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View Full Version : Some table pics, and a couple of tips


nolanfan34
02-27-2005, 09:29 PM
I've mentioned in the past that I'd be posting some new table pics soon. Build this one as a gift for a friend:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/nolanfan34/Mactable.jpg

The color looks a little funny with the flash, but the table fabric is a dark, gunmetal gray. Finding that color was very difficult.

The rail is built from scratch, with the assistance of a friend of mine who does truck upholstery for a living. It just turned out incredibly well. Hardly a bump in it all the way around. One tip if you're using vinyl material for the rail, is to heat it in some way. He used a heat gun to keep the material pliable, especially around the corners. This helped it to stretch without bunching up as much. He said putting the vinyl in the dryer for a while would also help it be more pliable.

Here's a close-up of the logo on the center of the table:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/nolanfan34/Mactablelogo.jpg

My friend's brother designed the lable. The material itself is a rubbery iron-on material from a local sign shop. It's not silk-screened per se, but actually ironed on. The cards slide across it just fine - I was worried the rubbery feel to the logo might cause sticking but it wasn't a problem last night when we used the table for the first time.

A close up of the rail and racehorse track:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/nolanfan34/Mactablerail.jpg

The most frustrating part of the project was staining and clearcoating the racetrack. One tip - don't do this in the winter in places where the temp is colder. When the label on a can of stain or clear coat says 70 degrees is recommended, they aren't kidding. The stain took a long time to dry, and the clearcoat had problems with streaks. It looks OK, but we'll probably re-finish it in the spring.

MissOt
02-28-2005, 01:46 AM
nice gift

nolanfan34
02-28-2005, 02:06 AM
[ QUOTE ]
nice gift

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, he thought so. Of course, it'll now be the final table for our home tournament circuit, so I hope to get plenty of use out of it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

NatePT
02-28-2005, 03:32 AM
Looks pretty good, could you not get the wrinkles out where the felt meets the racetrack?

theRealMacoy
02-28-2005, 05:34 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
nice gift

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, he thought so. Of course, it'll now be the final table for our home tournament circuit, so I hope to get plenty of use out of it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


hey, for a sweet ass table like that i will join your home tournament anyday!
let me know when it's ready for pick-up, as i have a truck (i figure to at least save you the hassle of delivering it to my house).

seriously sweet gift,
(how do i sign up to be your friend?)

cheers,
the Real Macoy

Lottery Larry
02-28-2005, 10:28 AM
How have you been? It's been AGES! Don't you remember, when we were really small, the games out by the pond?

Anyway, my birthday is coming up..... :P

nolanfan34
02-28-2005, 12:48 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Looks pretty good, could you not get the wrinkles out where the felt meets the racetrack?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, we need to go back and tack down the fabric a little better in some of those spots. It's not wrinkled as much as it's tighter in some spots around the edges than in other spots. When we refinish the racetrack part this spring, I think I'm going to add a 1/4" racetrack underneath to make it more flush with the padding. That will make it a little less visible around the edges.

The other mistake we made was not using those t-bolt things to bolt the table center to the structural piece underneath. Instead, we just screwed it in from underneath, but I don't think the center piece is a flush to the underside plywood as it would be with the t-bolts.

Not sure if that really makes sense.

SenecaJim
02-28-2005, 08:38 PM
Sweeeeeeet!