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So, I just bought $150 of models and paints, and this is my first tabletop game. I just now realised that i might not have a large enough space to play on. I was thinking about buying this table: ( http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-34-Square-Folding-Table-Black/16489477 ) But then i realised that 34" (almost 3 feet) might not be enough, considering the other tables i see people play on.

Does anyone know a place where i can get a properly sized table for about the same price? I've seen here on dakka that 4x4 is the minimum, so could you guys lead me in the right direction?

Try some Particle board. That's what I use for my board surface, which you can see in my gallery...it's plenty strong for a realm of battle board plus minis

BrotherVord wrote:
Try some Particle board. That's what I use for my board surface, which you can see in my gallery...it's plenty strong for a realm of battle board plus minis

Good idea. Is particle board easy to paint? I was going to end up painting some DA symbols on one end of that walmart table and some Chaos symbols on the other.

I was going to say go to your local home improvement store and buy a 6 ft x 4 ft sheet of plywood (they will probably cut it to fit). Particle board could work just as well.

It requires pretty much no storage space, just lean it against a wall. Then lay it on top of a regular table to play on.

Particle board and plywood are basically wood. Spray some cheap primer on it and paint away to your heart's content.

So, apparently we have a 4x6 folding plastic table out in the workshop at my place. I think i know what im using now..

Sorry for bothering you!

Yeah, go and buy a sheet of plywood. They are usually sold in 6x4 sheets which is the standard size for a game of 40k, likely not a coincidence.


As for getting it ready, get some latex paint and kitty litter. Mix a little kitty litter into the paint you are applying to the surface. This will get you are nicely textured surface for pretty cheap. Black Paint + kitty litter gives you are nice scorched earth/city base table. Brown paint will be dirt, you can even add flock to areas to give the place some grass. White paint will make it a snow table.

Kitty litter is actually a great texture agent for terrain.


Latex paint is better than wood stain as that will soak into the wood, which will make it look like you are just playing on painted wood. Latex will protect the surface a little better and won't look like painted wood when its done, especially if you use the kitty litter to texture it.

You can get 2x6 wallpaper paste tables very cheap. Two of those does the trick and they fold pretty small.

Even though you solved your problem...

I used to use a pool (aka billiards) table to play on. Before that I used a dining table. Now, I have a 4' x 6' sheet of plywood with legs screwed into it. The legs can be removed, as they're two-part things, consisting of a round plate which was screwed into the table, and a leg which twists onto the plate via some sort of bolt or something. I still feel wary about leaning onto it, fearing it'll break. The plywood came in a 4x8 sheet, so we had to cut a couple of feet off the end.

Over the plywood is a plastic tablecloth to go between the wood and the playing mat - it's the one sold by GW for like 45 dollars. Scratch that, just looked it up, they don't sell it anymore.

 Pouncey wrote:
Even though you solved your problem...

I used to use a pool (aka billiards) table to play on. Before that I used a dining table. Now, I have a 4' x 6' sheet of plywood with legs screwed into it. The legs can be removed, as they're two-part things, consisting of a round plate which was screwed into the table, and a leg which twists onto the plate via some sort of bolt or something. I still feel wary about leaning onto it, fearing it'll break. The plywood came in a 4x8 sheet, so we had to cut a couple of feet off the end.

Over the plywood is a plastic tablecloth to go between the wood and the playing mat - it's the one sold by GW for like 45 dollars. Scratch that, just looked it up, they don't sell it anymore.

Well, my table is a plastic table. Surface isn't too much of a problem. It just has so much surface area that its horrifying to even think about painting.

 Sym wrote:

 Pouncey wrote:
Even though you solved your problem...

I used to use a pool (aka billiards) table to play on. Before that I used a dining table. Now, I have a 4' x 6' sheet of plywood with legs screwed into it. The legs can be removed, as they're two-part things, consisting of a round plate which was screwed into the table, and a leg which twists onto the plate via some sort of bolt or something. I still feel wary about leaning onto it, fearing it'll break. The plywood came in a 4x8 sheet, so we had to cut a couple of feet off the end.

Over the plywood is a plastic tablecloth to go between the wood and the playing mat - it's the one sold by GW for like 45 dollars. Scratch that, just looked it up, they don't sell it anymore.

Well, my table is a plastic table. Surface isn't too much of a problem. It just has so much surface area that its horrifying to even think about painting.

Typically people don't use piddly little model brushes to paint their gaming boards, they use much bigger ones. Ones you'd paint doorframes or walls with. And they don't use model paint.

But me, I just spent a bunch of money on a thin, cloth battlemat. Other companies make them I'm sure. Storage is easy, just fold or roll it to put it away, and unfold or unroll it onto your playing area, then place terrain on it.

Or just leave it unpainted and unsurfaced for a while while you decide what you like or even if you like the game. ^^ That's 100% fine in my book, but I'm not much of a hobbyist. : /

Also, for terrain, if you're getting some forests, feth paying 45 dollars for the GW trees. Go out and get a value pack of model railroad trees in an appropriate size, and stick em onto a base made from . . . Well, I used foamboard, but that was a bad idea I think.