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| What to look for in a shuffleboard table? |
| This guide is provided to help the consumer make an educated decision when purchasing a shuffleboard table. Shuffleboard tables can be broken down into two categories: a professional or recreational table. Since most consumers purchase tables for recreational purposes, the intent of this guide is to provide basic information regarding these tables. All of our information is honest and accurate and designed to help consumers make a more educated choice; particularly for those who are shopping on-line. |
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| Playfield Hardwoods |
| Most professional distributors will accurately and honestly inform you of the wood that is used on shuffleboard tables. There are several different types of wood that are used in these tables. Be aware that sometimes a manufacturer will refer to the wood used as “hard wood”. This may mean they are using a lower quality wood. Types of wood used include the following: We will give both the cost and the Specific Gravity this is the hardness or density of the wood |
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| Poplar -- $240 per cubic meter Specific Gravity: 42 |
| This wood is a very soft wood but one game and pool table manufacture recently introduced a recreational line of tables with this type of wood. |
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| Rubber Wood -- $275 per cubic meter Specific Gravity:56 |
| Rubber wood is the most commonly used wood for recreational lower-priced shuffleboard tables. It is a hard wood but it is not so white and the wood grain is not similar to maple. For someone who knows wood you can tell from look at a picture if the wood is rubberwood |
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| China Birch-- $300 per cubic meter Specific Gravity: 52 |
| China Birch is the most commonly used wood for tables manufactured in China. It is referred to as maple but sometimes only the top layer of boards is made of China Birch. This |
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| Russian Birch -- $350 per cubic meter Specific Gravity: 62 |
| Russian Birch is the most economical substitution for maple since it is much harder than China Birch and has fewer knots. All Adroit brand Shuffleboard tables
made by McClure tables uses Russian Birch for its recreation series table. We do distribute the Private label Champ and Elegant that another factory in North China makes with China birch (please
note other brands call this wood Maple and this is not correct, do not confuse with true maple wood below) |
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| Maple Wood |
| Commonly considered the finest wood for use in Shuffleboard tables although many of the woods above may look similar and often people who sell these tables perhaps unknowingly but they will advertise sale and promote the table as Maple. Below are the two most common types of Maple wood used on Professional Shuffleboard tables. |
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| Soft Maple Wood --$1445 per meter Specific Gravity: 54 |
| This is a good wood to use on shuffleboard tables however as you can see Russian Birch is actually a harder wood than soft maple. Some major manufactures in the
USA use soft maple and advertise as Canada Maple. It is from Canada but not the same as Hard Rock maple below the best wood to use for shuffleboard tables. China birch is actually almost as hard as
soft maple. Keep in mind many tables similar in style to our Private lable tables all use China birch but the distributors embellish the truth and call it Maple. All Maple wood comes from either
North America or Europe China does not have maple wood. |
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| Hard Maple Wood --$1745 per meter Specific Gravity: 72 |
This is the best wood and the type used on all professional McClure
shuffleboard Table models.
You can see from the variance in price why most recreational shuffleboard tables do not use maple. The cost is prohibitive. Therefore, if you are shopping for a recreational table and have been told the Play-Field is made completely of maple, the price of the table should reflect this. In addition, the weight of maple is much heavier than other wood so that would also be an indication as to whether or not a table is truly made of maple.
For the McClure Table a 14 foot Hard Maple board weights 285 pounds for only the board. In comparison the complete Champ 14 foot table weight is 450 pounds. It is impossible for the legs body and
score unit to only weight 165 pounds.
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| What is the best wood to use on a lower cost Shuffleboard table? |
Birch
This is softer than maple but has a similar look and characteristics. It is the best wood to use because the appearance and hardness are suitable for use on shuffleboard tables. Adroit Shuffleboard Table brand by McClure Tables uses a Russian Birch on the play surface of the tables we manufacture in our own factory. We also purchase two models from another manufacturer who uses China birch but we do not sell them with the Adroit Brand name.
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| Other wood working terms |
Butcher Block
Sometimes the term, butcher block, is used to describe shuffleboard tables. Most recreational type tables that are moderately priced are not true butcher block construction. Butcher block is a technique describing the assembly of boards used in cutting boards, kitchen countertops, and some shuffleboard tables. Many times the play-field will have the appearance from the top that it looks like true butcher block technique, and so it is called butcher block but actually is plank construction.
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| There are two types or true Butcher Block Construction. |
End Grain
For this technique, many short pieces of wood are stacked and glued so that the cut ends of the pieces (the end grain) face upwards. This produces a very strong tough, durable surface required for heavy meat cutters and a board that will absorb many blows from the butcher’s knife. This was the original term meant to mean Butcher block and today it has also come to be known as Edge Grain construction.
