McClure Shuffleboard Table Blog

Table Shuffleboard Rules

We have often been asked by customers for Shuffleboard Game Rules. We have several posted on our web site but we have not until now had anything that you could download in a PDF format. I just updated our web site and added a new PDF condensed version of the shuffleboard table game rules. You can now download the Shuffleboard Table Game Rules here. Keep in mind often rules vary from one part of the country to another. Also many shuffleboard Tournament directors will determine their rules for the specific Shuffleboard Tournament.

Most of our customers are playing shuffleboard at home for recreational use. So you can use these rules and game playing tips as a general reference. However the house has the right to set up your own rules just make sure your opponents know your Shuffleboard Rules before you begin play.

What is involved in the Restoration of a Antique Shuffleboard?

What is the value of an old Antique Shuffleboard table? We often get asked this question but the value really depends usually on the original condition and what the buyer is willing to pay. We have seen old American, National and other brands but the only model that seems to garner some attention and demand a higher price is the Rock-Ola. The antique Rock-Ola tables were only made for two years back in 1947 and 1948 this along with the Rock-Ola name is why they are the most sought after models. However the value is often based on what the buyer will pay and what condition is the table in. We have all seen Antique Road Show enough to know that the more changes and replaced parts on an antique the less valuable it becomes. With many of the restorations of the Antique Rock Ola tables we have seen they are often so far changed from the original we cannot see any real antique value to the piece. Maybe a little nostalgia but the antiquity value has been drastically reduced.
When we restore a table we take great pains to keep it as original if possible. This means keeping the glass inlay and not replace with walnut wood or some other simulated inlay. Because we make authentic reproductions we have all the original replacement parts, but the idea of a restoration is to keep some of the old. So we would on an original keep the chrome even though it may have some dings or dents, we would keep all the original glass if we need to replace one or two pieces we would do it on the side hopefully that would be next to the wall. The stainless steel covers would be kept original and basically you would wash the table down and refinish the parts with wear. However you would not run the side cabinet boards through a sander and make them look like brand new. Here are some pictures to a fully restored original this was kept in tack for antiquity value

Many of the tables that have been restored look like brand new and many of the original components have been replaced or exchanged. The sides and end is often sanded down and refinished to new condition. This is nice but you really no longer have an antique but an old restored Rock Ola shuffleboard. In this case why not just buy a new one from McClure Tables. You can buy one here on this page

Where is the Maple?

I awoke this last day of 2011 to discover something interesting about Syrup and the marketing and advertising of such a simple product. I have always been in the retail game room business and have always had an understanding for marketing and advertising. However, I think we are either getting more gullible, stupid, or just plain lazy when it comes to reading the ingredients and taking the first marketing impression for granted.
I was about to sit down and enjoy my favorite syrup on some pancakes when it occurred to me as I was looking at two bottles of famous brand syrups (my wife’s favorite and mine difer). Both bottles are labeled original but one happened to say “No High Fructose Corn Syrup”. This, of course, just happened to be my wife’s favorite brand so I thought to myself “what is High Fructose Corn Syrup?” and “if my favorite does not advertise this then what does it have?” So I turn the bottle over to the back and start to read the ingredients. I always assumed both of these were of maple syrup. They use fancy names and you would just assume they are maple. As it turns out they are not what they are marketed and advertised as at all. They are both Corn Syrup but I wonder how well they would sell if the distributor or manufacture labeled them prominently with the actual ingredients. Would you buy Pure Corn Syrup or would you rather buy Original Syrup. Neither is advertised as Maple Syrup but yet you would imply or believe they are not simply corn syrup. So I pulled out a coupe small bottles from Vermont and Canada both are 100 percent pure maple syrup. I think I am going to make the switch from now on to do my due diligence and read the ingredients and dig deeper into the marketing message of the company or product I consider buying.
This brings me to Shuffleboard tables. I would suspect that many consumers believe that the boards are Maple because many are advertised as Maple. Well, with imports, if your translator is told it is China Maple and he tells you it is Maple then are you justified to come back to America and market and advertise this product as Maple. Many of the Shuffleboard distributors and names you see on the Internet do advertise boards as Maple that are not and the consumer does not know the difference. McClure Shuffleboard Tables are all hand crafted in Michigan in our own factory. We do not buy boards or tops or cabinet component parts and then assemble them. We manufacture every aspect of our shuffleboard tables with pure Michigan Maple wood. We know what Maple wood looks like, what it feels like to work the wood in your hands, and how stable a wood it is for making shuffleboard tops. It is upsetting to know that many competitors advertise their products to be something less than what the marketing message appears to be. Just like the syrup, it looks like Maple, smells like maple, and they salesman said it was Maple so it must be.
I suggest for 2012 we all make a vow to be more diligent in our marketing messages if you are an advertiser. If you are a consumer then I would suggest you do your research. Call the company on the phone several times to see if you get the same information. If they say made in the USA ask them where is the factory and can you visit? We believe in the quality, ingenuity, and craftsmanship of the American worker and we will put our shuffleboard tables up against any built anywhere in the world. As long as you are playing fair that the materials, ingredients and workmanship have equal quality. If you bottle corn syrup and market it as Maple Syrup then do not ask me to compare the quality of an original to a fake imitation shuffleboard.

