Too much Heat placed too close to the slate will eventually distort it .
and before you all say B)))))KS , I have been fitting tables dismantling and setting up for over 40 years and I have seen many tables with distorted slates due to excessive heat over a period of time
it may not distort for a year or so but eventually it will distort and the level will become effected .
modern slate is even worse than the good welsh slate for distorting .
as the density of modern Chinese Italian and Portuguese and Brazilian slate is more porous .
Slate when formed is crushed fall out dust and muck which becomes under great pressure to form a shale solid , but a solid that is porous , unlike marble which is solid and none porous .
if you where to drop and break a slate you will see that it breaks by coming apart in shale like substance ,
this break at the shale is the week point and heat will try and force the slate apart at this point even when it is a solid .
Back ground heat from say a heater placed at ;least 1 foot away and on back ground heat setting not full wack is the best way .
Welsh slate of good thickness can withstand the heat distortion much better and these older tables can put up with the heat much better , but they also can not be trusted not to distort if too much heat is placed underneath them .
A local table to me had a convector heater underneath the black spot for a couple of years , that table now has the two end slates distorted .
and a ball runs off from black spot to middle bag from both sides on a diagonal shot .
the whole table to get correct again will have to have the slate re floated level again .
this is now not as easy to get done in the UK as it was in the 1980s and 90s . as firms like Enbild of Liverpool and Karnehm and Hillman who used to offer a re floating service have now gone .
also the slates had to go to them to be re floated as you cannot do it in situ as you need 12 foot at each end of the table to re float slates .
if a table is indoors and in room with central heating then you have to ask why heat in the first place .
my recommendation to most people is if you must heat under the table then small oil filled radiator under each section of frame work , there are three sections if you look under the table from end leg to middle legs , then the middle leg section , then the other middle to end leg section .
and only put them on say 2 hours before you play and turn them off after play .
As a Billiard fitter who has seen damaged tables through heat distortion , that is my advice , take it or leave it , it's not my table at the end of the day .
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This sounds like a great idea. Do you attach the heating wire directly to the slate? I would appreciate some pictures if you have some ...
ThanksLeave a comment:
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lol, I'm a Firefighter, so, however, I do it, it'll be done with safety in mind...Leave a comment:
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That's great! Thanks, Staezione, I've just checked that Thermostat out, your right it is very cheap, Happy Days!Leave a comment:
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This is how i did it, just buy isolated electric floor heating wire. In total cost me about 150 Euro's. for the thermostat i used this one: http://www.sestos-hk.com/english/pro...how.asp?id=495 - comes very cheap on ebay (15 dollar more or less). Works like a dream.
IMG_1566.JPGLast edited by Staezione; 2 March 2018, 10:18 PM.Leave a comment:
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Alternative Cheaper Table Heating idea?
Hi,
I've never played on a heated table, however, I'm looking at different (cheaper) options to heat my own Table, at the moment and I was wondering if two 'King Size Electric Bed Blankets' would be able to do the job...? obviously I'd need to find a way to get them to stay up under the slates but that shouldn't be a problem... The main reason I thought of Electric Blankets is the dimensions are pretty close to a snooket Table already so there would be no need to adapt them and obviously they have the thermostat built in and dont get mega hot like a heater would... anyone any other ideas?
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