News: No news is good news...

Login  |  Register

Author Topic: Looking for game table designs  (Read 1683 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Jack Straw From Wichita

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 117
  • Country: 00
Looking for game table designs
« on: July 28, 2011, 01:04:06 PM »
I've finally had it with trying to use a dining room table or coffee table as a table for wargaming.  Currently I've been doing that, and I came up with an idea for a disposable table.  Its really just 4 big cardboard boxes that are used for moving that i folded out and put 4 2x2 game boards on.  It's cheap and it works.  But now I've decided its time to stop putting off building a table and finally do it.  However, my reason for not building it goes beyond procrastination.  I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment so space is limited.  It's not cramped, but there certainly is not room for a monster 6x8 like some people have in their garage or basement.  My current idea is to make a table that doesn't have a top.  Instead there are crossbeams to place 2x2 interchangeable game boards on.  This way you can always play different types of battles with different types of terrain, and having the board break down into 2x2 sections saves a ton of space.  Since I don't have room for the table at my apartment I'll have to store it in my storage unit that is a couple blocks away.  This means that I'll need the whole table to be able to fit in my car.  I would also like the table to be as strong as possible.  Not that anyone is going to be sitting on it, but I know that people have a tendency to lean on tables and I would hate for the whole thing with game boards, scenery, and miniatures to come crashing down.  After looking around on in internet I found this article where some guys make pretty much what I'm describing. http://www.drunkdwarves.com/?p=200  My only complaint is the 8 feet long board sections.  I was thinking of using that same exact design but take the 8 feet long side sections and break them into four 2 foot sections.  I just don't know how I would connect them together.  I thought maybe put a large screw that would stick out a few inches along each side where the board sections would meet but I'm not sure if that would work or if it would make the table no where near as sturdy as I want it.  The reason I was shooting for 2 foot sections was because this way I could make the table either a 4x6 or a 4x8.  What do you guys think?  Do you think my idea would work or would this thing fall apart the second someone sat a book on it?  Does anyone else have any other good ideas on how to make a gaming table that can break apart into smaller pieces?

Offline Bert_the_Turtle

  • Major
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2623
  • Country: us
  • Rule #1: Pillage THEN burn.
Re: Looking for game table designs
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2011, 04:30:58 PM »
I should get some pictures of the locking system online... Anyway, my dad and I built a game table you might wanna steal some ideas from.

Bert's Game Table.

Its designed to stow pretty easily and be extremely versatile so you don't need a lot of stuff hanging around to go along with it since you can draw on terrain features like rivers and roads.

"You know the other team is f'd when we're using military hand signals to communicate  :P" -My Buddy Himitsu

Offline Lt_PliskinAJ

  • Captain
  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1724
  • Country: us
  • Thousands of troops one goal.
  • Armies: IG, DKOK, TAU, SM
Re: Looking for game table designs
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2011, 05:58:45 PM »
Well I think the 2 ft sections would be great. If you had just the threads sticking out an inch or so with a matching pocket I think that is all you would need because all you need is something to loosely lock them together. In all actuality just placing them next to eachother would probably be enough.

What I used to do is just use my bed as the table. A queen size bed will fit a 4x6 table like a glove. Here is a link to the board that I made with 2x2 tiles that I just left on the bed. When not in use I just stowed them under. It turned out to be a a great table and the tiles are now at our local GW store.


http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=194938.msg2458527#msg2458527

My wife got me a gaming mat that we now use. We just have a 4x8x3/4" thick sheet of MDF wood. Its a very fine manufactured wood that is really smooth. But we just use two saw horses and the sheet for the table and then roll out the mat. When not in use we just put the saw horses in the closet. Lay the board up against the wall and roll up the mat. Takes up almost no room when not in use.


Offline Ambience 327

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 334
  • Country: 00
Re: Looking for game table designs
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2011, 09:21:28 AM »
For something really sturdy, here's an idea that I've done:

find some long landscaping spikes (check the gardening section of your local hardware store - they look like really big nails)

Get 2 2x4's the length of the table you want (6' or 8' - or do 2 of each for variable table size)
drill two holes large enough to slide the landscaping spikes through 18" in from each end, from one narrow edge to the other

build 2 sawhorses (using 2x4's) the width of the table you want (4') (the height of the sawhorses should be almost the height of the table you want, minus the width of a 2x4 and your boards)
drill two holes large enough to slide the landscaping spikes through 12" in from each end, just like the 2x4's above

get two large (2' x 3' or 2' x 4' depending on table size) pieces of 1/2" plywood or similar material and drill holes for the landscaping spikes in these (I also suggest making counter-sink holes in the tops, so the landscaping spikes will sit flush in the boards). The holes should be in positions matching the holes in the 2x4's, so 12" in from one edge and 18" in from the other edge).

Now assemble the hole structure, putting up the sawhorses, laying the 2x4's on top, putting the boards on these, then dropping the landscaping spikes down through the hole assembly. It is a very stable structure. (I then lay 1/8" MDF boards over top of these with various colors and textures for varied battlefields.)


(With creative placement of additional holes, you could also probably use 2' x 2' boards and additional landscaping spikes -though some of these may need cut down as they won't be going through two sets of 2x4's)

 


Powered by EzPortal