Shuffleboard Table Maintenance Guide

Shuffleboard Table Location

To ensure a better playing experience, it's important to keep your shuffleboard table away from windows. Direct sunlight can cause daily temperature fluctuations, which lead to inconsistencies in play. The sun can dry out the silicone spray you apply to the playfield, reducing the effectiveness of the powdered wax and affecting the table's speed. Additionally, sunlight can cause the board to flatten or even crown during the day, resulting in different playing conditions at night. This can be especially frustrating when you are trying to learn new shots. By avoiding placement near windows or areas with direct sunlight, you can enhance your shuffleboard experience.

Shuffleboard Table Maintenance Climate Adjusters

A climate adjuster is not recommended to correct a wary surface if your surface is not flat it will need to be (professionally resurfaced in the usual manor). You can not buy one of the non-professional games made with a top that is poorly machined or made with an inferior, improper material and expect the adjusters alone to give you professional play. These adjusters will also not work on tops having open glue lines between the seams, or tops not made of the proper thickness. (A minimum of 1.5 inch are recommended)

 Check the shuffleboard tabletop every few weeks and adjust as necessary. Usually, shuffleboards are set up with a slight concavity, but some people prefer a perfectly flat board. (See the picture below with a straight edge across the surface) It is recommended that you can slide a piece of standard paper under the center of the straight edge as shown below. However on the outside edges the paper would not pass under the straight edge. This is a general rule when first setting up aboard. Next slide some pucks down the table and see how they drift or how much they drift in towards the middle of the board. Then adjust to your personal preference.

Shuffleboard Table Surface

Step 1:

For Traditional Shuffle Board Wood finish boards:

We recommend a traditional, environmentally safe blend of water with a 1/4 cup of vinegar plus a few drops of oil, which makes for a much better wood cleaner and polish. The vinegar pulls the dirt out of the wood, and the few drops of oil lubricate it so it doesn’t dry out. The best oils to use are those that have the longest shelf life. Olive oil works well. The best choice of all is the liquid wax jojoba, because it never goes rancid. It is found in most health food stores. This will remove foreign matter from the Board. After you clean or prepare the board, you will want to apply Silicone spray.

You can clean the table with any multi-purpose cleaner or even a glass cleaner. The Polymer finish will require less maintenance in cleaning but it does shift and pull a little more on the boards. You may need to adjust the climate adjusters more often. The McClure board uses a traditional finish with 100 percent solid material, so it is sealed very similarly to polymer but still retains the natural feel of the wood surface. You can clean the same as a polymer board and skip directly to step 3 or 4. For both tables apply the cleaner with a soft cloth and buff to a clean polish removing any debris from the wood. This should be done 2 to 4 times per month, depending on the use.

Step 2:

For Traditional Lacquer type shuffle boards. You can apply wax over any finish-penetrating oils, varnish, lacquer, or polyurethane. But only buy a high-quality cabinetmaker's wax, designed specifically for wood furniture. It should also be applied with a towel. Application for the wax is identical to application of the polish, buff lightly with a dry towel until the surface is as smooth as ice. Once again, depending on the use of the board, 2 to 3 times per month is usually recommended. You can even use a furniture wax type spray to clean and polish the board prior to apply the speed powder. You can use a combination of spray wax and silicone that you may want to buff before apply the speed powder. 

Step 3:

For ULTIMATE SPEED you may now apply McClure Silicone Spray. Apply and let it set for 5 minutes. On most new boards the first time you will need to buff or polish with a soft towel the silicone on the first applications or between cleanings. You may find after the first time you can simply spray the silicone on the board and let it fall down on the surface. See videos below for instructions on how to use Shuffleboard Silicone Spray  

Step 4:

You are now ready to apply McClure Speed Powder or another brand of powder. To apply, simply sprinkle a light coat like a small snowfall. Then see how your pucks slide, if you get too much powder the pucks will actually plow the powder. So a light coat is best. Technically in a tournament they will only allow one full coat of the board during the complete game. Players will and can throw up powder from the gully but no fresh coat can be applied during the game play. 

We hope you have found these Shuffleboard Maintenance tips and Shuffleboard maintenance guide helpful