A new table construction idea

[SamIAm]

Currently, I bring a green cloth to our rotating poker game, but I'd like something with a rail and taught cloth and cup-holders. So, I bought one of those ebay tables so I could have something portable and decent. Unfortunately, it is <ul type="square">[*]cheaper construction than I expected, so I can't refelt it. It's just decent.[*]about 4" too long to fit in my car. It's not at all portable. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img][/list]I'm considering spending Good money after Bad, and building a portable table-top. I don't need legs; we can rest it on all those tables we used to cover with cloth. The thing is, I'd really need it to be in THREE pieces. (I've spent $100 proving that half a full-sized table is too long to fit in my backseat or trunk.) I'm envisioning a half-circle, a rectangular, and then another half-circle. Like a circular table with a leaf in the middle.

My leading worry is: Will those seams get in my way? There are gonna be TWO, not in line with the middle seat. (I usually sit in the middle and deal. Sometimes a friend sits directly opposite from me and deals half.) If I'm going to build, I'll use foam and then speed-cloth. How flush do you think they can get? How rounded is that interface?

Another concern is durability. For instance, what's that seam gonna look like withOUT the neighboring table-piece attached? I don't want exposed foam, just because there's no rail.

Whatcha think?
-Sam

P.S. I'm not that experienced at carpentry. If I get too many "Ooh. That sounds hard." comments, I'll probably give up. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I actually wondered if making the table in 3 steps might make it easier.

[SamIAm]

Ok, turns out it's not exactly new. Still, only the first 2 links are 3 pieces, and only the last link has a seam.

I'm not really interested in a racetrack, because I want to save money and effort, so their "removable foam center" won't really work.

Another question: does anybody have a table-top that's too high? I worry I'll build it too thick, and we'll all be playing at our elbows.
-Sam

[hornsby15]

I think you should be OK as long as you use a pretty dense closed cell foam so that it doesn't compress at the seams creating a depression in the surface.

You just need to apply the foam to the wood surface (use lots of spray adhesive so the foam can't shift), cut it extremely carefully along the edges where the seam will be, and wrap the cloth around each edge, tightly, but not too tightly.

As for it being too high, yeah, it might be. Even if you use a 1/2" board and 1/4" foam, you are almost adding an inch to the top of a table that was probably just right. However, I think you will find that having the nice surface more than makes up for it.

I think the biggest problem you are going to encounter is durability. If you are carting it around with you, you are going to have to really protect the edges well, or they will start to wear, and replacing speed cloth isn't cheap. In this case you may even want to consider using a more durable fabric, like a used pool table covering, or even splurging on new billiard felt. It will likely last you much longer.

The part where I am a bit stuck for ideas is how to connect the pieces. If you use hinges, or anything under the surface, you will have to put something under the table top to prevent damage to the table underneath.

Any thoughts from anyone else on that?

One last thought.... getting the board cuts straight (with the obvious exception of the curves which are a bit less important) it will be crucial that they be completely straight so they fit together. If you buy the wood at Home Depot, I think they will make the two cuts for you for free, and they use a pneumatic saw, so it will be perfectly straight.

Good luck with the table!

[MeridianFC]

Y'all should really check out this site:

http://scottkeen.com/forum/viewforum...5e82fd1292ed14

If it's about poker tables, somebody has discussed it.

[SamIAm]

[ QUOTE ]
Y'all should really check out this site:

[/ QUOTE ]That's a good idea. And then I should post 3 links to that site in my 2nd message. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
-Sam

[MeridianFC]

[img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[BlueCaller]

I recommend that you check out gametables.us first. I am happy with the portable table I got there.

Blue