"Gaming Tables: What to build?" Topic

I need to start thinking about building a gaming table. While I appreciate the flexibility of folding tables I'd rather have something sturdier with storage underneath.

Those of you that have built or bought one, what lessons would you pass along? Things to do/avoid etc.

Check out the drunk dwarves gaming table link

You should probably start by defining the size table you'd like -- whether it can be permanently up -- size of room, etc. Then you'll get more appropriate suggestions…

Ahhh

Table will be 6x9. The room is 9'6" wide by 21' 9" long. But it widens to 12' 6"…

Are you going to do terrain boards on top?

If you are, you might have a combo storage area beneath -- some racks for the various terrain boards, larger drawers for terrain/building pieces, and then smaller drawers for your armies.

Re: table design. You should probably have a bit of a lip around the table to keep the boards from slipping around. If you do 2' x 4' or 2' x 2' terrain boards you can do 4' x 8' set ups on top of the 6' x 9' table and still have room for rules, drinks, etc on the edges.

I just had an idea for dealing with snacks etc. I'll make trays with brackets that "clamp" on to my table (like trays on car windows at drive-in restaurants).

Now all you need is a "table-hop" on roller skates. :)

If I disappear suddenly, you'll know I asked the wife…

I've seen a lot of gaming tables but I like that Drunk Dwarves one the best.

Of course it depends on what you want. If you're one of those boring guys that only games one genre, then a table adjustable to multiple settings isn't needed.

Someday I'll get off my butt and build one of them. Someday.

Hard to fault that basic design.

It's a good, sturdy design. Sadly, my gaming space is in a dedicated multi-purpose room in our house. I use two 2 1/2' x 7' folding tables. We used them plus a card table for Christmas Dinner last year when we served 13.

I have a very elderly 3x2 dining room table which folds out to be 4x3 and then we have some 3x2 bits which slide over it with little battens to locate them and latches to connect them and that makes it 6x4.

Then we have a load of cupboard units which sit under those edges for the terrain to live in, and crates which stack under the middle for more storage.

Possibly the easiest thing to do is to go buy cupboard units first, arrange them where you want the table and then put a huge lump of mdf acros the top. I did this the other way and had to search for units of the right height and front/back depth to fit…

I have trays with a bracket that slips over the edge of the table. They have cork in the bottom to absorb slight spills and of course can hold dice, minis, etc. The table itself folds up in the middle but that's the weak part, a piano hinge is there and it could buckle if enough people push down on it. I'll try and get pics sometime.

The nicest table I have ever seen was made from reclaimed kitchen cabinets and other materials from a home remodeling job.

The table top was made out of doors from various rooms of the house, attached to the top of the kitchen cabinet units which had been bolted together.

The top was framed with scrap trim to hold foam terrain boards in place and keep the figures from being knocked off the table.

On each side of the long ends of the table were long flower box type shelves about 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep to hold drinks, casualty figures, dice and tape measures. This was made of baseboard trim removed from the walls of the house.

Also a chess timer clock was placed in the center on one side of the table in one of the flower box shelves, and cup holders where built into the corners of those same shelves.

This whole assembly all was set into a sturdy frame base made from scrap 2"x4" wall studs with heavy duty caster wheels like those found on shopping carts which could be locked in place.

The inside of the cabinets were modified with hardware to hold 4", 6", 9", and 12" shelves which rolled out to hold several thousand figures and rule books. The cabinet doors where kept in place with latch locks on the outside to keep the drawers in place if the table had to me moved.

The whole thing was stripped of paint, sanded to bare wood, and stained deep mahogany, then varnished.

It was without a doubt the most useful piece of reclaimed furniture I have ever seen.

I built one in my mates wargames shed.
We rather slavishly copied Mike and Gerry's table at the WHC in Scarborough. This table has taken quite a hammering over the years and is still totally solid. Ours is a mere 15'x 6', with 18" deep back boards as opposed to their massive 28'x15'
Frame made of 3"x2" with nonstructral 2"x1" spread in between underneath to allow terrain board storage. Then a layer of 12mm ply on top, and a 12mm lip of sanded 2"x1" all the way round to accomodate the terrain boards.- Whole thing sanded and painted a greeny sort of field grey colour.
We were lucky in that all the materials I managed to obtain from the workshop at work (with permission). If we hadn't had this then buying the wood alone would have come in at about £250.00 GBP to £300.00 GBP As it was it was a simple days work to cut and assemble.

cheers chris

Mine is a simple 6' x 8' construct made of plywood and 2x4s. I use better quality plywood on the top of the table, and standard building construction type for the shelf below (also 6' x 8'). The top is covered with felt which minimizes damage to miniatures when they fall over. The table is held together with lag bolts (for the frame) and deck screws (for the plywood). I think it is virtually indestructable, though my sons have tried hard to test my theory. It also substitutes as a work table when I have a major project (like making 14 feet of 15mm hedgerows). The 6' x 8' is a good compromise sixe, though I am seriously tempted to build another of the same dimensions to add greater depth. I do find though that 6' is about as wide as normal humans can use, as most of us are challenged with a three foot reach. On the other hand, I think you can jump on this table and not cause any harm, except perhaps to the miniatures.

A quick and cheap gaming table can be built from discarded "slab" doors and plastic three drawer storage units on wheels (K Mart, Target). Many new homes are built using "slab" doors (hollow flat doors) that people replace once they move in. Take two discarded doors, keep a set of hinges on one door, remove the hinges from a second door, then join the two doors using the hinges. Now you have a folding table that is usually around 80 to 84 inches long and anywhere from 52 to 64 inches wide (26, 28, 30 32 inch wide doors). Paint the door surface or glue felt to it. Use two sets of plastic three drawer storage cabinets with wheels made by Homes or Sterilite and use them as the base of the table (one at each long end of the table). Everything can be folded up or rolled away.

Hi EC,

Use the KISS principle.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Mark,

Some more ideas here…

PDF link

Keep in mind that a 6 foot wide table in your 9'6" room leaves only 21" on either side. This is pretty cramped, especially if you want chairs.

Besides, shorter people (I am 5'6") can't effectively reach the middle of a 6' table.

Make a carboard or hollow wood frame prototype and see if you really want that size.

My table is 5' x 7'. The room is a bit narrow; I am contemplating 4' x 8', which is a more natural size in U.S of A.

I made just the table top. It rests on a flat file and a couple of half size cabinets I put together and painted. So, rather than troubling with legs, I use my storage to hold the table up.

Other people have good ideas too. Best of luck.