From time to time, you may notice the need to remove your Foosball men from their rods.
This might be due to any number of factors, but it still needs to be done.
This might be a cause for anxiety since your table is very expensive, and you have grown attached to it.
But there is no need to worry.
Once you know how to remove and replace your Foosball men, it is only a matter of minutes before they are off, and you can go about your business.
Don’t worry about putting them back on either, since that is just as easy.
Also read: how to clean your foosball table
Need to Move Your Table?
If you want to move your table, but the men are getting in the way, then you might not need to remove the Foosmen.
All you need to do is remove the tables and move the table in sideways through the doorway.
This will be quicker than removing each and every rod from the table, which could cause unnecessary wear and tear to your table.
But sometimes, you need to remove a man because he broke. We’ll show you how to remove a man from a modern table and remove the pin from the middle of the man.
What You’ll Need:
- 1-gallon sized Ziplock bag
- A hammer or screw driver (depends on your table)
- A pin punch
- A wooden bracer block (will prevent the rod from bending)
How to Remove and Replace the Foosball Man
Removing the rods from a Foosball table was designed to be simple.
You will notice that the rods were attached to the table and tightened using bearings on both sides of the table.
All you need to do is twist the bearings until the rods are loose, and then lift them up.
Thankfully, Foosball men don’t break very easily. It might happen on an old table that is used to a lot of wear and tear.
They might split in half or break at the toe. They are easy to replace since you can find them online or buy them in pairs from a retail shop that supplies Foosball equipment.
It is one of the easier pieces of the table to replace, so don’t worry if one of your men is broke. It happens on the best tables too.
You need to start by laying down a cloth or something to catch the shards that will fall from the rod as you install a new man.
Don’t be alarmed by these shards, they aren’t serious unless you try and replace your men every time you clean your table.
You only need to replace one man at a time as they break. If you replace them too often, your rods will suffer and you might end up having to replace the entire rod.
Laying down a cloth or towel onto the surface of the table as you replace the man, will also make it easier to maintain and clean your table afterwards.
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Use a Pin Punch
You will need a Foosball pin punch for one of the next steps. Most high-end tables use a roll in to attach the Foosball men to the rods.
These pins are great since they keep the men and handles tight on the rods. They are also incredibly lightweight, so they won’t impact the game negatively.
Low-end tables use bolts or screws to keep the men on the rod, and if your tables have screws instead of pins, you won’t need a pin punch.
You can buy replacement pins at any Foosball retailer, and the set will come with a pin punch.
Now, place the bracer block between the rod and the table. The bracer block should have come with the table.
This block will prevent your rod from becoming damaged as you remove the Foosball man from the rod.
You will now need to take your hammer, and gently hammer out the pin that is keeping your Foosball man attached to the rod.
Try not to apply too much force, since you want to be careful not to damage your rod.
You will have to repeat this step with all the other men on the rod, so that you can slide the broken Foosball man off the rod to remove it.
It is a good idea to replace the pin as well as the broke Foosball man.
The pin might have also been affected by whatever broke your Foosball man, and removing the pin from the Foosball man will also damage it.
So, take the new Foosball man and pin, and use the pin punch to insert the new pin.
All you have to do is align the roll pin with the hole in the rod. Lace the pin punch on top of the roll pin and gently hammer the pin punch.
Sometimes, the pin might slip and become misaligned, so stop the hammering if you feel any resistance.
All you have to do is stop, realign the pin and continue. In no time, your Foosball man has been replaced!
Wrapping Up:
Trying to replace all your Foosball men at once will be more expensive than just replacing one or two men.
Don’t do that to yourself.
Keep one or two extra men on hand, so when one breaks then you can just replace it as soon as it breaks.
Like we said earlier, there are different reasons why you might want to remove your Foosball men.
But don’t do it unnecessarily.
If you need to move the table, rather remove the legs. If you want to clean the rod thoroughly, you don’t need to remove the men to do that.
Only remove the men when you need to replace one.
This is because it causes slight damage to the rods when you remove a Foosball man. It is also a lot of effort to remove a man.
Just remember your bracer block, a hammer, your replacement pin and man, and a pin punch, and you’ll be fine.
