Felt Installation Guide

How to attach the cloth to the pool table-

When covering the table, you should first clean the pool table thoroughly, then you should level the slate and shim where required. Be sure the screws that hold the slate down are fully tightened to create a bind. You should then grout the joints and holes (if necessary) with a flexible filler such as beeswax. If you mix the beeswax with a resin compound, it will produce an even harder wax when it is dry. You shouldn’t use paraffin wax or plaster of paris.

1. Leave just enough cloth for one end and one side of the cloth overhang (number 1) to be stapled into the wood framing approximately 2 inches apart.

2. You should then stretch the cloth tightly across the pool table and staple three places (number 2) 2 inches apart.

3. You should stretch the cloth tightly from (number1) to (number 3) and staple into three separate places into the wood frame 2 inches apart.

4. Now stretch the cloth tightly across the table from (number 3) and pull from (number 2) and staple in two places at (number 4).

5. Next is to stretch the cloth tightly from (number 1) to side pocket (number 5) and staple in three separate places.

6. You should repeat step 5, stretch from (number 3) and staple at (number 6).

7. Now stretch the cloth tightly across the pool table from (number 5) and toward the side picket (number 7) from (number 2) and staple at location (number 7).

8. Repeat step 7, stretch cloth from (number 6) and to the side pocket at (number 8).

Note: You may have small pucker at the center near the side pockets. This will be taken care of in step 17.

9. At (number 9), cut a small slit in the cloth at the edge and centered on the side pocket opening. Grasp the cloth firmly above the cut, pull the cloth into the side pocket opening, and then staple the cloth to the underside of the frame while working out any wrinkles.

10. While stretching the cloth tightly across the table from (number 9), you should repeat the above step at (number 10).

11. Now staple the cloth at (number 11) while leaving some slack at the corner pocket opening.

12. Pull cloth tight from (number 11) to (number 12) and staple in three separate places at (number 12).

13. Stretch the cloth tight from (number 11) to (number 13) and then staple at approximately 3 inch centers.

14. Stretch cloth tight from (number 12) and (number 13) toward (number 14), and then staple into three separate places at (number 14).

15. Next you should staple the cloth on approximately 3 inch centers on each side (number 1) and (number3).

16. Now you should stretch the balance of the cloth across the pool table from (number 11) to (number 12) and staple.

17. Next stretch the cloth tight down the length of the pool table from (number 15) assuring the slight pucker that might have been at the side of the pockets has disappeared. Staple securely.

18. Now stretch the cloth tight across the table on each side of the center pockets and then staple at approximately 3 inch centers.

19. You should now stretch the cloth into the corner pockets and staple it to the underside of the slate framing. If it is necessary, cut short slits at the edge of the cloth to be sure that there are no wrinkles.

20. Next, trim off all of the excess cloth around the table with a razor blade or with scissors. Your pool table’s playing bed is now finished.

Dallas Pool Table: Felt Installation Guide

Attaching the felt to the rails- At the corner pockets

1. You should now place the new cloth over the rail with the “face” side pointed down. There might be a sticker that has “face side” written on it. The cloth should have an even overhand on the opposite ends of the rail and extend approximately 1/2 inch over the feather stripping groove on the cushion side (figure 1). Adjust to using more or less felt when the feather stripping is either too loose or too tight.

2. While starting at the center of the rail, you should tap the feather stripping down to 1/16 inch above the back side of the feather stripping (figure 1).

3. While stretching the cloth tight from the center to the ends, tap down the feather stripping to 1/16 inch while maintaining the half inch overhang to within approximately 3 inches from the ends of the feather stripping.

4. At each of the ends of the feather stripping, pull the cloth toward the rubber cushion an additional 1/2 inches to the cushion and then tap down on the feather stripping. Using a fiber block is preferable.

5. Next, trim the cloth on the cushion side of the feather stripping along the length of the feather stripping with a sharp knife (figure 3).

6. Now you should tap the entire length of the feather stripping flush with the top of the rail at the rear side of the feather stripping (figure 4). You should never try to tap the feather stripping flush with only a hammer because you will dent the top side of the rail behind the feather stripping.

7. Next, you should turn the rail over and fold the cloth over the mitered edge at the corners (figure 5), stretching the cloth tight and working out the wrinkles as you staple in the area shown in (figure 5). This is the hardest part of covering pool table rails.

8. While pulling the cloth tight over the rear edge of the pocket area, staple three separate places at location x (figure 6).

