You may have spent a whopping amount of money on your pool table. You have to take care of your table. Well maintained felt will not only give it longevity but will also provide you a smoother playing surface.
Can I iron pool table felt? Yes, you can, but first, you have to clean your iron, and then clean the surface of your felt. After that, iron smoothly and gently, one place at a time. ‘Don’t iron over a single place more than twice, and if the place gets smooth in the first attempt, don’t iron it again.
Moreover, be careful with the level settings of your iron before ironing the pool table. It can damage your felt. A perfect way to check the best setting is by trying it on a newspaper first. But there is a way to iron the table so that it doesn’t get spoiled. In this article, you can learn ways to reduce the risk of damaging the felt while ironing.
What to Avoid When Ironing a Felt?
You need to avoid the following things to save your felt from damage and having to buy a new one.
- The primary reason you can damage the felt is carelessness.
- In other cases, it occurs when you iron felt with the iron set on a high temperature, exceeding 148 C (300F).
- It can also happen when your iron has stains on its surface. The felt can absorb these stains, which later affect ball movements on the playing surface.
- It is also most important to refrain from sprinkling water on the felt; either, you do it with a plain iron or some other way.
- Pool table irons mostly adjust their settings to carry out this job on the felt. But if you are doing it with conventional iron, you need to take extra care.
- Don’t iron your felt in a hurry. You are going to do way too much damage if you are hasty with this task. The normal iron job is to smoothen many types of fabrics, but pool table felts are lighter, unlike other fabrics.
- Always make sure you turn off the steam of a normal iron, and it should always be on the wool setting.
Moreover, before placing the iron on felt, clean the iron surface until all dirt is removed.
The Best Way to Iron a Felt
Your pool table felt should be ironed uniformly, so the surface doesn’t cause friction to the ball and slow it down. To get desired results, start with cleaning the whole iron, and hidden chalk or dirt can affect the movement of balls.
If you fail to clean it entirely, you will be hardening the baize. It is best if you do your work regarding the right temperature. Follow the steps below to get a smooth pool table surface.
- Remove dirt and dust from the pool table. The best way to do this is by sweeping dirt out to the table end. With the help of brush end, head out them through the table pockets.
- You need to treat the nap. It is a fuzzy or woven material that is slightly above the baize. You have to wrap the baize surface on the back of the brush to clean it. Now, the maize material at the back, brush it thoroughly and brush the table again.
- Set your iron temperature between 290 to 300F (143-148 C). It is better to test it before ironing. You can test it on a paper surface. If it’s too hot and burns your paper, then it will also scorch the pool table surface.
- After setting it to the right level and testing it, place it on the pool table, and try to iron sideways to get a smooth felt. Iron the surface twice, only when you still sees uneven surface, and straighten all line marks which iron leaves behind.
- Don’t iron too much, as over ironing can dry the felt and can reduce its shininess.
Note: Make sure that your iron never touches to cushion. Because of its rubber material, iron can ruin it. Moreover, don’t try to iron with steam settings ever.
Preventive Care Increase Longevity
You don’t need to start taking care of your felt when you see something undesirable on it. Ensure preventative care for your felt regardless of how it looks. These simple actions will help you to make your table last and avoid costly repairs. The following are some ways to prevent premature wear of the pool table.
- Cover your table with something when you are not using it, as this will prevent the cloth from fading and accumulating dust.
- Avoid leaning against the table to prevent pressure on the rails.
- Keep your table away from humid and hot temperatures to deter moisture from harming its surface.