Balls going to middle of table?

Question

I'm not sure whats wrong, the balls tend to drift toward the middle of one side on my pool table. I got this pool table for free from my aunt because she has no room for it in her new house. We tried messing around with the legs which seem to be readjustable, but its not helping much.

Whats going on? I've heard table warp tossed around, if it is, what can i do about it, if not, whats going on!?

Answer 1

If you want to set your table up right, you'll need to level the frame by placing shims under the right legs, then level the slate by placing extremely thin shims under the edges where the pieces come together.  Even with a relatively level floor, you may end up with 1/2" to 3/4" of shims under one or more legs, and a few sliver shims under the slate.

Cheap pool tables have plywood or particleboard playing surfaces, whereas higher quality tables have slate surfaces.  Wood surfaces will warp with time... slate will not.  The thicker the slate, the better.  Slate tables have either have 2-piece or 3-piece slate, and the edges where the pieces meet need to line up or you're going to have trouble shooting accurately.

Covering the slate with the right kind of cloth and installing the bumpers properly are also critical to a quality shooting experience.

Answer 2

I want to correct one thing Jim said: Although rare, it is not unheard of for slate to warp, especially if it's a cheap table. The quality of slate coming out of China is actually quite inferior to Italian slate, and has a larger water content. This lends to the slate warping in certain conditions.

Answer 3

You need to use a carpenter's level and check the table from all angles.  If the adjustable legs can't level it, then it's warped.

Answer 4

I would say all 3 ans have merit -If wood or any nonslate material Find a dumpster

If cheap slate like Matt says there still isnt much hope for it

But try the level first that may do it