Why are the playing surfaces of better pool tables still made of slate?

[Howard]

They are slate in the better pool tables, but why? Why not aluminum, or steel?

EDIT: Both of those materials are very strong, don't change their properties much in temperature/humidity variations, can be processed to have an ultra-smooth finish just like slate, can be flatter than slate, and aluminum would be lighter, I think.

EDIT2: Aluminum's density is about the same, or slightly lighter than slate.

EDIT3: Steel isn't really a good choice due to its high density. But it's durable! And if you could build a table to support its weight, you wouldn't have to worry about damaging it.

 

[gooch]

naturally flat, with no warping.

 

[Spikesoldier]

pool balls will leave dents on the surface.

bad players, jump shots, masse, power breaks etc.

good one piece italian slate is much better and is traditional.

 

[Trygve]

Slate has been around a lot longer than people have been able to make pool-table-sized flat slabs of aluminum or steel. It's like the way that the circumstances of history has resulted in Christmas trees being traditionally made from a tree rather than plastic.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: gooch
naturally flat, with no warping.

But those aren't the reasons why we still use it, right?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
pool balls will leave dents on the surface.

bad players, jump shots, masse, power breaks etc.

good one piece italian slate is much better and is traditional.

I find it difficult to believe that acrylic balls will leave dents on solid aluminum. Much less steel.

 

[gooch]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: gooch
naturally flat, with no warping.

But those aren't the reasons why we still use it, right?

Tradition I guess.

 

[Gurck]

Wouldn't balls bounce more on metal? I think it's partially due to slate's deadening properties... though I'm sure a synthetic material could be developed.

 

[Brutuskend]

I just saw a show on this the other day. They tried different materials at one point and found slate was still the best. BTW: Did you know that in the "Old Days'' pool balls were made of Ivory and that on average they only got 3 balls out of one tusk! The billiards industry was the driving force behind the development of plastics since they offered a large prize to anyone who could come up with a replacement for Ivory for balls!

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
pool balls will leave dents on the surface.

bad players, jump shots, masse, power breaks etc.

good one piece italian slate is much better and is traditional.

I find it difficult to believe that acrylic balls will leave dents on solid aluminum. Much less steel.

The force and weight of the balls would eventually tear up the surface and leave dents/marks/groves, etc.

Slate is absolutely perfect, I couldn't thing of anything better.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Do you want a PIIIIIIIIIIIIING! when you jump a ball, or do you want a "THUD"?

 

[IamElectro]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I just saw a show on this the other day. They tried different materials at one point and found slate was still the best. BTW: Did you know that in the "Old Days'' pool balls were made of Ivory and that on average they only got 3 balls out of one tusk! The billiards industry was the driving force behind the development of plastics since they offered a large prize to anyone who could come up with a replacement for Ivory for balls!

That show was quite interesting.

 

[jjones]

I would guess because even with modern technology, slate is still the best material to use, giving the best longevity matched with "feel".

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly
Do you want a PIIIIIIIIIIIIING! when you jump a ball, or do you want a "THUD"?

There are ways to reduce the loudness of resonance.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
pool balls will leave dents on the surface.

bad players, jump shots, masse, power breaks etc.

good one piece italian slate is much better and is traditional.

I find it difficult to believe that acrylic balls will leave dents on solid aluminum. Much less steel.

The force and weight of the balls would eventually tear up the surface and leave dents/marks/groves, etc.

Slate is absolutely perfect, I couldn't thing of anything better.

I guess all the other man-made alternatives are way too expensive or impractical.

Slate it is.

 

[Czervik]

"Both of those materials are very strong, don't change their properties much in temperature/humidity variations, can be processed to have an ultra-smooth finish just like slate, can be flatter than slate, and aluminum would be lighter, I think."


You answered your own questions here: Slate DOES change its properties in temp and humidity fluctuations, this is a plus, because the wood in the table also does..this way they both shrink and grow at the same rate.
Slate also has moisture absorbing properties, unlike aluminum or steel. And the weight of the slate is also needed to prevent the balls from moving if you bump the table. And while steel would certainly be heavier, the process and technology required to machine it as flat as slate would be quite expensive.

 

[vailr]

What about using: DuPont "Corian", used normally for kitchen & bath, countertops and sinks? Probably more expensive than slate, though.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
pool balls will leave dents on the surface.

bad players, jump shots, masse, power breaks etc.

good one piece italian slate is much better and is traditional.

I find it difficult to believe that acrylic balls will leave dents on solid aluminum. Much less steel.

Tradition.

And yes, acrylic balls can leave dents on certain grades of Aluminum. Acrylic is harder than Aluminum.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Czervik
"Both of those materials are very strong, don't change their properties much in temperature/humidity variations, can be processed to have an ultra-smooth finish just like slate, can be flatter than slate, and aluminum would be lighter, I think."


You answered your own questions here: Slate DOES change its properties in temp and humidity fluctuations, this is a plus, because the wood in the table also does..this way they both shrink and grow at the same rate.
Slate also has moisture absorbing properties, unlike aluminum or steel. And the weight of the slate is also needed to prevent the balls from moving if you bump the table. And while steel would certainly be heavier, the process and technology required to machine it as flat as slate would be quite expensive.

The thermal expansion of wood and slate need not be the same... In fact, they probably aren't. And the thermal expansion rates of different types of wood aren't the same, either.

As I said earlier, aluminum is about the same density as slate, or slightly lighter, but if you are worried about the extra mass, you can just dump some lead inside the legs, or inside the cabinet somewhere.

Are there any benefits to moisture absorption?

 

[Czervik]

True enough, they don't likely have the same expansion rate, but they are closer together than any metal would be.

Someone else mentioned that the acrylic balls can actually dent the surface of aluminum!! I wasn't aware of this, pretty impressive, huh.

The slate can wick some moisture away from the cloth, making the speed of the table more consistent with changes in humidity.