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Hey all. I'm going to be building a gaming table or two, and I'm looking for some input. Specifically, what kind of features have you seen on tables in the past that you thought were really good, or really poor? I've got a lot of ideas for what I could build, but what I am looking for here are experience-driven comments on things you have seen and how they ended up working. Anyone care to share their experience?

Are you asking about a table, as in the piece of furniture, or the tabletop, as in the surface that you'll be playing on?

As in the piece of furniture, the whole bit. However, as the tabletop is part of that, ideas there would be appreciated as well. I will be building a complete, free standing, from scratch unit.

Good: Owning a table.


Bad: I used ruble that is a little to large, so top heavy models (genestealers) do not stand up on it.

Also over time the middle of the board started to sink so I had to renforce the center.

Ah, Clthomps. Was hoping you'd show. THanks! Keep it comin Dakka.

I know what you mean about ruble screwing you over. I played on a similar table. I have a bunch of sand blasting grit that should do the trick.

I'll keep that in mind about the center. Most of my furniture is pretty cross-braced. The trick is making it strong and still light.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Game_Table_Plans

That's an article here that I wrote about building the actual table.

An interesting article with some good ideas. What made you go for the model/drink trough as oppossed to drawers or a sub-gameboard platform of some sort? Seems that if you had put in a platform under the main gaming surface, you would have had a much greater area.

I have a design I used to create a train table for my boys, they were all into the Thomas the Train set, still are. Their table is very light, and strong enough that a 7 year old and two year old have been bouncing on it for quite some time with no ill effect. That thing is years old and seen much abuse, so I'll prob. just scale it up as far as the base construction.

How about height? I've played on table height boards, as well as the standing height ones. Any other options just seem a bit odd for the back, but I've never played them so I really can't say. Anyone try other options in this regard? I am leaning toward bar-height tables, with bar stools for the seated option, and under-table storage for minis.

Drinks? Should these have a place on the board (I think Redbeard accounted for these in his design), or should they be relegated to another place nearby?

As far as actual surfacing, I've seen sand/rule texturing usu sealed to the board with paint or white glue, grass mats, flock, various other mats (nope, shan't be buying the Sabol mat thanks). What has Dakka experienced otherwise that was good or bad?

Casters? PITA or not?

Actually, I've just been thinking about this very thing Griz.
And the fact that I'm going to be moving to an apartment soon made me think that I need to come up with a way that it can be practical and effective.
In came a crazy idea...
I decided that I'll be making an 8x6 table, with the standard folding legs and everything. But the biggest thing that makes it interesting?
Putting a 'railing' along the sides that extends over the highest pieces of the board(stuff like buildings would have to be removed either way for storage, but bins are easier to store than a table with pieces of terrain fixed in place), and then lacquering and finishing a 'cover' that fits and can be locked into place using that lip.
I'm still working out all the details, but man am I excited to do this huge mud-soaked swampland that will soon be the Cadian 295th's bastion!

I prefer a table height, instead of standing height, table because I'm rather short and it makes it easier for me to reach the center, or even the other side of the board. It also make it easier to lift a camera over for battle report pictures. An area to roll dice in would be nice. I think a lower under table would be nice to store terrain or other things. Maybe a small side table for reserve units an drinks. Modular surface to change out surface types.

Check out The Sultan at Game Chic for the best table on the market, and steal a few ideas for yourself.

grizgrin wrote:An interesting article with some good ideas. What made you go for the model/drink trough as oppossed to drawers or a sub-gameboard platform of some sort? Seems that if you had put in a platform under the main gaming surface, you would have had a much greater area.

There is a shelf underneath as well, however, for ease of use during regular play, you don't need that much area, and you also don't want to be stooping down to see under the table. The trenches are easily the most used features of the table, and the one I miss the most when I'm gaming somewhere without them.

Casters? PITA or not?

I'd avoid them, the chance of the table moving with minis falling over (or off!) is too high.