New Customer Feedback

We get many positive customer feedback and post often they do not know how to post on our blog or web site so from time to time we will publish for them. We are a small American company and bring some old fashion business practices you do not always find today. I am the owner Todd McClure and my family name is on everything we sale. In fact my hands are often also in the shuffleboard tables we make. I make cabinets, glue up the boards and pour the polymer. About the only thing on your table I do not do personally is the finish work. If you are looking for a shuffleboard I do not think you will find any other company who sales shuffleboard tables that gives the same level of personal service that we do. Below are a couple comments from some customers I am just now getting around to post. If you are a customer it is ok to give me an email or post on our facebook page I will periodically add to our shuffleboard Blog

After many months of researching shuffleboard tables, I chose to go with the CpmpetitorII to finish off my basement bar. Todd McClure answered many emails and phone calls from me and helped steer to this table. I had it done in a custom stain and had a custom logo put on the table. I recieved my table yesterday in Idaho. I was so excited to get home from work and get it set up. I inspected every inch of the table and the craftmanship and quality exceeded my expectations! It was easy to set up with the help of a few friends. The table is absolutely gorgeous!!!! Im so happy I went with this “made in the USA” table! Thank you Todd and McClure tables for exceeding my expectations and delivering me such a quality product at an affordable price! Will post pics soon!

Mario Cicillot

Todd, I wanted to thank you so much for all the effort you and your team put into my new shuffleboard purchased from Von’s in Rockford. I am the lucky recipient of the custom two piece 12ft board (the 3rd time is a charm) that is now being used to its fullest extent in my new basement. You guys did a great job and pulled through to get me taken care of-everyone I know will know where to look for a shuffleboard!!

Richard Gearhart

Buying Made in America Benefits

I got this very interesting email from my step mother and not sure of the origin but I wanted to share it here on this blog. I also wanted to explain some of our own decisions to bring manufacturing back to the USA. I could probable write a book on this and about China but to keep this post short and share the following comments below. I will save those thoughts for another post. However I can say that in our own business we make decisions to buy made in America even if it cost us 15% more. Let me just give two examples. A local large box store sells plywood made in China and it would cost us 15% less than the alternative made in the USA material. We use very little plywood as most our tables are solid maple we get from local forest suppliers. However we use a good quality plywood even on our decks the bottom part of the shuffleboard cradle that we put carpet over the top and set the board on top. We use the same birch veneer plywood we use for some sub frames, legs cross supports and under cabinet supports. We were buying China birch plywood but because I have spent so much time in China I know the wood is not environmentally harvested. I am also would almost guarantee that the glue and other materials used in the manufacturing are also not environmental ethical. So we switched to a different supplier for made in the USA birch plywood that we know is FSC certified and formaldehyde free, even though it cost us 15% more. One other example is our climate adjusters we used to get them from China we now support a local shop that is in our town. They make them for us but unfortunately the hardware we need for them we have no USA alternative. So many of the nuts, bolts and things like Electronics used in our score boards we simply can not find a supplier in the USA even if we wanted to pay double.

We would rather keep our dollars at home, have quicker turn around time for supply and not have to order a whole container of goods to save 10 or 15%. Keep that in mind when you buy look at the labels when you can and ask where do you want your money to go.

Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Rock-Ola Shuffleboard Tables

McClure Tables now has in production Rock-Ola Shuffleboard Tables. Bringing back a nostalgic table that was only produced in 1947 and 1948. After researching the table McClure Tables noticed that it was never trademarked and although several distributors and manufactures make a design that is similar in style. Most failed to replicate every detail like the inlayed green glass and authentic stainless steel trim. McClure Shuffleboards has made the Rock-Ola even better than the originals by using genuine leather for the horse collar pad instead of vinyl as used on the original antique tables.

They use the same maple board playing surface as all McClure tables with their lifetime polymer finish on the top. This is the same finish as used in professional tournaments and the professional players all agree it provides a more true playing surface than the traditional varnish used on the original Rock-Ola Shuffleboard Tables. The Rock-Ola Tables by McClure Shuffleboard was introduced in a professional Tournament the Texas State open this past labor day weekend. “We got a lot of positive feedback from all the professional players at the tournament. In Fact the owner of the Post was so impressed he bought two of the tables from us that he will use in his main shuffleboard tournament room.” said owner Todd McClure. You can own now own a Rock Ola classic shuffleboard for your home see all the options and Rock-Ola Shuffleboard Tables here.

Shuffleboard Table Factory Tour

McClure Tables located in Grand Rapids Michigan manufacture hand crafted shuffleboard tables made in the USA. Having the right factory location and the experienced wood craftsmen contribute to the success and rapid growth of McClure Tables. Located in Western Michigan Grand Rapids known for it’s rich history in the manufacture of fine furniture for over 150 years.

McClure Tables uses only FSC certified lumber suppliers this means they use environmentally friendly forestry management techniques like only harvest old growth tress and replanting to replenish the forest. Most of the wood comes from local Michigan mills and usually is trucked less than 100 miles from the mill to our factory. They make all the McClure shuffleboard Tables in their own factory. Including the board playing surface something very few shuffleboard factories today actually do. Many import boards and others buy from butcher-block manufactures and they simply make cabinets and do some final assemble.

McClure Tables put together this video to show you a snap shot of their factory and processes. Each table is hand crafted by one bench carpenter. “We are not the largest factory of even fastest growing we simply are the best. We have a small talented staff and they are all hands on from start to finish taking great pride in every table we make” Says owner Todd McClure. This is why often when you call McClure Tables toll free at 800-565-0977 you may hear saws in the background. They are not simply sitting in an office marketing shuffleboard tables they actually build every McClure Brand table they sell.

If you would like to learn more about what to look for in a shuffleboard Table visit here. They have put together a great buying guide with a video about the board manufacture process. To visit the factory tour please see the video below

Whether for home use or commercial use it is important to find out as much information about the supplier as you can. McClure tables web site gives you the necessary information about shuffleboard tables to make an informed decision. McClure Tables provide personal service and offer every customer the best possible buying experience.

Buying Products Made in China?

Do you really want to end up working for the Chinese? Do you vote with your pocketbook when you purchase goods or service? At McClure tables we made the decision over one year ago to end outsource manufacturing to China. We are voting with our pocket book and have brought the jobs and keep more dollars here in the USA.
Please see this video here and think when you are looking for a shuffleboard or any other product is it made in the USA?

I am not going to bash our competitors that their primary business model is not to manufacture any shuffleboard tables but simply to distribute them. However I will point out our competition here who does make shuffleboards in the USA. These companies do have factories and at the very least make the cabinet and most make the boards also. I realize that a few smaller shops exist in the USA that do manufacture shuffleboard tables but we are trying to concentrate on the major name brands that do manufacture in the USA. If you do not buy a McClure Table then buy one from one of these other three suppliers and you are safe to have supported Jobs in The USA. Otherwise you are exporting your dollars to China and just could end up like the commercial say’s working for them. Yes our Politicians are to blame but we also equally share this blame when we only consider price as our first priority when making a purchase.
List of American made Shuffleboard Companies

McClure Tables
Championship
Olhausen
Ventura

All other national brands you see on the internet are not manufactures but simply importing tables.

