If you have an old pool table, or perhaps chose to buy one in lesser conditions rather than paying an arm and a leg for a new pool table, then you may be interested in restoring it to its prior beauty. This can be much simpler and cheaper than you may have thought. Learn more about pool table restoration here.
The first thing to go out on most pool tables is their felt; did you know that it really is not that expensive or difficult to do yourself? While you always have the option of contacting your local pool table distributor, usually they will service your table even if it is not a carried brand. This can, however, be a bit pricey. Your other alternative here is to replace your pool table’s felt yourself. On eBay, and all over the Internet, you can find felt kits which provide instructions, tacks, and of course felt. This is pretty easy and straight forward; most people with a very limited fix-it-yourself inclination can complete a new felt job in a few hours with these kits. If you fancy yourself a jack of all trades you can take it one step cheaper with a visit to Joann’s or your local fabric store. You save about 50% on the price of the felt as it is not designed specifically for pool tables. Just make sure you get the thread count and blend correct. Something around a 20-22 oz. weight and a mix of roughly 75% wool and 25% nylon is ideal for proper play. Of course you also have to go get your own tacks as you’re not buying a kit. This method does allow you to place new felt on your table for about $25 though.
The next most common issue for an old pool table is usually balance. To correct this you will need two levels, one for each direction. You can use a single level but it can get quite frustrating having to readjust each leg multiple times. Most pool tables have screw out ends on the legs which allow you to adjust them; I will assume that this is not the case for your pool table or you would probably not be reading this. Often times, especially with older pool tables, the screws become stripped which prevents you from adjusting the legs to level your pool table. While the simplest option is to cut some plywood and place it under your pool table legs this really is not aesthetically pleasing. What you can do is go with a larger screw; after all that is all that is between the end piece and the leg. Simply affix it to the end piece and resize the hole in the leg with a drill. This only takes a few minutes and from here you have a perfectly balanced pool table, which is essential for proper play.
Hopefully now you have learned the basics of pool table restoration, how to apply new felt and balance your old and worn pool table.