Check out these gallary images of my table.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/18661-Games%20Shed%20internal.html

6x4 standard, now has a 2 ft drop leaf allowing 8x4. Set at about waist hight and we use bar stools for sitting around if needed. Storage under for terrain, models go elsewhere.

I have loads of 2x2 foam boards with scenic on, so went with a slight edge to hold the boards in place, but recently been playing a load of Mordheim so we have removed all the boards. We will be painting the table itself grey to respresent City Fights then the 2x2 boards are green flock for "field work". The grey under board will end up with coloured "deployment lines" marked out for various games just to speed things up!

The one big experience point I'd give is allocate somewhere off table for gamming aids. Either underneath, or on a seperate table or add a foot to the gaming surface (make a 7x4 board) to put books, army lists, dice, what ever on. This is a regular bone of contention, and we most often use the 6x4 table marked up as 4x4 for Mordheim with the 12 inches either end used for storing everything else, which works really nice! I have the space for a perminant table however! In its own dedicated log cabin for gaks sake!

The table itself is constructed from timber joists and 2x4 Chipboard if I remember right (been a few years) but holds up really well and gets used now every week.

Kanluwen wrote:Actually, I've just been thinking about this very thing Griz.
And the fact that I'm going to be moving to an apartment soon made me think that I need to come up with a way that it can be practical and effective.
In came a crazy idea...
I decided that I'll be making an 8x6 table, with the standard folding legs and everything. But the biggest thing that makes it interesting?
Putting a 'railing' along the sides that extends over the highest pieces of the board(stuff like buildings would have to be removed either way for storage, but bins are easier to store than a table with pieces of terrain fixed in place), and then lacquering and finishing a 'cover' that fits and can be locked into place using that lip.
I'm still working out all the details, but man am I excited to do this huge mud-soaked swampland that will soon be the Cadian 295th's bastion!

So you would, in effect, have a removable hardtop that you could use for some kind of furniture piece in the apartment (dining room table or some such prehaps), but be able to take the top down for Sunday afternoon drives? Sounds really nice! I'm not really short for space (my new gaming lair is about 22'x24'), but that's a good idea for folks who are. I'm not able to see your location for the table but maybe a 4x6 would fit a little better? Also, are you planning on storing the top under the table itself in some configuration when gaming, or some other idea?

Chrispy wrote:I prefer a table height, instead of standing height, table because I'm rather short and it makes it easier for me to reach the center, or even the other side of the board. It also make it easier to lift a camera over for battle report pictures. An area to roll dice in would be nice. I think a lower under table would be nice to store terrain or other things. Maybe a small side table for reserve units an drinks. Modular surface to change out surface types.

Check out The Sultan at Game Chic for the best table on the market, and steal a few ideas for yourself.

Yeah, had a look at the Sultan. It's got some really great attributes. I'll definitely be installing a dice rolling area, but I've never been keen on dice towers for some reason. Anyone got suggestions on a dice area that doesn't involve towers? All I'm really coming up with is just a box, anyone ever see anything different from that? Actually, towers might look really good if done in acrylic clear, so you can see the dice. Hmmm....

I'm 6'3" so reach isn't an issue much. However, I AM thinking of expansions for the board for Apoc battles that I don't just want to play on the floor. In which case reach would become an issue for even the most positive of ape index.

As far as a gaming surface, I'm really up in the air, and open to suggestions. I'm thinking just a flat surface with all terrain mobile, and to be constructed later. Probably go with standard green, but able to lay out differen mats or terrain pieces on top of that.

Druidic wrote:Check out these gallary images of my table.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/18661-Games%20Shed%20internal.html

6x4 standard, now has a 2 ft drop leaf allowing 8x4. Set at about waist hight and we use bar stools for sitting around if needed. Storage under for terrain, models go elsewhere.

