We will here guide you a basic guide on how to refelt a pool table. Re felting your own pool table is not a difficult task; in fact it is easier than you might think it is. Re felting on your own could save you some money. But done wrong it will affect your joy of playing the game. If you decide to do it for yourself, instead of hiring someone to do the task, be sure to do it correctly.
Underneath you will find different kinds of felts you can buy for your pool table. Be sure to pick a felt that is high in quality and therefore will last long. We recommend Simonis billiard cloth.
Steps to follow for pool table felt installation*;
- First of all you should remove the cushions of your pool table. Find out how it’s stuck to the pool table (probably three bolts per cushion, located underneath the pool table) and unscrew the bolts. Marking the different cushions could be smart, to know where they belong. Done this you should remove the staples from the cushions, in order to get rid of the old felt from the rails.
- Secondly you should draw a line exactly where the metal piece has its exact center. Good to have later on. The metal piece is there to fasten the felt to the rail. Remove the metal piece.
- Lay the new cushion on the edge of the rail, and cut it on both side, a little bit at a time. Do your best. A pocket protector will pick up some minor irregularities. Now you want to glue the cushion and the rail together. Apply contact cement on both, wait some minutes, and then lay the cushion in place. It should be straight. Attach also the pocket protector to the cushion.
- Check the felt to see that it doesn’t have any flaws. The felt should be at the very least 12 inches longer and 12 inches wider than your table. The felt is made in such a way that you can make a little cut and then take hold of the felt and tear it across. Use a masking tape to know which side is which, so to not be confused. For felt for the side rails you should mark at 6 and 12 inches on the short side of the felt, and then tear across. In that way you get 2 pieces of 6 inches each.
- Now how do you refelt pool table rails? You should lay the felt along the rail, and place the metal piece back to where it belongs, just not fasten it really yet. The felt must be pulled so to make it as smooth and tight as possible. There should be about 1/4“of felt running all the way down the side rail. Adjust the pocket protector just a little to let the felt hang down. Cut off the 1/4 “excess field carefully. Use the metal piece as a guide. Finish pounding in the metal piece. Now staple the felt on the other side, starting from the middle. Tighten first. Cut off excess felt on the underside of the rail, but also on the ends. You should spray a little water on the felt near the side pockets, due to a tight angle. By doing this the felt will stretch more and it will be more tight when it is dry.
- Now for the table itself. Remove all old felt, this is important. Use sealing wax for the new felt. To level the table use slate shims (can be put under the slate or under the legs of the table). You will have to loosen some bolts in order to do this. Choose between a 4 foot or 6 foot level. Check and recheck to get the level right. Warm up the place where the two slabs of slate are connected. Use a propane torch. Then melt the wax, so that you get wax an inch or two on one of the sides of the joint. Use a blade to take away the excess wax, before it hardens, or else you will get much extra work. Use a putty knife to scrape off the dark area (if there are any) near the pockets (only small area). Then it’s time for laying the felt. Start stapling from center and work your way to the sides. One side covered, go to the other side and pull tight then staple from center. On the third site you don’t have to pull hard. On the forth you pull. As for the corners, just cut away excess material. Make 3 cuts in the corner, but a bit down in the pocket
- Reattach the side rails. To do this you need to make holes in the felt for the bolts. Just mark on the felt where the bolts are coming up, and cut a little “x”. Don’t tighten the bolts hard before you have all the rails in place.
- Install new pocket liners. Put it in the pocket and mark where it is to be cut. Cut it.
For a more in depth guide, you have two choices;
Firstly you can buy a detailed book called “Pool table – maintenance and repair” showing the process from A-Z. The book is so great that it is used by professionals. It is easy to understand and have great illustrations. It is a rookie’s guide, where you will learn not just to refelt a pool table but also how to set up a pool table, and to repair a pool table, actually any pool table. To view this book click here;
Secondly you could visit this site; www.refelting.com.
It shows pictures of the whole re-felting process, but just for one
kind of pool table.
Good luck!
*according to www.refelting.com
