How to Disassemble a Pool Table: A Step by Step Guide
IT’S TIME TO MOVE HOUSES!
But there are many things you have to pack and disassemble to move to a different home, and that includes your beloved pool table.
Having a pool table is a GREAT ADDITION.
But moving a pool table is not the easiest thing to do. The first step is to disassemble it.
Usually, professional movers do this. But if you can’t afford to shell out the cash to get movers, here’s how you can do it yourself (with a friend)!
Items You Will Need
When you disassemble your pool table, you can’t do it with your bare hands. You need tools! So here’s a list of supplies you will need in order to do this.
- Electric drill with flat head bit and screwdriver bit
- Flat head screwdriver, a staple puller, or needle-nose pliers
- Blankets
- Box or Bag, or any container for the hardware accessories
- Markers
- Plastic Ziploc Bags
- Bubble Wrap
- Socket Wrench
Safety Tips
For safety purposes, you may want to wear eye protection, like safety goggles or glasses.
Most importantly, you want a friend or assistant to help you. Movers never do this alone, there are always at least two of them.
So don’t expect yourself to do it alone. GET HELP.
Disassembling a Pool Table
Now that you have everything you need to start, here’s how to do it!
Please do note though, that this way of disassembling only applies to the furniture slate table, and not the coin pool table.
Make sure you have Ziploc bags or containers to place your pieces in. You wouldn’t want to lose a screw!
Without further ado, here are the steps!
1) Remove the Pocket Liners
The pockets are an important part of the pool table. It is also one of the first things to remove.
So if you have pocket liners, this is the best place to start.
- First, remove the screws or staples that hold the pocket straps in the table. You can use a staple remover, flat head screwdriver, or needle-nose pliers to remove the staples and a screwdriver for screws.
- Once you remove the tacks or screws, just squeeze the sides of the pocket and push down on it so it goes through the apron and detaches from the table.
- Do it the same way for all the pocket liners.
- When all the drop pockets are removed, place them in a box or container.
- Put the screws into a Ziploc bag, and the drop pockets into a separate container so you don’t lose them.
2) Remove the Rail Bolts
After you’ve removed the pockets, the next step would be to remove the RAIL BOTS.
- You can lay it down underneath the table and use a socket wrench attachment for your drill to remove these.
- The side rails usually have 3 BOLTS PER RAIL, meaning you will most likely be removing a total of 18 bolts.
- If you have an older table, the side rails could be attached in two places with different bolts (Be careful not to remove the smaller apron bolts).
- Keep all the rail bolts in a Ziploc bag, and label it accordingly so you don’t lose them.
- Since you will be laying it under the table, a way you can keep your eyes from getting hit by a bolt is to wear eye protection or goggles.
3) Remove Corner Miters
After removing the rail bolts, lift the rail system off the table.
Flip it over and lay it back on the table.
Please get help from a friend or family member for this. You don’t want any accidents. You could accidentally break the rail or hurt yourself.
In the corner of the tables, you will find two corner casting brackets. You should remove this with a FLAT HEAD BIT.
Once the screws and brackets are removed, you can lift out the corner pieces.
Place all the corner parts, each screw and bracket, in another Ziploc bag and label it.
4) Remove Aprons
There are 4 apron sections that can be removed from the rails.
- Unscrew the apron bolts.
- Hold on to the apron as you remove the last bolt so you keep control of it.
- Wrap each apron in a blanket so it doesn’t get damaged while you move it. You can SECURE it using MOVER’S WRAP around the ends.
- Place the apron bolts in another Ziploc bag and label.
5) Remove the Pocket Castings and Rails
Now it’s time to loosen and remove the bolts in EACH pocket casting. Yes, the pockets are not quite done yet.
- You can do this using a 14mm ratchet wrench. Once all 12 of the nuts and bolts are removed, place them in another Ziploc bag so you don’t lose them.
- Place the pocket castings in a box.
- Once these are separated, the rails should be separated as well.
- Just like how you wrapped the aprons in blankets, do the same with the rails, securing each end with mover’s wrap.
6) Remove the Felt
Removing the felt is important since you have to uncover the slate bed to remove it.
- If the felt on your pool table is stapled, remove the staples slowly with a staple remover or flathead screwdriver so as to not damage the felt.
- You can use your needle nose pliers to make sure you remove the felt slowly and gently.
- If the felt is glued on, carefully peel it from the table.
- Once the felt is removed, fold it neatly, and put it in a waterproof bag for protection.
- We would personally fold the felt in half widthwise twice first, then fold it in half width lengthwise thrice to make it a neat fold.
- Try to make as little creases as possible in the felt.
Pro tip: Use a magnetic bowl to hold the staples so you don’t make a mess.
7) Remove the Slate Pieces
Once the felt is off, you’re ready to remove the slate bed.
- You have to BE REALLY CAREFUL in this part. If any slate piece gets chipped or scratched, it could ruin the whole table.
- There are 4 slate screws on each piece. Remove EACH of these with a drill.
- Some manufacturers cover the screws with beeswax to smoothen it out. This makes them hard to identify and remove. If you notice your table has beeswax, scrape it off with your flathead screwdriver.
- Once the screws are out, put them in a Ziploc bag and label them.
- Before you remove the slates, label each of them with a number. This is important if you want to reassemble it. Also, MARK THE MIDDLE PIECE so you know its position.
- Lift each of the slate pieces and see them aside. Make sure to get help. Each slate can weigh up to 250 lbs., and there are usually three slates.
8) Disassemble the Frame and Remove the Legs
- To disassemble the frame, you have to remove the legs first.
- The legs are normally screwed onto the body, so you just have to unscrew it. If there are nuts, place them in a Ziploc bag so you don’t lose them.
- Wrap each of the legs in a blanket to protect it from scratches, just like you did with the apron and the rails.
- After removing the legs, you can unscrew and disassemble the entire frame, if your particular pool table allows for it.
F.A.Q.
Can You Move a Pool Table Without Taking It Apart?
You cannot move a slate pool table in one piece. You have to disassemble it and reassemble it.
In SOME cases, you can move it with furniture sliders without taking it apart. You could probably do this if you just want to move it to a different room in your house, and if the door is wide enough.
How Much Does a Slate Pool Table Weigh?
Each slate piece weighs around 150 to 200 lbs. The entire slate pool table would weigh around 650 to 1000 lbs.
How Much Does It Cost to Disassemble a Pool Table?
If you already own all the tools needed, you need basically nothing to do it yourself.
But if you want to have it disassembled and reassembled by movers, it would cost around $200-$600, which includes the price of them to move it.
Now You’re Ready to Move Your Pool Table!
Pool tables are great. If we had to choose between a dining table and a pool table, we would choose a pool table. So of course, it CANNOT BE LEFT BEHIND.
Of course, it’s important to you, right? You didn’t do all this research for nothing!
While it is definitely possible to do this yourself, and there are easy steps here, we recommend having professional movers do this if you’re having doubts about installing it yourself or want to prioritize safety.
This will lessen the chance of you accidentally breaking your pool table or worse- injuring yourself!
Pool tables can be very complex, so doing this by yourself is quite a challenge.
But if you do choose to take apart the table yourself, just make sure you don’t lose a piece of your pool table, or you may not be able to reassemble it later.
