Nicely done. I did similar and have been very happy overall.

Nicely done. I did similar and have been very happy overall.

Thanks!

Same, I have no complaints and it was surprisingly easy to make

I have a portable tabletop that I was gonna paint... but now I think I'll just felt it. Thanks for the idea!

I have a portable tabletop that I was gonna paint... but now I think I'll just felt it. Thanks for the idea!

No worries, felt is definitely the way to go!

Nicely done and good tutorial.

Nicely done and good tutorial.

Thanks!

Nice idea. Thanks for sharing.

Good idea. For the less creative who's wife preferred a permanent table I picked up this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10182311/

It is 5/8" short to a side but you can half fold out the wings for a handy out of play area.

Nice job!

I just throw this on my coffee table:

http://www.michaels.com/10061591.html

Good idea. For the less creative who's wife preferred a permanent table I picked up this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10182311/

It is 5/8" short to a side but you can half fold out the wings for a handy out of play area.

Careful with BJURSTA, not all of them are wide enough, mine for example is just 84cm, basically 3 inch too short. And my wife does not like the idea of throwing a perfect fine table away, just because of 3 inch

30 bucks saved on the wrong place. A well, just using a 6x5 MDF on top it works fine enough, especially if you prevent it from sliding.

http://www.ikea.com/at/de/catalog/products/90116261/ != http://www.ikea.com/at/de/catalog/products/00116265/ != http://www.ikea.com/at/de/catalog/products/90116845/

The only thing I might suggest is moving the actual play area right up to one of the edges.( in case anyone makes one and goes for the surface hard mounted instead if setting a mat down)

That way two of these can be set next to each other to make a 6x3 area for bigger games when a few people are playing. Also....epic and Armada.

Nice idea. Thanks for sharing.

No problem!

Good idea. For the less creative who's wife preferred a permanent table I picked up this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10182311/

It is 5/8" short to a side but you can half fold out the wings for a handy out of play area.

I live in a small studio apartment so being able to fold it up and put it away is a necessity for me. Plus that Ikea table is $150 and I was looking for something a bit cheaper, but great link!

Nice job!

I just throw this on my coffee table:

http://www.michaels.com/10061591.html

Great idea!!

The only thing I might suggest is moving the actual play area right up to one of the edges.( in case anyone makes one and goes for the surface hard mounted instead if setting a mat down)

That way two of these can be set next to each other to make a 6x3 area for bigger games when a few people are playing. Also....epic and Armada.

Yep, at the end of my tutorial I mention the same. You could easily build 2 of these and set it up for bigger games

Thanks, great tutorial. I constructed my table this afternoon. Couldn't find a Cosco table at any nearby stores or on line, so I bought this one from Amazon: Flash Furniture Black Folding Card Table (33.5" x 33.5") for $39.52. A 4' x 4' x 15/16 sanded plywood panel from Lowes ($14.92). Black felt (72" x 2 yards) from Amazon ($23, but I didn't want to go to any nearby fabric stores right now). I had some slotted (rather than hex head) 3 1/2 inch x 1/4" bolts, flat washers and nuts in a bin in my garage.

I used a thicker 15/16" plywood for a sturdier (though heavier) playing surface. After bolting the plywood to the folding table, I decided the bolts were just too long, so I lopped them off with bolt-cutters to about 1" below the underside of the folding table, then reassembled it using the flatwashers, a lock washer and a wingnut. That way, if I want to, I can dismount the felted panel from the folding table for separate use (may need to cut a small slot in the felt over each bolt in order to hold it for disassembly).

The whole thing stores under a bed in a spare bedroom, nicely out of sight when not in use. Props to JoblessPunk for sharing this great idea and a really good tutorial.

R/

TC2

If you want to go full bargain basement, I dragged some old plaster board out of the shed, cut it down, taped the edges and had my boys paint a space scene on it. Then perched it on their mini pool table. Free and easy, with a nice cushioned, recessed area at one end for paraphernalia 😄

My kitchen table is just a bit too narrow, so I cut a couple 37"x37" pieces of 1/8" fiber board to set on top.

Wood can soak up a lot of paint, so as long as nothing gets wet, felt is the way to go. 1/8" seems a little flimsy to me but clearly functional in the short term.

I wonder how much a sheet of plexi glass, 5ft by 4ft, would be? And how easy it would be to glue/screw 4x4's that are say 4ft tall, to make your own table??

If painting wood (or especially plywood/MDF/pressboard) I would definitely use a primer (either as base or topcoat), it costs significantly less and seals the wood better.

22 hours ago, LTuser said:

I wonder how much a sheet of plexi glass, 5ft by 4ft, would be? And how easy it would be to glue/screw 4x4's that are say 4ft tall, to make your own table??

You can go to Tap Plastics and get the sticker shock on that one. I can tell you thin acrylic sheets will bend, so nothing thinner than 3/8, 1/4 would need a good frame. A lot of acrylic has been used up lately so it may be hard to find even if you want to buy it.

4x4's are over kill unless you are wanting to put a fish thank on the table. The reason people are using those cheap coffee tables from costco is because they are cheaper than wood you would get from home depot or lowes. They are short though. With that said, you could get wood cut for you if you don't have a saw. I don't know if home depot or lowes will cut that accurately but a place like Woodworkers source or some other wood working store can make the cuts for you. Some may want you to buy the wood from them, others just charge it as a service and are happy to take your money regardless. Also those cheap coffee tables provide a bottom frame. So you can't just have four legs and be done with it. You actually need a frame to support the legs and table top. As far as screwing is concerned, you do need to drill out pilot holes and then wood screw up the frame and then the table. Screws can be recessed into wood by drilling out a shallow indent on top of the pilot hole the width of the screw head. That part takes practice to get right but is otherwise not difficult.

Some image I found of a basic table frame. Note a taller table frame might need more horizontal supports mid way down the legs. It's actually not hard to do, just not cheap. Also you might want to sand all the edges to stop splintering.

My wife and I started dating back in late 2014. In early 2015 I started playing Armada, and a month later I found a massive 3 1/2’ x 7’ dining table stowed in her basement.

Clearly we were meant to be together.