Must Contain Minis | 20 Jun 2020 11:04 p.m. PST |
I am working on a post for Must Contain Minis. Does anyone know of any companies that make great tables for Wargaming? I am looking for options for a 6' by 4' surface. |
parrskool | 21 Jun 2020 3:35 a.m. PST |
go down to the DIY store and get three mdf boards, 2'x4'. This allows you to have either 4x4 or 6x4. Put on trestles, or on a folding picnic style table and cover with a cloth….. green, or sand, or whatever terrain colour is appropriate. |
JimDuncanUK | 21 Jun 2020 3:48 a.m. PST |
Get a couple of IKEA cabinet frames and a sheet of plywood. |
stephen m | 21 Jun 2020 4:18 a.m. PST |
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skipper John | 21 Jun 2020 6:14 a.m. PST |
Buy a piece of 7/16 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. Strand Board at Home Depot for $11.00 USD link They will cut it for you for free. Any size. |
Mr Elmo | 21 Jun 2020 6:25 a.m. PST |
I made a nice table out of 24" base cabinets with plywood screwed on top. |
Thresher01 | 21 Jun 2020 6:30 a.m. PST |
Buy a couple of the folding tables – 2.5' x 6' long. Some even fold in half, for a 2.5' x 3' footprint when stored. A ping-pong table is a bit larger than you want at 5' x 9', but would work well too. They make those to fold in half as well for storage. |
stephen m | 21 Jun 2020 7:04 a.m. PST |
My post assumes you are looking for a quality gaming table some what akin to furniture. Some can be made to change into a dining table by either turning the table upside down or installing an alternate or additional top. I don't have direct experience with these this is what I have seen posted by some manufacturers on line. I attended a board game convention in Toronto a few years back, Breakout which at the time was held in a Holiday Inn next to the 401 as opposed to the current downtown location. There was a game table manufacturer in attendance. I couldn't afford them then so didn't pick up any info. Perhaps you could contact Tabscon on line (they used to have a web site but I think they let it drop due to Covid but I do know they have a Facebook presence) and see if they have contact info. I only dropped by one of their downtown events once so don't know if any manufacturers have returned. In my case the house we bought had a pool table. My in laws had a typical folding ping pong table the top of which I added on top of the pool table. I have to support the seam between the two sections (some boxes and styrofoam) to keep them from sagging and forming a height gap but it works for me and provides a 5' x 9' surface. Bigger than you are looking for but I am sure you could find the ingredients on Kijiji. Of course my solution doesn't provide use as a regular dinner table nor does it have the ability to sit at or all the fancy note tables and cup holders, although one could rig that up if needed. The result would be usable but not a furniture grade solution. I just remembered. Near here (northern York region) is a fancy table maker. I am sure you could find a local or near local furniture maker who would be happy to custom make a very nice solution. A Google search for images of gaming tables should provide lots of ideas of accessories they could custom make. Some game site recently did or linked to a review of a table bought by a gamer. He had issues with it in that the accessories he added or that came with the table, writing surfaces and cup holders, added so much to the width of the area before the game surface itself that reaching the game surface was difficult, especially when seated. So just a warning that what detials may seem like a good idea may not work in reality. In my case the supports for the pool table mean it can only be used when standing. If seated you would be far from the table itself. Of course at my table size you would have to stand to reach around that large of an area so sitting would be limited anyways. Just thinking out loud and trying to be helpful. |
Waco Joe | 21 Jun 2020 7:46 a.m. PST |
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stephen m | 21 Jun 2020 8:09 a.m. PST |
WJ Your second link has an example of one concern. A few lines down they advertise gaming coffee tables. I assume, like their other tables and that table's appearance, it raises and lowers. In any case the picture shows the fellow reaching over a table top writing(?) surface to reach a card on the table. He is seated and has to stretch very far to reach the centre of the table. Not awkward at all! Just keep this in mind. I also only linked to Canadian sources as that is where the OP and myself are from. |
Editor in Chief Bill | 21 Jun 2020 9:07 a.m. PST |
Might consider purchasing an interior door for that purpose. |
robert piepenbrink | 21 Jun 2020 10:15 a.m. PST |
