Topic: New guy with a huge question

[KX5]

Hey guys i have read alot on here but now i have some questions.. My grandfather gave me this Grey marble table for Christmas, that he got from a guy to settle a bill that he owed him.... i don't know what year it is or anything but it doesn't say "product of Valley" on the table surface for what that is worth. it says that it has had 504 games on the counter and it is supper clean.

Ive added some pics so you can tell me what you think.







All the rods spin good and all the men seem fine. one bumper is cracked, but i have already ordered a few bumpers, a few men in each color, a few bearings and one nut, and some pins and the tools....

But on to the problem with more pics..




each one of those pics was taken at each end of the table with the level pointing to the center of the table. Basically the table surface seems to have a bowl shape that curves down into the center. if i level it so one side of the table is level, the ball rolls to the center at the other end.... I opened the lid and put a 4' level on the bottom of the table and if i hold it tight against one side it comes away from the table on the other end by about 1/8"... I have seen that i can get a new table surface but will that solve this problem.....and how hard is it to fix..

Any help on how to fix this problem will really help....
and any comments on the quality of this table would be awesome too... thanks..

[jinhopark]

I think the tables that do not have the "product of Valley" stamped underneath the Tornado logo are the darker green/slicker surfaced table...probably my least favorite surface to play on, but the best surface to practice with.

You can try and support the table from underneath with something to try and level it...but as you know the permanent fix would be to replace the table surface.  It is sort of a pain in the rear to replace...the surface is cumbersome and somewhat heavy.  Basically slide the top off and set it on the floor (IMHO it's easier to do with the rods/men off), then take off the 6 bolts that hold the bracket in place, then you push out the old surface to remove it, then scrape off as much of the white caulk as possible, apply some new white latex caulk all around the edges and put the new surface in, put the brackets back in place, and finally put the 6 bolts back in.  It sounds a lot easier to do than it is...not that you can't do it by yourself, but like any other project get a 2nd set of hands to help you out if you can.

Good luck...BTW, that is one of the cleanest looking grey marbles I have ever seen, externally and internally.  What a super grandfather you have.

[KX5]

Thanks man My grandpa found out that we liked to play and took us to his storage shed...... i was like heck yess i'll take it haha...

But anyways i want to make it like new so i will probably replace the surface. but i have another question.

Foosball.com sells the surface for, $250.00 and with the 2 updated clear side strips and shipping it comes to....$323.94

Tornadofoosball.com sells the surface for, $150.00 and with the 2 side strips and shipping it comes to....   $232.70

Am i missing something here. why is tornadofoosball so much cheaper... is it the same surface that both of them sell, is one better than the other... i was just going to buy one but when i saw there was such a price difference i started to wonder what one i need.... Also if I do buy one from either place what surface will I get. Would it be the same darker green slippery surface you think I have now. Or would it be the new ones that are going in the t3000 table that their producing currently.....

Thanks for your help guys....

[deadbarfoos]

2004 the slicker darker green field debuted

[KX5]

Does anyone know the difference between the two surfaces I mentioned 2 posts earlier?

[jinhopark]

Does anyone know the difference between the two surfaces I mentioned 2 posts earlier?

It's more than likely drop shipped directly from Tornado...if that is the case then you should get the latest version of the surface (ie T3000 table surface).  If it's not drop shipped then it is a crap shoot and they could have old stock mixed in with new stock.  The best thing to do is just call and ask them what surface it is.  IMHO it sure would be hard to pass up on the >$100 savings though.

[bbtuna]

don't know if you have done this already but are you for sure the surface is warped because I have never heard of a Grey with a warped surface

however, if you get the surface from Charles MacIntosh just call him and ask him to make sure you get the newest surface, he can make that happen if he has them in stock or has them drop shipped, he will know how to get the right one from Tornado, hes been doing big business with them for 30 years and no one knows more about tables than he does...he is vry helpful, honest, and competent

let us know how it goes, changing the surface is the most difficult thing to do on a table but if you ae kind of handy and follow instructions, it will be like new when you are done.  You have a super good table in the Grey without "Product of Valley" because that means it is a Grey made after the the 30th anniversary table made only one year in 2003 if I remember right...but this means you have all merkel rods...cherish it, one of the best things Tornado has ever done - you may not know the difference and don't have a point of reference but trust me in that they are super good and are near impossible to bend

I would love to hear how it all goes and how your foosing goes after that...tell us something about yoruself, your history with foosball, and what you want from it going forward

[KX5]

Well i'm pretty sure it is, It has a bowl shape to it... this is what i did and you can tell me if it is rite.

put a level in the center of the table.... leveled it and when i put the level at each goal the table sloped very slightly to the center. Balls roll to the center also. I tried leveling one goal side but that made the other goal really bad...

I can tell a difference when i go to a tournament in town... there tables seem to roll alot straighter than my does...I cut a piece of wood and put it under the table surface across the ball ramp and started shimming it with paper to get it right, and now I can get the level so it looks pretty good in each goal and the center, but i would just prefer to fix it rite... assuming it is broke ha ha.

But then again i am really new to this so i don't know if i am doing something wrong.

Who is Charles MacIntosh... by the way.

[John M]

Hey KX5,

I have looked at a few tables and have not yet seen a warped grey marble...does not mean it cant happen it just looks like that table is practically new!...with 500 plays!

Before going into the table surface...double check something...make sure the legs are put on correctly without any accidental piece of debris accidentally getting in there or something...make sure the feet levelers are taken off and inspect to make sure there is not something weird going on there...screw the levelers all the way in and see where you stand.

I would at least try that before getting into the surface replacement.

Did you notice anything on top of the table or was it stored in a unusual way when you got it from your grandfather?

When I first got may table I thought it was warped or something until I realized that the extra support nut on the leg leveler was not flush...that was my only problem there...Hopefully yours might be something simple like that.


Good Luck