How To Use Shuffleboard Climatic Adjusters

 In Shuffleboard Maintenance

shuffleboardclimaticadjusters

Shuffleboard tables bring plenty of fun into our homes, but it’s important to properly maintain them, especially the shuffleboard climate adjusters. Even the casual shuffleboard fan has probably heard of shuffleboard wax, and avid players will be familiar with silicone spray as well. These items will keep the surface of your table in prime condition, but learning more about your hidden climate adjusters will guarantee optimal gameplay.

Since shuffleboard tables are made out of wood, the playfield can actually expand a little bit in humid weather and contract somewhat in drier surroundings. Changes in temperature can even lead to warping. Climatic adjusters allow you to control the surface of your shuffleboard table to allow for changes in weather.

Shuffleboard climatic adjusters are bolted to the bottom of the board. Depending on the length of your table, you will usually have anywhere from four to six climatic adjusters per board. Generally, they are positioned about a foot from the end of the playing surface on each end. The adjusters should be placed about three to four feet apart from one another.

shuffleboardclimaticadjusters

At McClure, the surface of  our shuffleboard tables is set up with a slight dip in it, which is referred to as being concave. This will prevent the pucks from falling off the sides of the board and into the gutter. You can test how concave your shuffleboard is by taking a straight edge and laying it flat across the surface of the board. If you can comfortably slide a piece of paper across the board beneath the straight edge, your shuffleboard table is just the recommended amount of concave.

Now that we know exactly what shuffleboard climatic adjusters are and what they do, we can go over how to use them. The climatic adjusters we use at McClure Tables are made out of steel, painted black, and work on boards up to 2″ inches think. Using them is actually quite simple. Each bracket has nuts on the inside and nuts on the outside. Adjusting these nuts is what allows you to adjust the surface of the board.

shuffleboardclimaticadjusters

To adjust the concave level of your table, first loosen the inside nut all the way on both sides. Next, tighten the outside nut using two turns. Do the exact same thing to the other outside nut. Repeat the process and allow for a few days in between adjusting to see changes! To adjust the convex level of your table, you do the exact opposite. First loosen the outside nut all the way on both sides. Slowly tighten the inside nut using two turns, and repeat on the other side.

The best shuffleboard player knows their shuffleboard table inside and out. The ability to control some aspects of the surface of the table is crucial for understanding your shuffleboard. Once you get a good feel for your table, shuffleboard climatic adjusters will allow you to make the slightest of adjustments to the surface. The attention to detail will not only hone your shuffleboard skills, but also keep your shuffleboard table in tip-top shape for all weather conditions.

 

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Showing 27 comments
  • Jason Wacker
    Reply

    Are the Climatic Adjusters available for purchase ?

  • John Avampato
    Reply

    I have a problem. I over tightened the adjusting screw and now the screw hole that goes into the board is to big and the screw will not grab correctly. What should I do?

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      Do you have the style climate adjusters with one bolt in the center and nuts on a bar? Or the style with brackets and each bracket has several wood screws holding on the climate adjusters? I would use some wood and glue if it is a wood screw into a hole and see if you can get the screw to grip

  • Jay Campy
    Reply

    I have a problem. I made a custom board but did not include climate adjusters. Table looks amazing but I noticed after creating the play field that I had a fairly severe convex bow but was fine with it because was finishing with 1/8″ self leveling epoxy resin. Well, I got a nice surprise, I got a nice epoxy resin finished beautiful play field that is currently 100% unplayable. It finished with a convex bow that will send any puck off the table right or left.

    So, I am at a loss. Should I do another 1/8″ epoxy coat? If I do I am afraid I will end up with the same. I am considering your four bolt adjusters but to be honest, I do not think the adjusters will be able to level the table as it is a heavy son of a buck at 2.5″ thick and 16′ x 20″ Any suggestion on what could bring the center back down? I am also afraid the adjusters would crack the resin finish when I try to adjust to eliminate the hump. Please help, my family wants to PLAY!

