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So I finally got off my duff to start work on my new gaming table. I've been using a homemade folding table-top, but the playing surface is only about 40" by 64". I did quite a bit of research and sketching before I found myself a design that was cheap and effective. Actually, the table I'm basing my design on was spotted on Dakka Dakka!

As I purchase supplies I will keep a running total of supplies needed for the project. I'm expecting the table to cost me about $150, but we'll see.

Supplies
- 9 ea. 2x4 x 8'
- 2 ea. 4x4 x 8'
- #10 screws, 3" (box)
- #8 screws, 2.5" (box)
- 16 ea. 1/4" carriage bolts (6")
- 1/4" washers
- 7/16" nuts

Total Bill: $85

STEP 1: Design

Pardon my corny "Paint" drawings but it's light years better than my doodles on graph paper. The top layer will be 4' by 8', with a 4' by 6' playing surface and a 2' by 4' storage area for dead models, reserves, etc. The playing area will be covered by speed cloth or felt, and the 2' by 4' area will be stained or painted. Around the edge of the board will be a 2" "dice lip" to keep stray dice from bouncing off the table, and help keep those Realms of Battle boards together.

The bottom level will be 12" off the floor and will serve two purposes. The bottom area will serve to keep the legs firm and prevent the table from wobbling, and will double as a shelf area for boxes, terrain, etc.



The four outer pieces (yellow and green) are offset to add strength, and the blue pieces are included to add stability and strength. The red squares will be the 4" by 4" table legs.



On the lower level, the 2" by 4"s are attached to the legs about 12" off the ground to provide stability to the table and to provide a storage area.

STEP 2: Top Frame
Cuts
2 ea. 2x4" by 46.5"
2 ea. 2x4 by 94.5"
3 ea. 2x4 by 45"

Despite the name, 2x4s aren't actually 2" by 4". The board is actually about 1.5" thick, so when you offset the 2x4s for the project, you're adding about 1.5" to the overall length of the table. Since I want to build the table at 4' by 8' and not 4'1.5" by 8' 1.5", I'm going to cut that extra inch and a half off. Laid out on the floor, the pieces look something like this:



At this point, I made a boneheaded mistake. The saw blade usually takes off about 1/8" from the wood, and I cut every short piece on the wrong side of the mark. SOOOO I ended up with a table that's about 1/4" or so (two cuts per board) thinner than it's supposed to be. I know it's minor but I couldn't help but kick myself for such a dumb mistake.

I attached each of the four outer pieces with two #10 screws on each corner. Remember, I wanted to offset the boards so the corner looks like this:



Finally, I added the inner supports every 24". This will give me a place to attach the plywood coming later. It will also add a lot of strength and stability to the table surface. Once it is done, it should looks something like this:



If you're trying to recreate my table, make sure your 2x4s are straight and there is no warping or twisting. This is easy to do at the lumber store, simply by taking a good-looking piece of wood off the rack and placing it on the floor. If it doesn't lay flat, find a different piece. You might get a few weird looks but it's better than buying defective wood and trying to make that work out.

STEP 3: Legs and Bottom Frame
Cuts
4 ea. 4x4 by 30"
2 ea. 2x4 by 84"
2 ea. 1x6 by 45"
3 ea. 2x4 by 35"

I agonized over the length of the table legs. A standard table is somewhere around 30". I thought about going all the way up to 48" because a lot of gamers (myself included) like to stand while playing. However, I also like to be able to sit down and still be able to see what's going on. I could by stools or captain chairs, but stools are uncomfortable, and captain's chairs are expensive. In the end, I went with 30" so I can use standard folding chairs.

After cutting the legs, I butted them up together to make sure they were all the same length, then clamped them together. Then, I used my sander to sand down any inconsistencies in the lengths.



Now, I knew that the carriage bolts were going to be just a little long, so I used a spoon drill bit to drill down about 1/4". I didn't want to drill too deep, so I used a piece of tape wrapped around the bit for a visual indicator.





At this point, I made a small change in the design. Rather than put the legs directly in the corner, I offset them by 6" so give a little bit of extra room on the end of the table. I also did it to prevent interference from the screws in the top frame. The two 1x6s are used to brace the legs, and the two 84" 2x4s provide cross-table support. The supports are installed 15" below the surface of the table, to give some extra room for storage.



It took me quite a while to finish Phase II because of the design changes, and because I'm sanding and painting the sections as I build. Because I want the paint job to last a long time, I painted each part, sanded it with 120 grit, and then paint again. At the end of Phase II, my table is finally starting to come together.



