Some Quick Tips on How to Refinish a Shuffleboard Table
If you have ever wondered how to refinish a shuffleboard table there are a few things you need to consider.
One of the most important is to make sure you have the necessary information as to what type of finish your particular table has on the playing surface before refurbishing. Shuffleboard tables can be finished using lacquer, varnish, acrylic, and polyurethane, among other applications.
Not a do it yourself repair shown here
The main consideration when preparing the surface is to use a conservative approach rather than an aggressive one. Using finer grit sandpaper and oscillating sander and gently going over the entire surface using long consistent strokes will go a long way in keeping your surface level and in good playing condition.
Trying to repair sections is not recommended because unless you have a high level of skill it would be almost impossible to transition the repaired section to the rest of the table without affecting the performance of the playing surface. Ideally you should approach resurfacing as a maintenance item versus a repair. Allowing the table to deteriorate and wear past the finish and into the wood not only makes the repair more difficult but could cause irreparable harm to your investment. To properly repair a surface like the one shown below would require a professional sanding machine and a professional wood shop for the proper equipment.
Once you have removed enough of the finish to the point that the playing surface is now smooth and flat you must now determine how to refinish the shuffleboard table if the markings on the table surface need to be restored. This would be the case if your table needed to be sanded to the extent that material beyond the finish need to be removed to get the playing surface flat and the markings were obliterated by the sanding process. This is not an ideal scenario but in some instances it cannot be avoided.
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- Antique Damaged Board
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- Tradtional Play Surface
Once you have remarked your table you can begin reapplying the finish. For do it yourself home owner you are probable best to use a polyurethane varnish you can roll or brush on. It will require a lot of sanding to get smooth between coats. The better alternative is if you have access to a spray gun and booth is to spray the finish on in a professional paint booth with industrialized canalized hardened finish material. Polymer poured bar top epoxy two part is also a solution, but one thing to keep in mind is a lot of different chemicals don’t bond well together so make sure the base coat material you use is compatible with the epoxy poured resin and hardener in the polymer. It is best to check with the local paint finish store or Polymer supplier about the chemical incompatibilities.
Following these tips are just a few suggestions on how to refinish a shuffleboard table, but if you are anything less than 100% confident in your abilities, we suggest using a professional you trust. We will be updating more detailed how to finish a shuffleboard tips in the near future check back here for updates.
We just received a homemade shuffleboard table from a friend. The table looks great but the surface is not flat. The table looks like it has a quarter inch of poly on the top and it crowns in the middle so the pucks drift either right or left. Is there anyone in the Minneapolis are that we could hire to re-surface the table? We are a mechanical contractor and employ many carpenters, would they be able to repair this in-house? Thank you
We do not know of anyone, you can ship to us but would maybe just as inexpensive to order a new play board here
Depending on how warped the deck is you might be able to flatten it out using climatic adjusters. Here’s a link to a site describing their installation and use.
https://www.shuffleboard.net/blog/how-to-adjust-shuffleboard-climatic-adjusters/
Going to refinish a 22′ shuffle board with epoxy. How do you figure the amount needed at 1/8″ thick.
You would need 2-3 gallons
Just did one. Exactly 3 gallons
I work with a crew that recently made a new shuffleboard table. The numbers/painted details are now chipping. So it is looking like they did not wait long enough after the numbers were applied to degass before applying the poly. We need to resurface this table. I am trying to research if there are better materials to redo the top with? The surface was finished with a wipe-on poly, then the numbers were applied (rustoleum spray paint). Then approximately 8? coats of gloss polyurethane. We are most likely going to sand back down to the wood surface. I’m not sure if the wrong paint was used and if there is a better choice? or simply if we did not wait long enough after applying (1 day) to put on poly. any suggestions?
Seren I would use a #2 pencil to mark the numbers or you could order some vinyl decals are you using the pour two part bar top epoxy? What is the wood surface? If not hard rock Maple then I would stick with the do it yourself type epoxy we can sell you some epoxy we have some left over from when we used to use we charge $40 per gallon depending on the size table you need a 2 gallon to 4 gallon kit. 3 gallons is probable enough but each part comes in one gallon containers.
I made a homemade shuffleboard table, put the epoxy on, used a torch to get rid of bubbles and let it settle. However there were a few sticky spots, not sure why but is there any way to get rid of them without messing with the entire board?
The Epoxy is a homemade do it yourself material but still requires a little experience. We used to use but today we use an industrial material from Italy much harder and not something a home owner can work with. It sounds like you did not get part A and part B fully mixed. You have to stir very well then pour into another bucket and stir again. Best luck with your home made shuffleboard. We fell any factory produced table using the bar top epoxy is home made anyway. Most the manufactures do not even know how to glue up a good shuffleboard butcher block for a traditional playing experience.
Todd, thank you for your response! I did not see this in time but we ended up using a 2 part self leveling bar top epoxy over vinyl decals. We’re on hour 48 of a 72hr cure. When we turn the table back over to the owner I want to make sure we provide an accurate maintenance procedure. Do you recommend the silicone spray on an epoxy top? I watched some of the McClure YouTube videos on maintenance and I wasn’t sure if this was appropriate for all tops or just traditional finish tops.
Had some things fall off a shelf onto my board and dent the epoxy. How do I go about fixing this???? It’s killing me this happened.