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      Jay

      The epoxy only real advantage is it is a material that a do it yourself shop can work with or you can even apply in the field but the problem is the material does self level but also follows what is under. If your board was convex when you did the pour it will be convex after and you would notice less or thinner polymer in the center of the board and thicker on the outside. Often many polymer boards even factory poured are not perfect if you examine them you may find similar irregularities like maybe thicker epoxy on one side and thinner on the other.
      We consider this a patchwork or a alternative to a proper calibrated precise hard maple butcher block surface. Because you see all polymer poured epoxy tops are basically a slab of wood dammed up and then a two part liquid poured out on top that will self level and cure a plastic top coat usually 1/4” thick.
      You might be able to now mount some climate adjusters and put a straight edge on the surface and try to correct but as you suspect if the board is convex and 2.5” thick may not move. That is what a large commercial knife planner sander machine maybe needed to prepare the block and surface it perfectly flat prior to the pour. Good luck

  • jeremy
    Reply

    What is the size of the base on these adjusters? We need to replace one and want to avoid making new holes.

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      4 3/8″ long by 3.25″ wide on the large adjusters

  • Ionel Pop
    Reply

    Shuffle board is 159″ x 14 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ how many climate adjusters will be required to repair a convex issue of about 1/16″ higher on center.

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      We use four but you could probably get by with 3 you can buy climate adjusters and other parts for your Shuffleboard adjusters here

  • Eric F
    Reply

    I have some reclaimed bowling all for a play surface. I’d like to get climate adjusters , probably 4, to use with it but wonder if you can provide any past experience with this combination. Thank you

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      I have never tried to use a reclaimed bowling alley for play surface we glue up our own boards in house, but climate adjusters should work, just be careful often the bowling alleys are not that thick. We give bolts with our climate adjusters that will work on up to a 2″ thick play surface. You can buy climate adjusters here Shuffleboard Table Parts and Supplies

  • joel happel
    Reply

    hi todd—bought 20′ table a fews years ago from you——want to adjust the climatics—–lost the instruction that came with table—will you email them to me—thanks—-joel happel———-we have played every thursday eve since —–still has not lost the allure

  • Ferenc
    Reply

    Hi Todd,

    I’m still loving my McClure table 4 years on! But I’m noticing pushing (what’s the correct term for pushing a puck LOL?) one way is much faster than the other. Any suggestions on which climate adjuster I should start with? There’s 4 of them on here.

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      The one end faster than the other is not the climate adjusters it is the level of the table

  • Frank Anselmo
    Reply

    I’m am building a 9 foot table with a 8 foot playing surface. Do you thing it’s necessary to still use climate adjusters? My playing surface is 8 foot pine butcher block?

  • Glenn
    Reply

    Thank you for an excellent primer, Todd. But here’s my quandary:
    When I try to adjust for a convex table, after turning one inside nut two turns, when I go to turn the opposite inside nut two turns it loosens the first inside nut as I turn it to tighten. Should I be holding the shaft in the center with pliers to prevent both nuts from turning simultaneously? Thank you.

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      You loosen both outside nuts to allow room for the inside nuts to travel. Then take both the inside nuts use two wrench’s at the same time move both towards the outside of the table this will make the table concave

  • Chad Ostaszewski
    Reply

    Can you please provide the dimensions of the small climate adjusters? How long and how wide is the entire apparatus?

  • Michael Hartsock
    Reply

    My playfield is 20″ wide by 128″ long. How far from the edge of the playfield should the brackets be mounted? I bought the large adjusters, which place the outside edge of the assembly at 17″ with the threaded rod fully extended. Should I mount the adjusters 1 1/2″ from the edge or draw them in some? If so, how much?

    • Todd McClure
      Reply

      Your idea of 1.5″ from each edge will work fine

  • Troy
    Reply

    I have a 22’ long table; how any adjusters should I purchase as install? I was originally thinking there’s only 2 per any table (near the end of each side) but it seems like I need more for this full length table?

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