STEP 4: Dice Fence and Plywood **COMING SOON**

Phase II Complete in OP!

At the risk of some serious thread necromancy, I figure'd I'd finally finish posting the pics of my gaming table. So here goes:

STEP 4: Dice Fence and Plywood Surface

After I finished the framework, I attached two large sheets of plywood to the top parts of the frame. Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures at this point, but you can see what I'm working with. After I installed the plywood, I added a 1" x 6" dice fence that wraps around the whole table. The dice fence protrudes about 1" above the framework and hides it from view underneath. I painted the dice fence and the bottom shelf brown to contrast the white legs.



The last step was to add the fabric covering on the table. I plan on using the table for more than just miniatures games (board games and D&D, mostly). So I decided on a water-proof carpet designed for outdoor patios. The carpet has really tight pile (the loops in the carpet), and so it doesn't interfere with dice rolls at all.



The table is super-sturdy. I could literally stand on the table (not like I would). The added storage on the bottom of the table is great for all my minis boxes, terrain, and board games. The only thing I would do differently next time is a different paint. I used a regular household paint and it scuffs really easily. "Next time", I would use a paint with lacquer (or just finish the project with clear lacquer) to protect the surface.

The next project is to build terrain to go with the table. I have a small collection, but most of it is unpainted. My first step is to build 2' by 4' drop-ins that can be stored flat under the table. I'll probably start with a generic grass theme. I also scored two sheets of 2" polystyrene this winter for free, and I'll use that for crags and stuff. On top of all that, I've been collecting crazy "terrain-y" pieces of random junk forever. I'll posts pictures as I finish stuff!

Very Nice work.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Very Nice work.

Looks great! Looking forward to seeing your terrain.

Wonderful work. Man am I jealous. I'd love to build one of those too, great job.

The beauty of this table is it only cost me about $150, and that's rounding up (not including tools and stuff of course). I actually got the idea for using carpet from a bat rep here on dakka. It works really well for 40k, D&D and just about any board game you can think of. And the grabby surface of the carpet keeps things from sliding around too much.

I got some work done on the first inserts for my table. I'm going for a more generic look, and I plan on making a smattering of terrain to match. Things like trees, rocks and hills.

For wood I went with 1/4" birch plywood. I was hoping that the hardwood would prevent it from warping when I sanded and painted it, but it didn't help. In the end I had to brace the backside with some 1' by 4"s.

First step was to trim the birch down just a bit. They're actually about 1/8" too long, and wont fit in my table.



Once the plywood was cut, I cut some 1" by 4"s to fit. The long pieces are just a hair under 48" (by about 1/8") and the short pieces are 17" a piece. I used 3/4" screws spaced evenly apart to build the frame.



Here's the first finished drop-in. After sanding I painted it with craft paint and gave it a quick drybrush with a lighter brown. Then, I added some flock in random blobs to break up the monotony of the brown.



(And yes, I use my gaming table to fold clothes - it's a HUGE flat surface that works perfect for folding clothes).

I love the table! But i would recommend a gaming mat to lay down on top of the carpet. Very practical. Fronline gaming has some awesome mats.

Trust me, I'd love one too. Unfortunately the $100 price tag is a little steep. I built these drop-ins for $24, plus the price of sand and paint.

I might still get one of the themed mats. I just wish they were double-sided. I'm almost surprised they aren't.

Nice cat.

Added another drop-in to my collection.



Here's a close up of the table. Here you can see the dice fence against the drop-in. The dice fence does a really good job of holding them in and keep them from sliding around.

Great work all round. Any plans for different themed drop ins? Ice world? Urban etc?

Also as an owner of an all white cat I feel your pain with the hairs getting on any carpeted surface (or clothing, or bed, or wherever it decides to go).

After cutting the legs, I butted them up together to make sure they were all the same length, then clamped them together. Then, I used my sander to sand down any inconsistencies in the lengths.

GREAT IDEA!



And very nice looking table! Will refer back to this when I am ready to make mine. =D

 Thraxas Of Turai wrote:
Great work all round. Any plans for different themed drop ins? Ice world? Urban etc?

I'm going to update my collection of terrain to match the boards, and then I think I'll do an ice world. Not sure how best to do that, but I'll spend some time looking around the internets to find a good answer.

 Thraxas Of Turai wrote:
Also as an owner of an all white cat I feel your pain with the hairs getting on any carpeted surface (or clothing, or bed, or wherever it decides to go).

I'm pretty sure he considers the gaming table "his". I vacuum the table off every once in a while but that white cat hair gets EVERYWHERE.