Shuffleboard, Shuffleboard Table, Set up Shuffleboard, Shuffleboard maintenance

We got this email from a customer and just had to share her comments and the picture album she gave us about the installation. We generally try to hire people who are in the billiard and Game Room equipment business to contract out for our installations.
Customer Email:

Todd and mark
Here’s the crew you hired for me
Mike is second from the left
I was a little apprehensive at first because they had to get down a fairly steep slope to the deck.
But they put my worries to rest as soon as I opened the trailer and they set to work
They were great. Very efficient and entertaining They couldn’t gave been nicer
It looks great. Can’t wait to play
Thanks for everything. Sue

Below is a slide show of the installations taken by our customer?

We really appreciate the time she took to document the process. You can see from the first picture how we ship out our tables, the heavy part the board play surface is put in a crate. Then the cradle boxes are strapped on top of this crate for safe transportation. The first step is to remove the cabinet or commonly called Shuffleboard Cradle off of the top of the crate. Then you should install and set up the shuffleboard cradle in the room or location where you plan to have your shuffleboard.
Once you have the cabinet all set up and in place you then remove the top of the crate and carefully remove the play surface. Many shuffleboard companies simply send you a board and you have to install the climatic adjusters and do a lot more work. At McClure Tables we install the climate adjusters on all McClure Tables and factory tune and adjust the board before we ship it out. You should only have to level the cabinet and do some fine tune adjustments to the climate adjusters to your personal preference, for more information see this page here about how to adjust a Shuffleboard.
These guys really knew what they were doing the best way to handle a heavy shuffleboard top is upside down with the climatic adjusters up in the air. You should also leave the packing paper on the top until you roll over on the edge and get ready to place into the cradle. You should put some blankets or something on the side of the cradle to protect it while you rest the shuffleboard play surface on the edge then roll into place.
That is about all there is to set up a shuffleboard Table now you are ready to do the quality control testing and slide a few pucks to see how the board plays. If you do not like the way the pucks are playing you may have to do some minor adjustments to the climate adjusters or leg levelers on the Shuffleboard Table.

Sue Thank you so much for the pictures and email we appreciate your business

Todd McClure

Select Shuffleboard Table Options and finish for Your Home or Business

If you are in the market for a home or business shuffleboard table, McClure Tables offers many options. You can choose from many different finish options. Add a custom horse collar in walnut or a different finish color, then choose some trim. You can get fancy and even add an electronic score unit. McClure Tables put together this catalog of pictures of our Tournament model to show the various sizes and options available. This means for any purpose, home or commercial, there is a shuffleboard table to meet your needs. See some of the many options available on the Tournament Shuffleboard Table here

You can find out how they make the, a shuffleboard table here. They can make this table traditional, transitional or contemporary depending on the options you choose. This is based mostly on personal taste but they custom make every table in the USA so you can choose from many different combinations of finish and trim colors and woods.

The size of the table you select for your home or business depends on more than just available space. However, for many looking to add a shuffle board table to their home, size will continue to be a very important factor. One consideration in choose the size shuffleboard keep in mind you need to leave at each end of the table enough to allow standing space. There is no optimum amount of space to leave open but for most applications a minimum of two feet should be allowed on each end.

In addition, because one side of the length of the table can be butted against a wall, the total floor space foot print of the table is reduced significantly. The only other space required is along the remaining length of the table, and is only required for players to change sides after alternate games. In a home or crowded bar environment, this space is again not significant.

Once you have determined how large a table you can accommodate, you next need to consider the access to the room. Most cabinets larger than 12 foot are in two pieces but the boards are very heavy and they are one solid piece. Generally shuffleboard size refers to the overall length of the cabinet and the board is 1.5 foot shorter than the cabinet size.

If you plan on using a shuffleboard table in your business, such as a sports bar or pub, you will want to apply some of the same space requirements, only with a few additional considerations. In a public space you will want to make sure your table and the play does not disrupt customer traffic – for example by placing it along the back wall.

Because of their narrow profile, a shuffleboard table can be used in spaces that are not open to other forms of gaming entertainment and you can set them in spaces that would otherwise go unused. If you have the space you can even run two tables side by side doubling the play space without using significant amounts of additional floor space.

With many sizes available to fit your need, shuffleboard tables require little space but can provide endless hours of entertainment. Now you simply have to choose a style, finish or design and allow 4 to 6 weeks for McClure Shuffleboard factory to custom make your shuffleboard Table.

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