I don't have the space for a permanent table. Not even a table that can be dressed up with a dining topper. So everything needs to be disassembled and stored between games. I also have never found a fold-up poker table that didn't feel cheap. With that in mind, I present the first of my 3 tables, which is a topper for the dining table.
I built this before I discovered the help available in these forums. They were posted back on CT, so I apologise to those that have to view them twice
. Because I was going virtually advice free, you will find a lot of unique solutions below.
First, I started with 1/2 of a pingpong table that someone abandoned. I cut off the corners to make it into an octagon. I then covered the surface with moleskin. I didn't know about speedcloth and such back then, but moleskin is durable, has a fair card glide, and the "fur" on the backside provides a firm cushioned surface. You may ask how I discovered moleskin, but it's a bit of a long and humorous story, that resulted in me being banned from Hancock Fabrics.
A closer look at the moleskin. The play surface side has a suede-like feel.
The cloth is attached with binder clips, available for a few bucks at any office supply store. Available even cheaper from work's office supply room. After attaching the cloth I just pinch and remove the loops
The dining table, circa 1970. You can get one just like it on Craigslist for $20. If you do, you probably overpaid by $15.
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We take out the leaf and put in a couple of scrap boards. Because the table topper is a pressboard ping-pong table, I wanted as much support under the wood as possible.
Before we put the topper down, I lay a rug-gripper on top. This prevents the topper from sliding about. It also protects that fake wood laminate on the table.
Plop on top.
The rails are repurposed stair treads. At the time of the build, the only tool I has was a circular saw, and I really didn't know how to use that. Still don't really. It has a laser on it, but the laser wont cut shit, you have to use the saw. The stairs have one edge rounded off, so I didn't have to buy a router, and even though it's a wooden rail, it is not uncomfortable. It is designed to breakdown to 2 pieces for storage.
Stairs would make for a really wide rail, so...
A closer look at the rail, and my uneven cutting skills.
Dropping the rail on, and the table starts to look like a table.
At first I had drilled a couple of holes and had a wooden rod to line up the rail halfs. I later bought a biscuit joiner. This cuts slots that hold wooden wafers that hardly pass for biscuits in the south.
Underneath the table I have a hook and eye that holds the halves together. Just in case you were wondering about the dangling hook in the previous picture.
Slide-under cupholders.
@Mrs Poker Zombie wrapped some of the spare moleskin around them for a finished look.
It measures 56" across, from flat edge to flat edge. A number of players have problems pulling pots, sweeping the muck, and so forth, but some players find it to be their favorite table because we're self-dealt, and the other 2 tables are oval-ish.
