Analog carpenter levels usually have bubbles that will orient between two lines when the surface is level, and will skew to one side when the surface is crooked. These are great for telling not only whether or not your table is crooked, but by how much, and to what direction. [1] X Research source If you don’t have one, there are free or very cheap apps you can get on most smart phones with quite accurate level-functions. Use one of these instead, and just lay your phone on the surface you want to check for level.
If the bubbles in the glass tubes are above or below the middle lines, you will need to raise or lower one of the shorter ends of the pool table.
Take a measurement. If the bubbles are above or below, you’ll also need to adjust the legs in that direction to make the table flat. [3] X Research source
Move to each side and each corner of the pool table, checking with the level for the severity of the lean. The corner with the most lean is the one you’re looking for. In some cases, you’ll get weird readings because the floor of the house may be less than level. If that’s the case, you can still make adjustments in the same basic way, it’ll just take a little more troubleshooting to get it right.
Repeat the process on a few sections of the table. Adjust the table if the ball is rolling off course towards a particular side, if necessary. This method requires that you move the ball extremely straight, which is somewhat difficult and less accurate than a level. If you try this, check your results against a carpenter level to be sure.
Place a marble on the middle of the piece of glass. The ball should stay in place if the pool table is level. Adjust the table if the ball rolls off of the glass towards a particular area of the table. Repeat the process on every side of the table. Place the glass and marble 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7. 6 cm) from every pocket on the pool table.
If the level doesn’t, turn it the other way and check for level on the perpendicular side. When you locate the lowest corner, put the 8-ball in that pocket, so you’ll be able to remember which one it is.
If you don’t have the manual, just look at the legs to see how they’re put together, and whether or not they have adjustable components. If your pool table does not, you can still use shims and other tiny adjustments to level the table. If the table features screw-in feet or legs, they’ll usually be raised by turning them to the right and lowered by turning them to the left. But always defer to the owner manual to be sure.
Pool tables involve any number of different screws and screwdrivers to tighten. Look at the screws themselves to figure out what you need, or consult the owner’s manual.
If that was too much, and the table has been unleveled in the wrong direction, lower it back to where it was and use shims to make smaller adjustments. More on this in the next section.
You can also leave the over adjusted leg as it is, and use shims on the over levels, if you’d rather. It’s partially a trial-and-error process.
You can trim the shims to fit underneath the feet of the table if necessary, to make sure that they don’t show. If the feet are big enough, though, you may not need to worry about it.
Use the carpenter’s level to check the balance of the pool table. See how the shim has affected the level of the top. Continue to add shims underneath the legs until the pool table is balanced. Move to other corners if necessary, to make other adjustments.
Roll a couple balls to see how true they move. If it looks good to you, go with it. Do the marble-and-glass test again. If it sits still, you’ve got a playable table.
