# How do I recover my pool table? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-pool-table/52081 "2001-01-28T03:19:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-pool-table/52081/1 "2001-01-28T03:19:45Z")
The felt on my pool table is all crappy and bad. The bumpers are seperating. It is a loarge Gotham pool table with automatic ball return. I’m pretty mechanically inclined, but is recovering and fixing this table something I can do myself, or will I reall y screw it up trying? What’s involved with this process and what’s the best place to buy the supplies I’ll need? Or, should I really just let somebody who knws what they are doing do it? ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-pool-table/52081/2 "2001-01-28T05:04:19Z")
Seeing as no one else has jumped in here, I’ll offer my opinion. Back in High School one of best friends had a beauty of a pool table. As part of his parents de-lousing of the house when he left for college, they had the table re-fit for felt and new bumpers put on. From what I saw of the guy doing the refinishing, it didn’t look too easy. The guy dismantled the hell out of it. From what I could tell, he used quite a few specialty tools to get at all the parts and mechanisms (I’m not much of a handy-man, so I’m not positive on that). But more important than the new felt and bumpers was his ‘tweaking’ out of the table. He spent a good deal of his time testing and adjusting the angle, level, and overall ‘feel’ of the table. That skill alone seemed worth the money- it’s harder than it looks. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-pool-table/52081/3 "2001-01-28T05:05:57Z")
Ohh, ahh… my opinion would be to go with the professional. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-pool-table/52081/4 "2001-01-28T05:55:37Z")
Definitely go with the pro. You could probably do it yourself, but the smallest error would mean a marred surface, so you might as well let an expert do it. Get it leveled, re-felted, re-cushioned, the whole bit. It’ll be worth whatever you have to pay the guy.