Agree that if you need a display piece which is also a dining table, you need to talk to professionals and pay accordingly. For any strictly wargaming purpose, you're better off building your own. A set of nine 2x4 folding tables gives you amazing flexibility. I keep two 4x4 boards terrained on both sides--grass, desert, urban and Martian--for regular use, and accept the limits of terrain mats and seams when the game is larger, but a single-piece 4x6 is easily doable. |
Sgt Slag | 21 Jun 2020 5:33 p.m. PST |
I bought mine from TablesByDavis.com. My version is the Konig, which does not have photo's on his web site, yet. His tables are built out of solid Hickory: Janka Hardness of 1855 (Oak is 1550, I believe). He only uses Hickory wood: it is 10 times stronger than Oak; it takes stain of any color, so if you want a table which appears to be solid Cherry Wood (Janka hardness of 800-900 only!), just request Cherry colored stain; Mogagony, or Black Walnut, request stain of the appropriate color. He offers three different Table versions: Prinz (4"-deep game well, removable leaves for a flat top -- no extra charge); the Konig (flat, solid top, with pull-out drawers beneath, optional acrylic overlays; 2-inch clearance allows books and charts to be left on, when you push the soft-close drawers shut); and the Kaiser (4"-deep game well, removable flat top leaves, and pull-out drawers, like the Konig). I wrote up a post on my Konig, 5-feet by 9-feet, here, on TMP. The other two models are featured in photo's on his web site. They can be built to just about any size you like. Tables larger than 9 feet in length, will be segmented into two, or more, sections, each with its own base. Not only are there acrylic overlays available for each pull-out drawer, but there is also an option for an electronic lift system, which will raise/lower your entire table, as needed (see my TMP post). Prices vary based on options, and size of the finished table. He even built a custom gaming coffee table, recently, as requested by a customer. I recommend pricing solid hardwood dining room tables, to put the price of a hardwood gaming table into perspective. Also, shop carefully: many professional gaming tables are made using veneer wood, with glued sawdust under-structures. Do NOT pay premium prices for tables made with sawdust and glue! Cheers! |
saltflats1929 | 21 Jun 2020 7:28 p.m. PST |
There is a company in Europe, forget the name tho. I think they also make battle mats. Edit: urban matz |
skipper John | 22 Jun 2020 6:41 a.m. PST |
Waco Joe, Hot dang those are SWEET tables! |
ChrisBrantley | 22 Jun 2020 9:14 a.m. PST |
My solution was not in the furniture category and definitely not inexpensive…but I bought two adjustable 2.5x8 foot deluxe folding tables from Uline. Together they give me a 5x8 gaming surface that I can break apart to host four Triumph/DBA games for eight players. Height is adjustable so I can set it countertop high for stand-up gaming, or lower for more comfortable seated gaming. To provide a unified gaming surface on the 5x8 version, I bought a 5x8 length of automotive carpet liner made of a heavy jute material in a slightly off green color. Its lies flat without bends, folds or creases and rolls up easily. Heavy enough to solidly bridge the small gap between the two tables. Surface is smooth enough not to catch corners of sliding elements. Yet easily holds in place Cigar Box or other fleece and canvas battlemats that I might drape over for particular games. My set-up is not that far off what you would see at a wargaming convention, with the added value that the folding tables come in handy at family gatherings or can be easily broken down and stored away if necessary. Fortunately, I have a space where I can leave it up continuously. |
raylev3 | 22 Jun 2020 1:18 p.m. PST |
There's just something nice about having a custom and beautiful table for games. |
Must Contain Minis | 23 Jun 2020 1:58 p.m. PST |
Thanks everyone for the input!!! For those seeking clarity, you are right. I am after a showcase piece for the table to take pictures with for my website. I've been working on a post for Must Contain Minis about gaming tables. I am at 2,400 words now and plan to post it tomorrow night. After it goes live, I will post a link here. Also, it has a link to this post string on The Miniatures Page so that anyone checking out the site can also check out this conversation. Thanks again! ~Jacob |
Must Contain Minis | 11 Jul 2020 8:42 p.m. PST |
The report is now up. You can find it at the following link. link Thanks everyone for all of your help. Please feel free to keep commenting on this post too. The article links back to this string. |
Sgt Slag | 14 Jul 2020 12:48 p.m. PST |
After reading your report, I posted a reply on your web page. Forgot to mention that shipping is extra. Cheers! |
Must Contain Minis | 15 Jul 2020 6:20 a.m. PST |
Thanks Sgt Slag. I did not know about that company. The comment is now visible. Thank you! |