Lines across the table

[philip in china]

As many of you will know here I have a 10' Chinese table. It isn't very good but it is well set up. I now have a snooker iron and being a boy with a new toy have been ironing the table more than is absolutely necessary! It does look a lot better than when I was using a domestic iron.

Now 2 lines have developed where the slate joints are. They make no difference to a ball being rolled slowly along the table so are absolutely not a problem I just wondered what they are,

Any ideas? Geoff??

[pottr]

My table has the same but one (close to the baulk line) is more pronounced than the other.

I think it's the filler that's used to level the slate joins is more reflective that the cloth that covers it? I've never noticed it under tables with the old style lighting.

[Geoff Large]

prob slate joint slightly out of true , could also be bad filling of slate joint , there are some fitters who use a paste out of a tube they call it quick set filler , it is crap .

the yanks on pool tables use wax filler , but they do not iron their cloths , on a snooker napped cloth you iron on a regular basis and an iron would melt the wax .

plaster of paris is the traditional filler to use at it is softer than the slate so easy to sand down , recently I have been converted over to soft sand car body filler , it is more stable than plaster of paris .
some people vac their table , if plaster of paris is used this can be easy sucked out of the joint , and then deposited as lumps under the cloth further down the slate , so the soft sand car body filler is the best choice . but I do not recomend vacumeing a snooker table with slate joints .

settlement of the table can sometimes bring the joints out of true slighty and make one side higher than the other , an iron will show the line up more and onec in will never be got out , even if you have it restretched , on older thick slate tabls the slate s hardly move , it is the softer italian / chines / and now Brazilian which are unstable .
if a fitter decides he has had enough of trying to level the joint , he may decide it is time to sand it out , once this has been done the joint will never be right , it all depends on how true the slates and frame are for the perfect joint .

Regular ironing will show any joint up that is not true .

[philip in china]

So I suppose that it shows the iron is doing its job!

[philip in china]

Interestingly, at least it interests me, the lines are much less pronounced today. Today it is raining and very humid which makes me wonder if the cloth has soaked up a bit of humidity and that has caused the lines to be less conspicuous. I shall monitor the position and fascinate you all by making frequent postings on the subject. Can't you just feel the tension rising?

[throtts]

So I suppose that it shows the iron is doing its job!

Philip, it shows that you love to iron the damn table,,, too much. Do you do it in your maids outfit..haha...