Bumperpool Slate

Slate - The Stuff Tables are Made of

    Have you ever wondered what your bumper pool table was made of?  Or what it looked like underneath all that felt?  Okay?you probably have not thought about it unless you are having to refinish your table.  I, on the other hand, have a habit of wanting to know what is underneath all the felt and varnish.  I.e. I once took my radio apart to see how it was put together.  Since I know you don't want to take your table apart, I am going to share with you exactly what the bed of your table is made of.  Slate!

    Most slate used for pool tables and bumper pool tables come from Italy.  Most manufactures of slate are all family owned.  The family owned mines and finishing plants ensure that only the best slate is used for the playing beds of tables.

    Slate comes in a wide variety of brittleness and moisture content.  Only a limited numbers of veins of slate are considered suitable for playing beds.  Slate that is considered to brittle, too soft, or too inconsistent is either ignored, or used for designer roofing, kitchen counters, or fireplace mantles (slate has a wide variety of uses).  Once a vein has been determined to have the proper mineral make up, proper moisture content, and hardness the veins are removed in large blocks, then trucked from the mountains to factories.

    Once the slate has been removed to the factories, the slate is cut into blocks that are two inches thick.  This process must be done slowly as to not stress the stone.  An enormous gang saw with a dozen or more diamond-tipped blades are pushed and pulled through the slate by a flywheel that is attached to an engine.  This process takes approximately eight hours.  After the pieces have been cut into slabs, the slate is once again inspected for suitability.

   High-tech machines and computers are used to ensure accuracy in all the finishing processes.  Large robots move the slate down the finishing line.  The slate first has the two long edges trimmed.  It is then turned to the right and the two short sides are trimmed next.  Next the slab is reduced to the correct thickness.  Once the desired size and thickness is achieved, the slate is polished on both sides to an almost mirror finish.  After the slate is polished, the pockets are cut.  If the slate is for a pool table, it is then cut into three or four pieces. 

    Robots then pick up the finished slate and package them up.  Slate is then shipped around the world to dealers and table manufactures.  Italian slates are marked with a circular green sticker that says "OIS" on it. 

Special Thanks to Pool & Billiard Magazine and the Original Italian Slate website