How to Move a Coin Slot Pool Table

Everyone who owns a pool table will need to move it at one point in time or another. It's a delicate process that can be difficult to accomplish. It requires heavy lifting, taking care of fragile parts and precision levelling the table.

This is especially complicated if you have a coin-operated pool table. Most people prefer to use the services of a professional when moving a coin slot pool table, but if you prefer to do it yourself there are some fairly involved steps to follow.

Empty the pool table of loose items. Remove all of the balls from the table and pack them in a box. Also remove the coin box to take all of the change from the machine. If the entire coin-in mechanism will pull out, remove it. Otherwise, at least remove the change box.

Use chalkboard chalk to mark the position of the felt. It is not necessarily important to identify the specific edges. Just know which corner is for the top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right. It's OK to write on the felt with chalk. It will easily wash away later. You should also mark all of the other pieces with chalk as they are removed, as this will make it easier to identify the individual pieces when they are reassembled later.

Remove the side rails from all four sides of the coin slot pool table. This is typically done using a standard 3/4-inch wrench or socket wrench to remove nuts from the underside of the table. Once the nuts have been removed, the side rails should lift easily out of place. Wrap them in a moving blanket or with bubble wrap to protect them from scratching, and set them aside.

Roll up the table felt and set it aside. You can reuse the felt if it is in good condition. If it is in poor condition, you can use it as a pattern when making your new felt. Either way, save the table felt by rolling it up and placing it to the side, with the side rails. The slate should now be exposed.

Remove the slate very carefully. The slate is usually divided into either two or three sections, and ranges from 3/4 inch to 1 inch in thickness. The slate will weigh approximately 45.4kg. per section if it is in three sections, and about 68kg. each if it is divided into two sections. Lifting the slate should be manageable for two people. Be very careful not to drop the slate. It will need to be replaced if it is broken, cracked or chipped. Wrap the slate in a thick, padded moving blanket for protection. Be sure to save all of the little wooden shims that were under the slate. You do not need to know where they went, because it will be different at the new location.

Lift the bottom platform off as one whole piece and disassemble the legs at the bottom of the table. This is typically done with a 3/4-inch wrench or socket wrench. Be careful to retain any loose nuts or bolts because they will be needed to reassemble the coin slot pool table at your new location. Wrap the legs and any other finished wood in bubble wrap or moving blankets to help protect the finish from being scratched.

Transport the individual parts to the new location. This is much easier if you are moving the pool table to a new room. If the coin slot pool table is being moved to an entirely new location, load the parts onto a moving truck for transportation. In this case, carefully lay the slate pieces flat onto the bed of the truck so that there is no chance of them falling over and being damaged.

Reassemble the legs at the new location and secure the base platform to them. Replacing the screws, nuts and bolts that were removed in the previous section accomplishes this. Once the base platform is attached, check for the initial level. Place a level in the centre of the platform and check to see if the platform is level. If it needs adjustment, screw or unscrew one of the feet on the bottom of the table legs to adjust the table position. When complete, place the level in other areas to make sure the platform has been levelled as close as possible.

Place the pieces of slate on the platform. They should have been marked with chalk so that you can put them back in the same position they were originally in. As they are placed on the platform, use the level to check each one for level individually. If one is not quite level, use the wooden shims you had saved and gently tap them under the slate with a wooden mallet. Take a new measurement after each shim until the slate is level, then proceed to the next slat slab on the coin slot pool table.

Place the side rails and felt back on the table. Use the chalk marking you made on the felt to line up the corners to the proper table position. Replace the felt entirely if the old one is excessively worn, but there is nothing wrong with reusing the same felt if it is still in good condition. Recheck the tightness on the bolts holding the side rails after you have added the felt.

Recheck the level of the table. Place your level at various points across the table surface. All areas should be perfectly level as long as the previous steps were followed, but it never hurts to do a final check. Being level is the most important part of being able to play a precision game. If the table does not appear level at the finish, remove the felt and side rails so that you can rework the slate slabs. Otherwise, if everything checks out, you are ready to put the balls and coin box back into the coin slot pool table.