeclaw]

i've reread my text and i'm not sure what "bet" you are talking about. also, i really dont care how many tables you have set up, the fact remains that there is no advantage to installing the center slate first and you cannot bamboozle your way through this. i knew you would have a lame response and you did not disappoint. i've given you plenty of opportunity to tell how but all you can do is brag about other stuff.

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

r e l
a t e d
(remove the spaces.)

[@snakeclaw]

without bragging too much, i've been tested with a genius IQ. it would't surprise me that it would take me 20 seconds to think about something that would take you an hour. and your role of being plant manager doesn't impress me. what WOULD impress me is if you can explain why starting from the center slate would be so advantageous. again, the steps are the same. only the order is different. i would like you to tell the world why that matters. i'm betting you cannot

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

I’m not fishing. I told you where to get the information. I am not going to reinvent the wheel for you. It would be a waste of time. If I thought you really wanted to know I would explain it. I mentor geniuses, it takes years to teach them to open their ears and shut their mouth. Most of the time when a kid is told they are a genius they instantly think they know everything. If you were keeping up, the subject is why I won’t explain. I believe I have sited sufficient reasons. Take care.

[@brianesparza598]

just so you know bud, in order to properly get the balls to roll straight you need to put a few machinist levels on the table and figure out which slate is furthest out of wack. Starrett makes a good level and they are .005" accurate. just eye balling the balls to see if the slate is level is absurd and honestly is laughed at by anyone who is in the business.. and I'm not trolling you, im just making it clear to people that this is absolutely not the way to level the table

[@snakeclaw]

i am aware of that method. two points you are missing. 1. most people do not own or have access to that machinist level and they are quite pricey. 2. that level is about 8 inches long and can only measure the slate in small areas. in the real world, all slate is not perfectly flat, thus decisions are made as to how the ball rolls across the entire slate rather than how level is this 8 inch section. you reference the industry. how many tables have you installed?

[@brianesparza598]

the level is 12" and I use multiple on each piece of slate. I understand it's expensive but it's about using the right tools for the job, I use well over 1000 dollars worth of levels. I am a table tech in san diego and have done thousands of tables including pool halls that host professional tournaments

[@brianesparza598]

I don't want to go back and forth with you anymore bud, you at least had the drive to do it yourself. if it's not perfect it doesn't matter because your not getting paid to set tables up anyways

[@snakeclaw]

in case you missed it, i made this video not for the pro (like you) but for the homeowner who, unlike you, doesn't have a grand invested in machinist levels (and no, the rental store doesn't rent them). just because that is the way you do it and the way you were taught doesn't mean its the only way. in the end, its about the balls rolling straight. if you cannot tell if a ball is rolling straight and you need a level to prove to yourself that a ball did roll straight, perhaps you need to continue using your method. my table rolls as good as the slate will allow. its perfect and plays better than most tables that you "pro" guys set up. my guess is this video pisses guys like you off as it shows homeowners how to get the job done w/o using guys like you.

[@brianesparza598]

if your a player and spend thousands of dollars on the table, it might be a wise investment to just hire a professional that will come in a do it right. I'm not upset about losing business, cause this video isn't gonna effect my pocket, i was just stating the ball rolling technique to level tables is ridiculous

[@MrTHEORIGINALICEMAN]

f e a t
u r e =

[@snakeclaw]

you do realize that in two sentences you can explain why the center slate being installed first is so crucial and why its more than just preference, don't you? instead, you've chosen to waste 10 minutes of your life insulting me about having too big an ego, using a crayon, making "bets" that i have not made, etc. this is a public forum. people who read this will think you are full of BS. and there is no video that supports your claim, fyi. if there were, you'd show the link in a second.

[@666dynomax]

Bad job