Need Suggestions: laminate / veneer longer then 8ft to redo pool table

[Buick455]

I have an extremely old Brunswick pool table and the side rails need to be redone. anyone know of a laminate / Formica that is pliable and comes in over 8' 2" roll?

[mgb]

Regular Formica can be purchased in 12' rolls at your local lowes but its not really pliable.

If your looking for pliable, I would think something like adhesive vinyl may be you best bet

[Buick455]

Yeah the Formica at the HD is not nearly bendy enough and the stuff on rolled (waterfall) counter tops is postformed so not DIY.

The rails are flat for 4" and then a 1/2" radius and then stops leaving nothing to really get any glue on to hold the curve.

The stuff that is on it is older then dirt, its a table from the 70's (big plastic bottom for the ball return). The surface that is on it looks like a layer of very thin laminate (ugly wood grain) and its backed by a thick paper.

The reason it needs to be redone is the last owner/owners moved it without taking the the thing apart and looks like they flipped it up on its side and rolled it on PVC pipes. It was my garage table for years b/c the price was right (free) but now I would like to keep it indoors but not looking the way it does right now..

As a last resort maybe I will try reshaping (bondo) the mess they made, sand and paint it.. Anything would be better at this point I'm just afraid paint wont be as durable..

I'll snap a few pics of the part,who knows maybe someone will have a better idea. maybe even know what the stuff on it right now was/is called.

[tron84]

+1 for what mgb said.
One of these wood grain vinyl rolls would do it, a 4' x 8'. There are longer rolls than that.  There are different wood choices. If you wanted to go the wood route. Did not sound like you were fond of the wood look route.
But yea it would be like $210.00 for that size roll, is the only down fall.

http://www.metrorestyling.com/3M-DI-NOC-Marine-Teak-Wood-Vinyl-p/dinocmarine.htm

[ed12]

look up valley/daymo
they own brunswick now
the cover u are talking about come's in all lengths and color
it is not a stiff as formica but i do forget its exact name
i may have a box roll at the warehouse as we them all the time

prep=
heat gun to remove old
belt sander to get surface preped for new contact cement
contact cement >spray#77 or better yet #87< by far best,see up as to why

remove old,sand,prefit new
turn over spray bottom of new,spray wood surface
wait 20 min's >setup time for the glue<
start at 1 end and work to the other..once down
place a few temp weights on it
make sure no air gaps..work time of the glue is 20 mins
let sit for 4 hours
get out router and do around your pockets

about that simple

may be a few othe steps i forget but that is the basic of it

ed

[Buick455]

Well I had this nice post all typed out and when I clicked post it POOFed into the nowherez of the interwebs...

Now that I have the table out in the open where I can take a serious look at it I have to be more honest with myself. This thing was a basket-case when I got it and the 5 years of garage abuse then 10 years of moving and storage didn't do it any favors.

What I have is:
Perfect 3 piece slate
Perfect slate sub-frame
Perfect plastic pockets (these were bought to replace the plastic skirt/track system)
Functional, but ugly beat down rails
Strong, but ugly base/legs

What is missing:
Table skirting (It use to have a plastic skirt/rail system for the ball return that was destroyed long ago)
Wife stamp of approval for in home use.

I have to be frugal with this project. The felt alone cost $100 and that was when I re-did it over 10 years ago.

My plan:
Base/legs: Build some sort of storage cabinet into the base to hide the ridiculous collection of board games the wife and I have collected (they look like crap on a shelf in the game-room).
Rails: Repair/redo
Skirt: Build skirting that can be removed from rails (In case I ever move again) but just to hide the sub-frame (no ball return system)

If I did go with paint to refinish the table and my plan for wood skirts what paint would give me the least amount of grief and a gloss black finish? I figure I could just re-shape the rails, scuff them for the paint to adhere right?