c. After the crate is opened and the rails are padded, tilt the crate on one edge and lean it slightly forward
allowing the playfield to lie on its side. Again, moving the playfield without damaging it requires strength and
lots of communication.
d. Once the playfield is on its side, remove the crate and any excess material away from the installation site.
e. Next, lift the playfield with even support and lie it face down next to the assembled cradle.
Important: when lying the playfield face down, be sure to have proper padding to prevent any scratching
or damage
f.
Install the climatic adjusters by fastening screws into the pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the playfield
g. After the climatic adjusters are installed, lift the playfield on its side and remove the padding. Place the
padding over the cradle rails where the playfield will be lifted in the next steps.
h. Place two playing weights (upside down) onto the carpet at each end of the assembled cradle approximately
10” from the end and 8-10” apart. These will be used to rest the playfield and give you enough room to get
your fingers out of the way.
i.
With all hands on deck, lift the playfield with even support and bring it towards the assembled cradle.
NOTE: It’s very important to lift the playfield high enough to clear the cradle rails, especially with the
climatic adjusters. The climatic adjusters will severely damage the cradle and rails if the playfield is not
lifted high enough.
j.
Once the playfield has cleared the cradle wall, rest the shuffleboard on the 4 playing weights. With the
playfield resting, send 1-2 people under one end of the cradle. Their job is to lift and lower the playfield,
allowing the weights to be removed. Once this process is repeated for both ends, the playfield should be
resting in the floor of the cradle.
4. Leveling and Adjusting
Once you have the playfield in place and everyone has caught their breath, you’re now ready to add for the final
adjustments. To fine tune your shuffleboard, you’ll need to utilize the climatic adjusters and leg levelers.
Climatic Adjusters
a. Start at either end of the playfield and lay your 24” level or straight edge measuring at least across the
playfield over the first climatic adjuster. This will determine if your playfield is convex or concave. You want
your playfield to be slightly concave. The way this is determined is by sliding a piece of paper back and forth
under the middle of the level or straight edge.
b. If the straight edge/level rocks from side to side the playfield is convex and needs to be correcting. Begin by
adjusting the climatic adjusters located under the cradle. Each climatic adjuster consists of two brackets with
an all thread bolt running between them. These are held in place by four nuts (two per bracket). To adjust,
tighten the inside and outside nut of one bracket to hold the bolt in place. Loosen the outside bolt on the
opposite bracket moving it away from the outside of the bracket. Then begin tightening the inside nut. This
will start adding space between the brackets raising the outer edge of the playfield, making it concave. Now,
tighten the inside nut slowly with ¼ to ¾ turns while checking the straight edge regularly with the paper to
make the appropriate adjustment.
c. Continue down the table making the same adjustments at each climatic adjuster. When all the adjustments
are made the table should be concave to some minor degree. If the weights drift slightly toward the center of
the scoring zone, the cradle and playfield are level.
NOTE: Don’t expect to see a direct response. The table will react to the adjustments for several days. If
you’re unable to make the desired adjustment, allow the table a few days to continue to conform to the
pressure of the climatic adjusters. After a few days, check it again with the straight edge/level. If more
adjustments are needed at that time make them as described above.
