What Is a 3 Ply Laminated Strain-Isolating Shuffleboard Construction?

I have heard of a lot of gimmick driven marketing techniques but this takes the cake. A shuffleboard distributor who carries boards made in China has invented a new term and in his statement sounds like he's claiming plywood is better than Butcher block construction. He claims that three layers of wood stacked together are better than a True Butcher block construction. We can all agree that shuffleboard manufacturers have been making boards since the 40's with butcher block construction. We can also agree that if a board is not properly made and not properly maintained it can split and crack. However, if it happens at the glue joint then it was not properly made. The old Antique Rock-Ola shuffleboard's glue joints were not that good, especially when compared to old American boards. If the board was left in an environment that was not humidity and climate controlled the boards often would have failure at the glue joints. American boards on the other hand are another case all together. This is a picture both of the side and end of an American board that was built in the late 40's. From the tape measurement beside it you can see it's no longer 3' thick and has been refinished a few times throughout those years. Back then they did not use the Polymer and so they would often refinish the board.  

 This board looks warped. Notice the gap under the level. This board is warped down the length by about ¼ inch. Is this not what the distributor who uses a contract manufacturer claims specifically won't happen? In our experience, this is a recurring problem with this type of board. If, as the distributor also claims, it is stronger and the pressure of the climate adjusters is isolated from the surface layer, then would it not just make simple common sense that it would also be more difficult to get the wood to conform and shape evenly when you have three layers of wood stacked on top of each other? I have heard from professional players who have played on these boards that they are all convex and cannot be flattened. This is an example of three-ply laminated boards. How are they made? Well, you see the two stacks of wood below; these are actual pictures taken at the factory in Beijing that makes boards like this. They are the only factory in the world that makes boards like this. You see those stacks of wood sheets? They are made in Harbin, China, and sent in large sheets, 4 feet wide by 10 feet long, and they are glued together at this factory in stacks three sheets high to make a board. The board is then cut to size. They have been making shuffleboards like this at this factory in China for about 7 years. The USA has used shuffleboards as the traditional butcher-block method for about 80 years. Which method do you think has withstood the test of time? Granted that with the advent of epoxy polymer coatings, the surface of the wood underneath isn't going to suffer from impact and friction, but the quality of construction remains critical. To see how real shuffleboard time-tested butcher block tables are made, see this video taken in McClure Tables Shuffleboard Factory.

We showed pictures above from the factory in China that makes these boards. In Chinese, most factories refer to China Birch as Zhong Guo Feng Mu, a literal English translation of China Maple, so the translator will tell the buyer or distributor that the wood is maple. However, if you speak the language and are familiar with the terms and slang common in factories, you know this wood is China Birch, or Zhong Guo hua mu. In fact, I would estimate that in the Game Table industry, over 90 percent of the factories say that China Birch is China Maple. If you speak the language and correct them, they will confirm yes, it is Birch. However, in other industries like the Furniture industry, if you ask them if the wood is Chinese Maple, they will look at you like you are crazy and say, China does not have any maple, we use Chinese Birch. If you are a distributor and want to advertise something as maple, it is your responsibility to verify the wood's source. Today, in business, many people have become like our elected officials. Are the politicians corrupt and willing to say or do anything to get elected, or is this a reflection of our society? Will a shuffleboard distributor make false claims just to push or sell his product? I hope America is better than this. If you believe in honor, integrity, and honesty, then we would be proud to serve you as one of our customers. If you want to be sold a bill of goods, then believe what may sound like a good story and buy a 3-ply laminated, strain-isolated shuffleboard made in China.