Pool Table Repair

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For a pool or billiards player, his pool table is his most valuable equipment, for without it there would be no game so pool table repair skills are essential. A crease, a tear, or a bump in a pool table will affect the game immensely to the point that it is almost unplayable. In a game of precision and timing, you simply must not have any obstructions in your playing surface. But having someone do pool table repair for you is quite and time consuming, you might wait for days. If you are a billiards addict, you would certainly be going into remission by about now.
So as a quick solution, here is a small guide detailing on how to do pool table repair on the surface as this is the most easily damaged part of the table.

Step 1:
The first step would be to buy the felt fabric as this is the one you are going to replace. If something else is wrong with your pool table like someone smashed an ax on it, then you are out of luck my friend, you need to replace the whole table.
Anyway, first buy the felt fabric from your local billiards and gaming store, or even from crafts or fabric stores. These come in a variety of colors so choose the best color you like, I suggest one that is not glaring to the eyes, case in point, yellow. The quality of the felt is also very important and will depend on your budget and preference. Higher quality felts which increase speed and create championship-level surfaces are more expensive. You can buy these by the yard or meter. Yard when you’re in the US and meters everywhere else in the world (racism not intended \o/).

Step 2:
Before you can start replacing the surface, you need to remove the table railings. These are secured to the table with long bolts. Check underneath the table to find the bolts. If you cannot find any, chances are the rails were glued or nailed on the table, in which case you have been screwed by the vendor and you need professional help to replace the table surface.
Once you find the bolts, unscrew them and remove the rails. You can now start removing the felt surface. Check if the felt is stapled or glued on, if it’s stapled then remove the staples carefully or you might splinter the wood unnecessarily, but this is more of a safety thing for your sake. If it’s glued then you can just yank it off but make sure to remove the hardened glue from the surface or you will have a hard time gluing the new felt on.

 Pool Table Repair Felt Colors

Step 3:
Now comes the good part in any pool table repair job. We are now going to attach the new felt surface. You can staple or glue it on, but if your surface isn’t wood then the only thing you can do is glue it. If you opt for stapling use a staple gun and start at the middle of the table, no not at the center, the middle of the long side, you can’t have any staples on the surface! Begin at the middle near the center pocket and work your way towards the corner pocket stapling every two to four inches. Once the corner pocket is reached, proceed with the adjacent corner. It is very important to pull and tighten the cloth consistently as inconsistent pulls may result in unpredictable ball movement or it may do unexpected maneuvers, magic that might get you to score but you could never do again.

For non-wood tables, gluing is your only option. Choose a strong spray adhesive. Spray it five inches from the edge and on the felt maximum adhesion. Wait about half a minute or so to allow the glue to get harder and less runny before sticking on the felt which will make it bond strong. Once ready, press the felt to the table. Again, do this one side of the table at a time using consistent pulls for a smooth surface.

Step 4:
When you’ve finished covering, use a sharp blade to cut holes in the felt for the rail bolts from the underside. Now you need to cut the felt for the pockets. Make at least three careful slices for each corner pocket forming a triangle and four for the center pockets forming a square. They should not be less than a half inch from the edge, they should not be too close to the playing surface. Glue or staple the extra fabric underneath the table for a clean trim. To finish it off, line the inside of the pockets strip of felt for a complete look. You can now reattach the rails.
And presto! Your pool table is now ready for your gaming pleasure. Now, pool table repair wasn’t so hard was it?