Edge Grain
This type of construction is where cut lumber planks are sawed into strips and then each section is flipped up on the edge 90 degrees. Then glue is applied to each face now the side of the board and put under heavy pressure to laminate the wood together. Long pieces are butt jointed together and the wood is staggered so that it looks like a hardwood floor. This is also called face glued in woodworking terminology. For shuffleboards, if the surface is 1.5 inches wide, then the wood strips are cut into 1.5 inch strips before they are flipped on the edge for the glue up. If it is a 3 inch, 2 inch or whatever thickness, then this is the size of the lumber when it is cut into strips before assembled into a butcher block. This is the type used on all high quality Professional tables and any Adroit Shuffleboard tables by McClure tables which are made in our own factory.
This is a picture of True Butcher Block Edge Glue Construction
(note this is a picture of a Adroit Russian Birch shuffleboard
play surface a true edge glue Butcher block. Something
you will not find in most recreation series tables they use the
Plank style below. We will only put our brand name and years of
experience and reputation on a true edge glue type construction.
The sample below is from a line we distribute as simply Private
label tables beware of imitation tables like these that the
distributors are attempt to pass off as higher quality tables than
they are.
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| This technique below is a common method but not Butcher block |
Plank Construction
This is the type of construction most low-cost shuffleboard manufacturers use and, while it will have a top appearance of butcher block, it is not considered a Butcher Block technique. In the case of a shuffleboard surface they will stack several boards on top of each other to build up to the desired height. Usually a 3 inch board will have three stacks that are 1 inch boards lay on the face and glue up to become 3 inch tall. At
Adroit by McClure Tables we do not make any tables like this but
do distribute some tables under a Private label that is made in another factory . This table
is made with China birch 3 layers of wood staked on top of each
other. You may see a similar models to our private label table
and they may be referred to as either Butcher block or Maple. Both
of these facts are not true and we do not want the consumer to be
confused because this is not a high quality professional table but
the design may look similar.
This is a Picture of a plank type construction
(notice layers of boards stacked on top of each other, an
inferior construction to butcher block and not to be confused)
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| Board Adjustment Climate Adjusters |
| No matter what price range you are considering, the type of wood, or construction technique you should look under the table for climate adjusters. These are essential to keep the table board flat and the pucks from falling off the edge of the table. Try to avoid any shuffleboard that does not use climate adjusters. Below are two types of acceptable adjusters. |
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| Play Surface Finish |
| A professional shuffleboard table will have a very expensive Polymer finish because this is considered the preferred playing surface for professional play. However, recreational tables are generally finished with a simple lacquer-type finish. The finishes on Adroit recreational
shuffleboards are of a high quality lacquer finish which will provide years of use and enjoyment. Some lower priced
shuffleboard tables will also use Polymer finish but do not assume just because it has polymer finish that it is the same other quality type materials you will find on a more expensive Professional Model. |
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| Playfield size and thickness |
| Playfields for Recreation series
shuffleboard tables most commonly are15.5 inch wide and 1.5 inch thick. This is what most of the Adroit Shuffleboard tables use at this time. We may in the future offer some other models and do distribute one table without our brand name that is 3 inches thick and 20 inches wide but it is the plank type construction |
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| Cabinets |
Solid wood
This term means true solid wood – hard or soft wood. None of the tables in the lower end shuffleboards are real solid wood. Some manufacturers will refer to solid wood with a micro laminate cabinet or a hardwood veneer. Keep in mind that solid wood will not have any laminate material on it. Real solid wood will be sanded and a finish applied – not other materials
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| Laminate or Veneer |
Laminate
Many lower priced tables are made with a Laminate. Most of these are what we call a PVC plastic paper type laminate on particle board or MDF (medium density fiber board) Sometimes the finish on these tables will be called cherry laminate or walnut laminate. Please understand that this is not a finish, but a plastic color. Adroit Shuffleboards by McClure Tables does not offer tables made with PVC or plastic laminate models.
Veneer
Veneer is a solid hard wood that is cut into a very paper thin layer and put over the top. It is technically a hard wood veneer. Do not assume when you see the word hard wood you are getting something other than MDF with a real wood veneer. Some tables will put this material on plywood also in order to make a more solid cabinet. Adroit Shuffleboard by McClure Tables uses a Plywood and MDF combination on all our models. We use plywood on the inside for strength but the MDF is a smoother surface to attach the veneer wood so we use MDF on the outside layer. |
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| Finish |
Only a true solid wood table or a veneer table can have a wood finish. This is a stain to put color into the grain of the wood. The wood grain you see is real wood, not a plastic simulated wood grain. Look for a quality finish. You can tell PVC from solid wood often by looking closely at how the corner colors match up with the cabinet sides.
These are the most important things to look for in the recreation style shuffleboard. Keep in mind that the board is the most important component of the playing surface. It is easy to make a cabinet but the play surface is where you can distinguish quality. Do not rely on price to represent the quality of the table. Adroit Shuffleboards by McClure Tables provides a quality product at excellent prices. We hope you have found this shuffleboard table buyers guide helpful.
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