You mentioned in a previous post/response that you had some epoxy for sale that you no longer used. I have built a table out of our old high school gym floor and have decided to cover it using epoxy. I was wondering 2 things…how much is shipping? I think I only need 2 gallons for my 15′ table. Also, I have a local company that does car, boat, rv, etc wraps that can make a decal for the center of the table. Will it work to the pour epoxy over this? If you are not sure, what brand of epoxy do you have as I could maybe call/do some research on it.
I think you bought some epoxy from us Kevin hope it worked out post a picture we will publish
I am building a 16′ table using the maple floor from my high school gym.
I was wondering a couple things…how much would it be to ship enough epoxy product to cover a 16′ (20″ wide) table? Also, I am going to have a local company that does car wraps make me logo for the center of the table. Do you think/believe that the epoxy you are selling will be able to be applied over these decals? If you are not sure, could you tell me the brand so that I could do a little checking before buying the material? Thanks
We sell the epoxy for 50 per gallon but it comes in two gallon kits you would need 4 gallons to cover a 16 foot table, 3 will work but the hardener and the epoxy are each in one gallon bottles
I have a handful of nicks in the table from the kids playing on it. Is there an easy way to just fill in the nicks?
Thanks in advance!
What kind of a play surface do you have a traditional finish or the Poured epoxy? For traditional you can try a paste wax but furniture touch up people can burn in clear lacquer sticks too
What do you use to put the numbers on the table?
We have branding irons ourselves but we use a special formulated finish materials from Italy most do it yourself modern style Shuffleboard planks use plastic poured polymer and many use decals or silk screen printing. You can just use a #2 pencil if your trying to use a traditional finish material not the thick bar top epoxy
We were introduced to indoor shuffleboard at a friend’s northern Wisconsin lake home about fourteen years ago. In short the cabin will be ours in two years, but not the shuffleboard. I wish at this time i could buy one of your shuffleboards, but just can not swing it at this time. I purchased an old National table that needs work. I have no problems with getting the surface flat, but wonder what finish to apply. Would you specifically tell me a finish to use and how many costs? Does the finish need to be high gloss? We would love to have a personalized plank in the future from you, but until then we will use the origanal plank. Thanks for any help.
The finish does not have to be high gloss we use a very low gloss material, but the problem is you need industrial planning constant pass through line to get the board flat. An alternative and what most shuffleboard manufactures use is a poured epoxy bar top finish. You kind of dam up the surface and then can pour on the epoxy. We used to use this material and still have some left we can sell for 45 per gallon you need about 4 gallons for a typical table. Call us at 800-565-0977 for more information
I just made my own shuffleboard table (16’) and need to get the playing surface ready. It’s regular mdf wood on top and not sure what I need to use now. From painting to polyurethane.. any help would be great
Todd, i just bought an old 12′ American Shuffleboard (bank) type. it needs to be refinished but i do not want to lose the numbering and the name and foul line indicators. I am also looking for an old electric scoreboard. Also one of the metal corners is missing as well. Any ideas on the type of finish this table might have would be appreciated (the surface is “crackled” but relatively smooth. any suggestions will be appreciated. this is the type board we played on while in college and this is the only one i have found in several years looking.
Thanks
You can mark the numbers with a pencil we do have an old Marvel electro-mechanical Score unit we would sell for $2000 if you are interested I can send you pictures
I bought an old shuffle board. The top was not done right and was made into 2 pieces. I bought a synthetic bowling lane (price was right and close to me) so it would be one piece. Will an epoxy resin stick to it?
Yes if you sand or prep the surface first
Hello – I recently purchased an original American Shuffle board. It looks like its 100 percent original but the original finish is starting to crack. It doesn’t look like the wood it cracked and its just the finish. There’s a little crack over the numbers and its pretty clear that the print of the numbers doesn’t go beyond the finish meaning if I sand it down it will be gone and I will lose the originality of the numbers. There is also a branded American logo on the board that would be lost if I sanded it down. Is there an option to epoxy the whole top without sanding down any of the original finish. Sounds like a bad option but not sure what other options I have without losing all the original markings. Please help if you have any specific methods or materials I can use. I would be happy to send a picture if it helps. Thanks in advance
Sam, The best thing on an antique table is to leave the board original, but you need to have a pass-through sanding line. This means the conveyors stay one height and the sander moves up and down for the thickness of the board. Once you sand down then you can spray with a two-part hardened finish like conversion varnish or polyurethane. The epoxy is an option but we do not like that type of finish
I would like to buy some epoxy from you, are you still selling it? I have a 15 foot top I need to coat. I am also wondering if you suggest applying a sealer coat or two before applying the epoxy? If so do I apply the sealer coats before applying the vinyl numbers and logos?
Newark, DE
Sorry we do not use Epoxy Polymer any more, I know their is one supplier in Florida we used to buy from a company in California called BD classics try to look them up
Todd, I see you commented above that you may have some salvage parts from old tables. I recently purchased an older American Shuffleboard and am looking for one aluminum player/score button assembly, replacement buttons for the one I have and the polished connector plates that join the side rails. I have not found any parts on the internet to salvage so far. If you don’t have any, do you know anyone that may have salvage parts for these old tables?