How to Recushion a Billiard Table

The cushions attached to the inside rails of a billiard table are made of vulcanized rubber. Over time, this rubber will wear out and greatly affect play on the table, as the balls will bounce differently. You need to replace the cushions to restore the table, which is usually done by professional table repairmen. Billiard table cushions come in different sizes depending on the size of the table, so get the correct cushions for your table. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Removing the Cushions

1

Disconnect the rails from the billiard table. The rails are usually bolted onto the table from underneath, so use a wrench to remove the bolts from the underside.

2

Loosen the cushions from the rails by prying them with a putty knife. It might help to peel the billiard cloth off the cushions first. Pry the knife back and forth until the cushions are loose, making sure you don't dig into the wooden rails, and then carefully pull the cushions off.

3

Clean off all traces of glue from the rails. Apply an adhesive remover to the surface, wait a few minutes and scrape it away with the putty knife. Adhesive remover can be very toxic, so follow your brand's specific instructions and safety measures.

Replacing the Cushions

4

Apply contact cement to the surface of the rail and the new cushions with a paintbrush, making sure you only get the cement on the surfaces that will touch each other.

5

Align the cushions onto the rails using cut squares of wax paper as a guide. Lay the wax paper on the glued side of the rail, place the cushion over the paper, adjust the cushion's position until it is flush with the rail and then pull the wax paper out while holding the cushion in place.

6

Press down on the cushions to help the glue bond in place, then wait for the glue to completely set. The contact cement's instructions should tell you how long to wait.

7

Cut the ends of the cushions so they fit with the ends of the rails. Mark lines on the rails with a ruler and pen to show where you need to cut. Cut away the excess rubber with a utility knife.

8

Cover the cushions in billiard cloth; get the same type of cloth used on your table surface. Cut the fabric into strips, apply adhesive spray to the cushions and stretch the fabric across the rails. Begin stretching the fabric at the rail's top end so you can align the edge of the fabric with the edge of the cushion.

9

Connect the rails back onto the billiard table once you've replaced the cushions on all of them.