The Table!

I had been wanting to upgrade my gaming table in my basement for some time now, and with a week vacation, this was the perfect time to get it done.  So over the weekend, my dad and I stopped into the local hardware store and picked up some lumber.  I was originally planning on doing it all at home, but since I was going to be visiting my parents anyways, I figured I’d take advantage of my dad’s knowledge and workshop for this project.

The total supplies needed were:

• Three 8′ long 1″x4″ pine boards
• Two 7′ long 2″x4″ pine boards
• Four 6′ long 1″x6″ pine boards
• One 5/8″ thick 4’x8′ sheet of OSB (it was cheap, but if I were to do this again, I’d use MDF or plywood as it’s easier to work with)
• Eight 1′ long 1″x1/2″ strips of hardwood (these were scraps from my dad’s shop, and were used for the shelf runners)
• One 3/4″ thick 2’x4′ sheet of hardwood (another scrap, if using something other than OSB for the table, then the leftover from that can be used here)
• 2 and 1/2 yards of 72″ wide dark green felt
• Screws, woodglue, handles, etc.

As for tools, it can all be done using a circular saw, a drill, a screw driver and a staple gun.  Some other tools, like clamps, chisels, squares, etc. are useful but not mandatory.

Once we had all the supplies, we started on the inner frame and the legs.  The 2×4’s were cut into four 29″ lengths for the legs.  From the leftover 2×4’s, I cut two 12″ sections that would be used to help support the ends of the table.  The two 1×4’s were cut so that we had two 48″ boards and two 46.5″ boards.  The 48″ boards would support the width of the table and hold the long sides on.

Next up was the 1×6’s.  Two of them were cut to 49.5″ for use on the table ends.  Since the table was going to be 6′ long, it wasn’t necessary to cut the other two boards, but we did cut slots into the ends for the shelves.  On each end of the 6′ board, we cut a 12″ long by 1″ wide groove.  The top of the groove was placed exactly 3.5″ up from the bottom of the board, so that the shelves would be supported by the tabletop when they were extended.

Now that the frame pieces were cut, it was time to assemble it.  First up, here’s a picture of the inside frame with the legs and long sides attached.  In this picture, the runners for the shelves are visible.  They are 12″ long pieces of hardwood that were attached 7/8″ down from the top of the wood to support the shelves when they are pushed in.

Inside frame

Another picture of the inner frame from a different angle.

Inside frame 2

Yet another picture of the inner frame, this time from the far end.

Inner frame 3

The frame is now complete with the ends attached.  The other side of the shelf runners are visible here, again placed just below the slots in the front panels.

Completed frame

Once I had the frame home and assembled, I had to go get the table top.  Since I had no way of transporting a 4×8 sheet home from my parent’s I had to buy it here in town.  Luckily a friend of mine had a truck I could borrow.  As I mentioned earlier, I went with OSB board because it was cheap and I planned to cover it with felt.  If I wasn’t covering it, then something else would have been better, because OSB is ugly.  It’s also a pain to work with.  I used my saber saw to cut it, and the blade did not want to stay straight.  I ended up with one really ugly edge, but it was close enough to 6′ long that it didn’t matter.  After cutting the sheet to 4’x6′, I covered it with a big sheet of felt and stapled it all around the edge.  I then dropped the whole sheet into the frame.

Top in place with WIP shelves

Things were starting to look like a table at this point.  For the shelves, I cut the 2’x4′ sheet of hardwood into four shelves that were just under a foot wide (11 and 7/8″ to be precise).

For the front of the shelves, I cut the leftovers of the 1×6 boards to 13″ long, and then cut those down the center lengthwise so I had 4 boards that were 13″ long and 2 and 7/8″ wide.  To these I attached some drawer handles, and then glued and nailed them to the front of the shelves.

Finished table with shelves in

The final step was to attach a small piece of wood to the bottom of each shelf so that they could be pulled out too far.

Completed table with shelves out

So there you have it.  The game table is a full 4’x6′ size, perfect for playing games Warhammer.  It has four shelves (one in each corner) to hold models, drinks, dices, etc.  It has a 1.5″ raised edge around the entire table, so dice don’t go rolling off.  And the tabletop is 30″ off the floor, so it’s prefect for both sitting and standing.

Now to build some terrain that is worthy of The Table.  😀