I have loads of 2x2 foam boards with scenic on, so went with a slight edge to hold the boards in place, but recently been playing a load of Mordheim so we have removed all the boards. We will be painting the table itself grey to respresent City Fights then the 2x2 boards are green flock for "field work". The grey under board will end up with coloured "deployment lines" marked out for various games just to speed things up!

The one big experience point I'd give is allocate somewhere off table for gamming aids. Either underneath, or on a seperate table or add a foot to the gaming surface (make a 7x4 board) to put books, army lists, dice, what ever on. This is a regular bone of contention, and we most often use the 6x4 table marked up as 4x4 for Mordheim with the 12 inches either end used for storing everything else, which works really nice! I have the space for a perminant table however! In its own dedicated log cabin for gaks sake!

The table itself is constructed from timber joists and 2x4 Chipboard if I remember right (been a few years) but holds up really well and gets used now every week.

WOW. Now THATS a gaming area. Thanks for the pic and the advice!

Make it 4'x8'
Make it 36" tall
Use 3/4" particle board for the top
Put shelves in it
Put it on locking wheels

Most important!

Don't use nails and screws, use nuts and bolts.
You may have to move it someday.

Your welcome... we like it We nicknamed it Games Workshed

I made mine 4X6 and added folding leaves to each end to make it 4X8, but so many people were leaning on the ends, I took out the hinges and built some angled supports to make them permanent. Using a 4X6 gaming mat leaves an obvious space for drinks, books, gaming aids, and undeployed units.

I built some shelves underneath after measuring my army case to make sure it fit. I store a lot of stuff under there and on the floor.

I used 2X4's for the frame and quarter inch plywood for the surface, I'm not expecting anyone to dance on top of it, but it should be able to support a heavy midget stripper (Hmm, now I know how we can move our stuff around using tables we can reach across). I used my expanding beardy belly as a guide to height, so hopefully no more figures get swept by the Gut of GorkaMorka, it's about 36" tall.

I did it super easy. I made a rectangle out of the 2X4's, overlapping the ends of the 2X4's and attached them with screws to each other. I cut down two 2X4's to run across evenly spaced for surface support. I laid the surface upside down on the floor and mounted the 2X4 legs to the inside of the framework and stood it up properly. I used cargo straps with a ratcheting buckle to square the legs up while I measured and cut supports for the legs and shelves. I installed 6 legs for the 4X6 surface, but you might want more for a longer table. I used plywood so my felt gamer's mat wouldn't snag on it like chipboard would.

One of the guys just made two 4X6 gaming surfaces, one industrial and one grassy, to lay on top of the table or use with folding tables for tables for other rooms in my house, his goal was to lay both on top of my table to make a 6X8 surface for Apoc. He's going to make a transitional piece that's 2X6 to set in between to make a 6X10 surface, but when it's in place, we'll have to have the guys on that long table edge "locked in", they'll have to go out the door to go to the other side of the table or the bathroom or whatever. He used a solid 4X6 of masonite and 2X1's for support. He glued a half-inch thick piece of pink foam board to the surface and used ballast and flocking in random patches. That will rule out high heels on the midget, though. :(

Here is the one I made. Legs 4x4s, bracing 2x4s, plywood top (4x6), 4x6 bottom shelf for storage. I assembled it with wood screws (1.5-2"), so that is could be disassembled to move (which I did when I bought my new house).

I wanted to go with casters on the legs to allow me to move it easier, but settled on the sturdy approach so that if someone bumps the table, nothing falls over. And I must say, it takes a pretty good bump to move or rock the table.

This was my first attempt, and it turned out pretty well. I can place a 4x8 plywood sheet on top for larger games. Oh, and I usually use colored felt, or colored fabric as the tabletop, and put terrain on that. I was going to flock/sand/paint the tabletop, but between laziness, and the fabrics, I have not gotten around to it.

When I make another for my basement, I'll likely add some flair to it to make it look more table-ish, rather than blocky.