{"id":1461,"date":"2016-01-03T19:56:19","date_gmt":"2016-01-03T19:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gametablesonline.com\/blog\/?p=1461"},"modified":"2025-06-26T13:00:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T13:00:52","slug":"pool-table-slate-buyers-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametablesonline.com\/blog\/pool-table-slate-buyers-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide to Pool Table Slate"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is slate?<\/h2>\n
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Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. \u2013 via Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Slate is a dense playfield material with a low water absorption index<\/strong> (0.4%) making it nearly waterproof. Moisture is important in the wear on a table overtime but it\u2019s also important during the installation process. Slate can crack if it is too dry when tightening down screws.
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\nSlate is important because it gives the ball a frictionless roll that is smooth and untampered with by peaks or valleys in the table. Depending on the mineral content of the location the slate was sourced from (Italy, Brazil, China, Spain, Wales, etc.), slate is found in many colors. Billiard slate is most commonly gray or black. Now, let\u2019s talk a little about the milling process.<\/p>\n

The Milling Process<\/h2>\n

The playfield of a pool table is made out of either slate or non-slate material. Slate being the superior and most common, is mined from the ground. From there, the slate is cut, sanded (or \u201choned\u201d) flat, then backed with a wood or MDF frame.<\/p>\n

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The sanding process is very important to the leveling of a table because this can create or eliminate natural high\/low spots<\/strong> in the slate. Large 5\u2019 sanding disks are used to properly flatten a table while smaller 6\u201d disks are sometimes used. These smaller 6\u201d disks create problems because the disk can only smoothen a small area at a time, creating grooves and rifts in the slate. You can tell what size disk was used by looking for patterns on the slate. Sanding marks are an indication of improperly honed slate as evidenced by the back and forth strokes that can be seen.<\/p>\n

Moisture is another key factor in the milling process. Slate with low moisture content is prone to cracking and chipping<\/strong> because it becomes too rigid. This is one of the reasons Brazilian slate is preferred over Italian slate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One piece vs Three piece Slate<\/h2>\n

What\u2019s the difference between 3 piece slate and a 1 piece slate pool table?<\/h3>\n

A one piece slate table is built using a single piece of slate while a three piece slate table is divided into three sections. Effectively, the one piece slate table doesn\u2019t have any seams while the three piece slate table has two seams. Properly milled three piece slate starts as a one piece slate<\/strong> and is then cut into three pieces so essentially, you\u2019re getting a single piece of slate that\u2019s just cut into pieces.<\/p>\n

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Tip:<\/strong> Look for a small semi-circle chalk mark<\/strong> on a three piece slate table to tell that you have a \u201cmatched set.\u201d When the pieces originated from the same piece of slate, the chalk marks should line up perfectly when assembled!<\/p>\n

Almost all high quality tables use three piece slate<\/strong> because it offers several advantages. The most important being the ability to accurately level a three piece slate table. Three piece slate is also much easier to move and less inclined to warping over time like one piece slate does due to weight. Three piece divides this weight into smaller portions making it better for the table in the long run.<\/p>\n

Read More: 1 Piece vs 3 Piece Slate Pool\u00a0Tables<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One Piece Slate<\/h3>\n