Adjustable Table - Adjustable Felt Solution? (1 Viewer)

Pinesol13

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I have an old dining room table that I want to repurpose as a poker table. The table is 42" wide and it has two leaves/extensions to adjust the length of the table, 52" , 70" or 88" in length. It also has these faux-leather pads that fit on top (photo below is an example from the internet). If I were to cover these in suited speedcloth it would make a great playing surface, just the right amount of cushion.

I'd like to build a cushioned rail for the 70" and 88" size. So my question is this: Is there a way for me to temporarily secure the speedcloth down on the top of the table? If I drape the cloth over the faux-leather topper, then put the rail over it, will the pressure from the rail keep the cloth from moving around? Or is something like velcro a better idea?

I'm trying to avoid having to build two or three different playing surfaces. I don't have a ton of room for storage, so this seems like a good solution for having multiple sized tables without taking up all the space. I'd rather just build the rails and keep the speedcloth rolled up in a box until I need to use it.

I hope I'm making sense. Any feedback is appreciated.
 

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Just draping the cloth loose over the pads won't work well. Adding grommets and pulling it tight underneath the table (using elastic or bungee cords) is your best bet, but suboptimal either way. Adding velcro to the cloth (connected to velcro strips under the table) might be a bit more secure, but still poses issues.

I'd just cover your padded pieces with speedcloth and spray adhesive (or just use them as-is).
 
I wish there was a vendor that could do custom shaped/printed neoprene toppers. I would love to have toppers for some of my tables in emergency situations. Thick neoprene is such a great topper solution.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

I'm trying to avoid permanently attaching the speedcloth to the table mats. The mats are in four seperate pieces to accommodate the different sizes of the table. If I covered them all individually in speedcloth then I would have 2-3 seams on the playing surface.

This will take some more thought....
 
I think I'm going to try using a 1/8" foam material, use spray adhesive to attach the speecloth. Then this will lay on top of the padded mats, and I'm hoping when the rail is placed on top it will keep everything relatively in place. Maybe I can find some sort of material to put on the bottom of the 1/8" foam that will increase friction, to help it "grab" to the surface of the padded mat so things don't move/slide around.


tabl71.jpg
 
some sort of material to put on the bottom of the 1/8" foam that will increase friction, to help it "grab" to the surface of the padded mat so things don't move/slide around.
Rubberized drawer/shelf liners work well (sorta looks like large mesh), but will work better on top of wood than the pads. If going with additional foam, may as well use 1/4" and ditch the pads altogether.
 
I wish there was a vendor that could do custom shaped/printed neoprene toppers. I would love to have toppers for some of my tables in emergency situations. Thick neoprene is such a great topper solution.
I have a printer in Pakistan that I'm inquiring about this right now. We'll just have to see how big he can go!
 
I have a printer in Pakistan that I'm inquiring about this right now. We'll just have to see how big he can go!

I am sure I can find someone on Alibaba too. I have been meaning to look around for this but haven’t had the chance. Tommy does the PCF mats but I think there may be a minimum order quantity for that and the shipping from China is more than the mats themselves.
 
I am sure I can find someone on Alibaba too. I have been meaning to look around for this but haven’t had the chance. Tommy does the PCF mats but I think there may be a minimum order quantity for that and the shipping from China is more than the mats themselves.
He always gives me free shipping because I usually do $500 orders with him, which is roughly equivalent to the average individual ANNUAL income in Pakistan.
 
Well, I finished this table build, but did not go with any of the "adjustable" options I was kicking around. After thinking about it some more, I decided the best option was to just build one table at the largest size for the table and not worry about making ones for the smaller sizes. Also, I did not use the padded mats that came with the table, just 1/4" gym rubber from foam factory.

The rail fits perfectly over the table when both leafs are in. I did not make a base for the playing surface. The speedcloth is just attached to the gym rubber, and that sits on top of the table. We'll see if I regret this later. I didn't notice any slipping or movement once I had it all together. I think the rail is putting enough pressure on the playing surface to keep it from moving.

I'm not very happy with my upholstery job on the rail. This is only my third table build, so only the third time in my life I've attempted upholstery. But the 1" foam I got was pretty stiff, and I had some trouble stretching the vinyl and stapling. I may redo this down the line.

But overall I'm happy with it for what I need. I host games a couple times a month, and none of my friends will probably even notice the imperfections. When it's not in use I can mount it on the wall so it's out of the way, remove the leafs from the table and I now have a lot more room in the basement for the 99% of the time that a poker game isn't happening.

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Nice job. I struggle with this a bit. My octagon is up 100% of the time. Even if I turned into a takedown, my chairs take up a lot of room. Yes, my group is spoiled. I found a set of Steelcase chairs for cheap on CL. They’re perfect do 5 hours of sitting, but heavy and bulky. I hate to take them out, but wonder what I could do with that space the other 28 days of the month.
 

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