Building a Gaming Table

All discussions regarding Board, Card, and RPG Gaming, including industry discussion, that don't belong in one of the other gaming forums.

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Boudreaux
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Boudreaux »

YellowKing wrote:He's also planning on building a couple of dice towers that collapse and store inside it. :D
These are the kinds of things that I would like to do, and probably could do, but would stretch a project like this from 2 days into 2 months.
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Zurai
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zurai »

Boudreaux wrote:
YellowKing wrote:He's also planning on building a couple of dice towers that collapse and store inside it. :D
These are the kinds of things that I would like to do, and probably could do, but would stretch a project like this from 2 days into 2 months.
You can get patterns for collapsable papercraft dice towers that you can finish in an afternoon. Not as durable as wood, but way, way easier to handle (and you can always print off a new one).
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Chaz
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Chaz »

And if one angers you by delivering sub-par results, you can punish it by smashing it into a pancake. This will eliminate the offending tower, and make you feel like The Hulk.
I can't imagine, even at my most inebriated, hearing a bouncer offering me an hour with a stripper for only $1,400 and thinking That sounds like a reasonable idea.-Two Sheds
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Zarathud
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zarathud »

Expected life of paper tower: 30 minutes. If your players set it on fire, you have been warned.
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Zurai
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zurai »

Zarathud wrote:Expected life of paper tower: 30 minutes.
Not if you use the proper paper (cardstock). I've used papercraft terrain for my campaign several times and it's held up perfectly fine.
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zarathud »

I'm just saying that you can't trust my friends not to spill their beer, then light the card stock on fire. And it's not just hepcat.

:angry-extinguishflame:
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by jztemple2 »

I saw this topic and I just had to post my own experience. Just about thirty-five years I married my wife and we moved into a two bedroom apartment. One room was for us, the other was for my gaming :wink: which she has nicely agreed to. At this time I was playing The Campaign for North Africa by SPI which I was was playing on a card table, which meant I could only put out about three of the mapsheets at one time. Well, I came home from work one day and found she had built me a gaming table, ten feet by three feet, so I could set up CNA in its entirety. Now that's love :wub:
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Zarathud
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zarathud »

Mission: Assemble the kids a LEGO table - Complete
Mission: Assemble a desk from Butcher Block Workbenches and Pipe Legs - Complete

Mission: Treatment of Butcher Block Workbenches with mineral oil over several days - Not Complete
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
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Zarathud
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Zarathud »

This table project involved some Edsal Butcher Block Workbench tops from Home Depot and Klee Klamp pipe legs. The Staples office furniture I was using for my parent/kid computer desks was flaking in places and there wasn't enough room at the desk for the kids to both play LEGO games at the same time, resulting in big fights.

Enlarge Image

I chose two 30 x 60 inch Workbench tops from Home Depot to get reasonably priced slabs of solid wood. Since Edsal is a local Chicago shop, they delivered on their Home Depot order in less than 1 week -- and arrived 4 hours before the UPS notice went out! That's usually not a bad thing, except I wasn't able to arrange for someone to help my wife accept the delivery. The result was a few dings in the wood that could have been avoided.

Enlarge Image

Rather than messing around with getting the legs cut, I ordered a precut set of connectors and legs. Again, a substitute UPS delivery guy tried to drop the 9 foot long box of pipes on our front porch -- which isn't 9 feet long! Here is the parts inventory (without all of the connectors):

Enlarge Image

Assembly wasn't too bad once I figured out the right drill bits, and used a small drill to get the screw started then a stronger drill to finish up. Only cut my thumb once on the metal shavings. Here's the first desk upside down in front of the new Ikea LEGO table for the kids:

Enlarge Image

This thing is sturdy. The hex screws end up keeping everything connected well, and I'm pretty sure my entire family could get on top without any problems. A shot of the desk right side up:

Enlarge Image

While I missed GenCon (using the weekend and my extra money on the project), I now have a pretty sweet, solid desk set up for the family gaming. I have some work treating the counter top with mineral oil and cleaning up the cable clutter underneath. I added 2 extra clamps to the far right of the desk so I can later attach a shelf for the backup battery for our flood control system that keeps the basement dry.

Enlarge Image
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
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RMC
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by RMC »

Zarathud wrote:This table project involved some Edsal Butcher Block Workbench tops from Home Depot and Klee Klamp pipe legs. The Staples office furniture I was using for my parent/kid computer desks was flaking in places and there wasn't enough room at the desk for the kids to both play LEGO games at the same time, resulting in big fights.

Enlarge Image

I chose two 30 x 60 inch Workbench tops from Home Depot to get reasonably priced slabs of solid wood. Since Edsal is a local Chicago shop, they delivered on their Home Depot order in less than 1 week -- and arrived 4 hours before the UPS notice went out! That's usually not a bad thing, except I wasn't able to arrange for someone to help my wife accept the delivery. The result was a few dings in the wood that could have been avoided.

