How to Repair Damaged Slate on a Pool Table

For those who love the game, having a pool table in their home is a necessity. At some point however, you may have to repair the slate underneath the felt part of the table top. Fixing the slate using a professional could cost you quite a bit of money. You can do the same repairs yourself with products that can be found at your local home improvement store or a store that specializes in pool tables.

Instructions

1

Pull the felt off of the table. Do this gently as you do not want to tear or otherwise damage the felt. Pull the felt off the table and to one side.

2

Light the torch. Hold the beeswax away from your body and 2 to 4 inches from the torch's flame. Drip the melting beeswax into the slate where the crack is. When the beeswax dries, use a paint scraper to scrape off any excess. Wipe the area clean with a damp washcloth or sponge.

3

Melt pool table wax for any cracks or holes that are larger than a quarter of an inch. Allow the wax to drip into the hole or crack. Scrape the excess wax with a small paint scraper.

4

Apply slate repair glue to any parts of the slate that have completely come off the table. Apply the glue liberally to the bottom of the slate piece as well as the area on the table where you are reapplying the slate. Hold the slate piece down and then allow time to dry, typically about an hour. If any of the glue bubbles up and out from the crack, sand the glue down using medium-grade sandpaper. Smooth out the cracked area.

5

Replace the felt onto the table. Smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles in the felt by pushing them out with your hands, or gently moving across them with the paint scraper. Tuck the felt back into the sides of the pool table using the edge of the paint scraper to push the felt into the sides of the table.