Expert: Pool_Teacher - 1/5/2005

Question
My brother accidently pushed my pool table and I think that my table may not be level anymore. I would like to know if I should try to put the table level on my own or if I should call a professional to do the job? How should I put the table level on my own?  

Answer
Leveling a table is dependent on the type of table. For instance, on some tables the bottom plate that meets the floor turns and screws in and out, allowing you to change the table level with a twist of that plate. On other tables the legs are easily shimmed by sliding a thin piece of material under the leg.

Generally, if you have a few strong people handy*** and a level, leveling a table is not very complicated, and I think you should try to do so yourself before paying someone a not inconsiderable sum to do a fifteen minute job. First find out how your table is leveled, as in whether wood shims are appropriate (go to any woodworker's store and get some scrap veneer to use as shims). Then, just place a level at all ends of the table to see which leg(s) needs to be raised. Have two strong people raise up the side on which the leg is that you you need to raise and slip your shim in/screw the leg out. Try your level again. Keep repeating this process until your table tests as level at all ends.

Okay now that you've gotten the table fairly level, here comes the real test. Roll a cueball slowly at various places on the table and see if it rolls true. Make your final adjustments based on this.

If you want an even more accurate (but far more elaborate) way to test levelness, get a small piece of window glass or other smooth, uniformly flat surface, place that on the surface of the table and put a playing marble in the center. If it doesn't roll, the table is level. If it does roll, the direction of roll will tell you what sides needs to be raised, and the speed of the roll will tell you how far off true the table is. This is really only if you want to be obsessive. Needless to say, if a slow rolling cueball stays true, finely adjusting the table's levelness further is going beyond the call of duty. Moreover, if you have a table that shifts fairly easily from a push, in any event the table will not stay perfectly level for very long. Note that you need to test all ends of table (as you must also with your slow rolling cueball). If you were to do this test, I would perform it a few inches out from each of the six pockets.

One thing you need to know is that sometimes the slate slabs of the table are not level with regard to each other. If this is the case, you can level the table all day and never get it truly level. If you do have this problem, you will likely not be able to fix this yourself, but hey, if your table played level enough before it was shifted, your best leveling should restore it to how it was (or better than it was) before the shift anyway.

***One note of caution: Do not try to do this without the proper number of people in the proper physical condition to help. Even a "light" table is quite heavy, all things being equal.