Slate the only choice for beds of pool tables!

We use only custom drilled and precision honed imported slate mined and cut exclusively for us to meet our rigid standards this has the most consistent run-out and trueness and we will accept no other, other slates are also very consistent but our jig fixtures are built to accommodate our own custom slate drill patterns. Slate can be mined from many different countries, Italy, Brazil, China or wherever all have similar characteristics and consistencies most slates are machined to within  .002 - .010 (ten thousandths) of an inch tolerance mostly .002-.005 or better which cant and will never be duplicated by these other products and be as cost effective as slate and their tolerances are not as stable as slate with weather changes and temperature playing a factor. We experimented with several types of fiber substrate and fiberglass filled cements, fiber boards, MDF boards and even marine grade plywood's build up veneers and everything that we could think of and others offered !nothing ever came close to the slate in any playability or longevity  tests. Were convinced that until some miracle product comes along Slate is the only bed for a pool table...( although we offer a low end entry level table with a bed made exclusively from a waterproof board we feel this is only for those where weight is a main concern and we make it very clear that we don't recommend this for extreme outdoor use).

Slate vs Composite Beds  

The bed of the table is the playing surface this is where the trueness and playability begin, if the bed is not perfect so the playability will not be. Slate beds have been used for pool tables beds for hundreds of years and through these years there have been attempts to use other materials to replace this heavy rock with a lighter more suitable substance that's easier to move and transport and gives an equal playability, so far this has not happened! Slate will not be replaced by cement fiber substrates, partial boards, wood substrates, fiberglass sheets or any other materials in any near future so lets look at why.