9. If this rail is an end rail, meaning both pocket areas are corner pockets, repeat step 8 at the opposite end of the rail. Starting at the center of the rail, stretch the cloth tight over the cushion and then staple at the middle center of the bottom of the rail while working toward each end (figure 6).

10. Now you should trim any extra cloth from the bottom of the rail (figure 7).

At the side pockets

11. When at the side pocket, stretch the cloth over the nose of the cushion tightly and staple in three separate places (figure A).

12. Put a small cut in the cloth up to the edge of the cushion nose (figure B), and then pull the small strip of felt to the rear of the pad firmly.

13. Now you should hold the small fold into place with your thumb and finger, and then firmly fold it down offer the rubber facing. Next you should staple at the rear of the rubber facing and at the bottom of the rail (figure C).

14. Now you should trim any extra cloth and your pool table’s rails are finished.

Dallas Pool Table: Felt Installation Guide Replacing cushion cloth (pocket billiard tables)

Preparing the old rails

1. After you have removed the rails from the pool table, you should remove the staples from the ends of the rails at the edge of the pocket facing.

2. You should now cut the old cloth along the length of the feather stripping on the cushion side at about 1/2 inch from the cloth line (figure 1A).

3. Next, you need to peel off the cloth and insert a flat head screwdriver beneath the feather stripping (figure 1B), then carefully pry the feather stripping out from the groove. Save the feather stripping for reuse if at all possible. Now turn the rail face side down and remove the staples from the old cloth.

Installing the feather stripping

1. If you are installing new feather stripping, place the feather stripping in the groove as shown in (figure b) and then trim one end flush with the angle of the pocket opining with scissors or a hacksaw (depending on if the feather stripping is made of wood, rubber, or plastic). Be very careful and keep the blade tilted at a sufficient angle in which you do not cut into the rail pocket area behind the feather stripping.

2. With one of the ends already trimmed, you should place that end down into the feather stripping groove and make it flush with the rubber facing, then you should trim the other end in the same way.

3. Now place the new cloth on top of the feather stripping groove while checking to see if the feather stripping will tap down into the groove. If the cloth is thicker, the feather stripping might require planing (figure c). The groove in the top of the rail and the feather stripping are set up for a lighter grade of cloth to allow for a full range of cloth grades, removing some material from the feather stripping may be required.

Dallas Pool Table: Felt Installation Guide Attaching cloth (Pocket Billiard Tables)

Corner Pockets

1. You should place the new cloth on the rail with the nappy side down. The cloth should have an even amount of overhang at both ends of the rail and extend 1/2 inch over the feather stripping groove on the cushion side (figure 1).

2. Now tap the feather stripping down with the hammer and fiber block (figure

2) except for about 3 inches at the end of the rail.

3. Next, on each end of the rails, pull the cloth to the rubber cushion an extra 3/4 inch and then tap the remainder of the feather stripping down (figure 2).

4. Now trim the excess cloth on the cushion side of the feather stripping along the total length of the feather stripping (figure 3)

5. Now you should fold the cloth over the front of the rail and then use your thumb and finger as a guide along the front edge of the cushion to keep the fiber block at the rear edge of the feather stripping. Tap the feather stripping down flush with the rail surface (figure4).

You should never try to tap the feather stripping down flush with only a hammer because is will dent the rail surface behind the feather stripping.

6. Now turn the rail over at the corner pockets while folding the cloth over the mitered edge (figure 5). You should stretch the cloth tight, work out any wrinkles that may exist, as you staple three separate places in the area shown here (figure 5).

7. Next, you should staple three separate places along the rear edge of the pocket facing the x (figure 6), then you should trim off the excess cloth at pocket area.

8. If the rail is an end rail, you need to repeat step 7 at the other corner pocket, then start at the center of the rail and stretch the cloth tight over the cushion and staple at the bottom of the rail and work toward each end (figure 6).

9. Now you need to trim all of the excess cloth from the bottom side of the rail (figure 7) with the edge of the staples or groove.

Side Pockets

10. When at the side pocket, stretch the cloth tight over the nose of the cushion and then staple into three separate places (figure A).

11. Cut a slit in the cloth up the edge of the cushion nose (figure B); firmly pull the small strip to the rear of the cushion, and then staple at the rear of the rubber facing.

12. Grab the small fold and fold it in place with your thumb and finger. Firmly fold it down of the rubber facing at the bottom of the rail (figure C).

13. Now you should trim any extra cloth and your pool table’s rails are finished.