Enlarge Image

Rather than messing around with getting the legs cut, I ordered a precut set of connectors and legs. Again, a substitute UPS delivery guy tried to drop the 9 foot long box of pipes on our front porch -- which isn't 9 feet long! Here is the parts inventory (without all of the connectors):

Enlarge Image

Assembly wasn't too bad once I figured out the right drill bits, and used a small drill to get the screw started then a stronger drill to finish up. Only cut my thumb once on the metal shavings. Here's the first desk upside down in front of the new Ikea LEGO table for the kids:

Enlarge Image

This thing is sturdy. The hex screws end up keeping everything connected well, and I'm pretty sure my entire family could get on top without any problems. A shot of the desk right side up:

Enlarge Image

While I missed GenCon (using the weekend and my extra money on the project), I now have a pretty sweet, solid desk set up for the family gaming. I have some work treating the counter top with mineral oil and cleaning up the cable clutter underneath. I added 2 extra clamps to the far right of the desk so I can later attach a shelf for the backup battery for our flood control system that keeps the basement dry.

Enlarge Image
Very nice.
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
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coopasonic
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by coopasonic »

I finally finished it last weekend... fingers crossed it is visible:
Image
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Boudreaux
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Boudreaux »

That turned out really well. Did you bevel or soften that inside edge at all? I'm also curious how high the top surface of your table is from the ground.

I'm envious of the neoprene approach for the gaming surface. I had to re-do mine with a different top (switched from thin plywood to MDF) which is covered in felt. Cost all of $10 to do, but the pilling problems that people have noted with felt have started to appear. Although, I've noticed that it's only happening where my kids sit....

I'd like to do the neoprene but I can't bring myself to shell out the $$$ yet. I might look into a velveteen or microsuede fabric like they use on poker tables.
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by coopasonic »

Boudreaux wrote:Did you bevel or soften that inside edge at all?
Just sanded it to round it off a tiny bit. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Hopefully this weekend I will get a chance.
Boudreaux wrote:I'm also curious how high the top surface of your table is from the ground.
From memory I think it is right around 32 inches high. Again, until I get to play something on it I am not sure if that was right or not.
Boudreaux wrote:I'm envious of the neoprene approach for the gaming surface. I had to re-do mine with a different top (switched from thin plywood to MDF) which is covered in felt. Cost all of $10 to do, but the pilling problems that people have noted with felt have started to appear. Although, I've noticed that it's only happening where my kids sit....

I'd like to do the neoprene but I can't bring myself to shell out the $$$ yet. I might look into a velveteen or microsuede fabric like they use on poker tables.
It was nerve wracking cutting the neoprene. It would be really easy to make an $80 mistake.
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by TheMix »

I think it was this thread that gave me the idea, but I took an old yoga mat that I never use and cut it in half. Now I use that for my gaming surface. We've only used it once, but so far so good.

Wonder if a cheap mat would fit a table like that. Probably be too narrow.

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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by coopasonic »

Image

Crappy quality pic of zombicide on the new table. Just enough room.
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stessier
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by stessier »

Very nice!

Dice are so archaic, though. Why not embed tablets into the railings at each position so you can call up Random.org for all of the rolls? No more rogue dice wiping out game boards! :D
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coopasonic
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by coopasonic »

stessier wrote: No more rogue dice wiping out game boards! :D
Apparently you missed the two dice towers in the near corners. :twisted:
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Holman »

I'm impressed with these desks! Good work, folks.

We're finally getting our basement into liveable shape, and the first order of business will be stable surfaces for gaming/projects/laptops. It won't be as fancy as what's in this thread, but it's a start.
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stessier
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by stessier »

coopasonic wrote:
stessier wrote: No more rogue dice wiping out game boards! :D
Apparently you missed the two dice towers in the near corners. :twisted:
Indeed I did. :clap: :)
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Boudreaux
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Boudreaux »

I ended up swapping out the fabric surface on mine. The felt looked terrible after a month or two, I was able to get a huge sheet of dark blue poker table-style velveteen online for about $12. Works much better.

The sprawling expanse that is Firefly fits pretty well. My son and I played over the weekend. We'll see if it still works with Blue Sun.

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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Holman »

That looks great!
Much prefer my Nazis Nuremberged.
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Boudreaux
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by Boudreaux »

There are only two things I don't like about the table - one minor, one annoying.

The minor thing is from the way it's built - there is just the slightest bit of wobble because the tabletop is just 5/8" plywood. It's not a problem for board games, but when we've played D&D and I've propped up the starter box and lid as my DM screen, it doesn't take much of a bump to knock them over.

The annoying thing is that fabric top - it is amazing how much dirt/dust it collects in a short amount of time. I can sweep it clean very easily, but within a couple of days there are little specks of dust all over it, which are pretty noticeable on the dark blue. I'm hoping that once the basement is finished this winter, a lot of that will go away.

Otherwise, having a dedicated game table is freaking awesome. I left a 2/3-finished solo game of Mage Knight set up on it last night, and I can jump right back in when I get home this afternoon.
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Re: Building a Gaming Table

Post by RMC »

Man, my wood working skills are so horrible in comparison to everyone else. I just used some MDF and 2x4's to make a 4x8 table. I sandwiched two 4x8 sheets of MDF together with a 2x4 border and built a 2x4 stand for it to sit on.

Then I just painted it green, which was some paint I had laying around, and used varnish on top to make it resist water.

It is just a big ugly table in my basement that only my gamer friends see, as the basement is not really something that anyone would want to hang out in. :)
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. - Winston Churchill
Sheesh, this is one small box. Thankfully, everything's packed in nicely this time. Not too tight nor too loose (someone's sig in 3, 2, ...). - Hepcat
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