Shuffleboard Table Buying Guide

Shuffleboard Table Buying Guide

"Shuffleboard Buying Guide" Information on buying Shuffleboards and Shuffleboard Tables. What to look for in a Shuffleboard Table

Please take the time to read this shuffleboard table buying guide for information on what to look for in a shuffleboard table. We wrote this shuffleboard buying guide to provide you with general information about Buying a shuffleboard table. It is very easy to determine the difference in tables by looking closely at their features. Quality shuffleboard tables will have a number of attributes:

Shuffleboard Table Climatic Adjusters

The purpose of climatic adjusters is to allow for climate changes and keep the play surface from warping. A shuffleboard surface should have a slight concave to it so the pucks do not fall off the sides of the board. Because the play surface is not perfectly flat, it is necessary to occasionally adjust the board.

Shuffle Board Material

The very best wood to use for the shuffleboard surface is North American maple, a wood that only grows on the North American continent. This wood has withstood the test of time. This is the type of wood found on antique shuffleboard tables built in the mid 40’s and still in use today -- 60 years later. There are other woods that can be used that are also suitable, but maple wood is the best and it only grows in North America. All our McClure tables are made in Michigan where all the maple we use is from local sources. We do import our Adroit line of tables and we use a Russian Birch on this line to keep the cost down while maintaining the quality of a more economical recreational shuffleboard table. Beware of lower cost woods like rubber wood, China birch (often passed off as maple) or poplar. Some boards even use poplar in the center with a thin layer of maple around all four sides and both ends. A distributor may not even be aware that a table has a poplar center and may think the table is maple. For this reason it is important to know the reputation of the company you are dealing with when you are shopping for a table.

Shuffle Board Top Finish

The finish of the table board is also very important. The best boards are made with a USA manufactured Polymer that feature a lifetime warranty finish. Just because you see the word Polymer, do not assume it is a high quality Polymer from the USA. If it does not come with a warranty or has only a two- year warranty than it is probably an inferior, imported Polymer. We pour all our own USA polymer in our own factory on all McClure tables. Other types of finish are a spray- on type finish which will eventually wear off and need to be refinished at some time. We use a special finish for our Adroit shuffleboard tables that do not have the Polymer. This is a harder finish than our competition uses and should last several years. Only the Polymer finishes come with a lifetime warranty.

Shuffle Board glue design

When you look at the end of a shuffleboard table, you should see the boards laminated together with the boards running up and down vertical to the play surface not horizontal. This will ensure an accurate bond and give you the ability to adjust the board with the climate adjusters. The picture to the right is from our Adroit boards that use an edge glue design. All Shuffleboard tables we sell either McClure or Adroit are true edge glue butcher block construction. If someone tells you that a table is maple or another wood, be sure to ask if this is for the entire board. Some manufacturers will use maple or birch on the top boards only and then a less expensive wood (or even hollow) in the center. Like this example below.

Shuffleboard Buyers Guide Shuffle board plank This is an example of plank style construction. You will notice 3 layers of boards stacked on top of each other. This looks like and is often called butcher block but only in appearance. This is not a true butcher block edge glue technique. We suggest you avoid plank type construction if you see a stack or row of three boards like the picture to the right. Some suppliers try to explain this as similar to plywood a laminated construction but it is not a proven construction technique. However it is obvious that they do not understand manufacturing or Butcher block woodworking technique. As they may try to explain their boards as laminated like plywood yet they still advertise them as Butcher block. This method is used by one factory in China that distributes tables to many USA distributors who are either vague about the country of origin or use symbols like the American flag to imply their tables are made in the USA. To learn more about this type of construction one distributor is claim is 3 ply Laminated Strain Isolating similar to Plywood read this post in our Blog

All our McClure table boards are made in our own factory in Michigan. We do not source out the process or buy finished boards from anyone else. Below is a video taken in our factory during the board glue up process.

Playfield size and thickness

All professional tables will be made with a full 20 inch wide surface that is 3 inches thick. This is the size most people prefer but more economical tables will generally be 15 or 16 inches wide and from 1.5 to 2.5 inches thick. This will still give you a professional play game and have all the same items listed above in a quality game. Usually you have smaller pucks to compensate for the smaller board play surface.

Shuffleboard Cabinets

Cabinet selection is where you can afford to sacrifice to meet your budget. The best cabinets are made of solid hard woods and many have veneer panels. Look at the thickness of the cabinet cross supports and over all appearance. This is mostly a furniture preference and if you feel you cannot afford solid wood, a good quality laminated cabinet will not affect the play of the game. If you are considering two models at a similar price and the choice is solid wood or veneer then you should choose the solid wood. A veneer is a thin layer of real wood put over a surface like MDF, plywood or particleboard. A laminate is a plastic material similar to what is used on kitchen counter tops. You will often see this called something like micro laminated but basically it is a simulated wood grain on paper that is glued on a fiber board or MDF panel. All McClure tables use either solid wood cabinets or in the case of an entry level competitor model, we use plywood with a real wood veneer. All the Adroit tables use a wood veneer over MDF panels. We do not carry tables with PVC or plastic simulated wood grain often call Micro laminated cabinets.