Custom Table Build With LED Racetrack (1 Viewer)

Skagglio

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I am going to rebuild a hexagon table that was built in high school. The plan is to build a top that looks something like this one pulled from Chanman's website, except with a solid material raised rail and it won't look nearly as good as he makes them.

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I have seen many great plans for people who have put LED lights in the rail, but always liked the look of the WPT final table with the LED underlit racetrack. Has anyone seen this done on a custom table? I searched threads, google, and Chanman's website but didn't see any instances of this being done elsewhere. As an amateur with no experience trying this, I assume the hardest part is creating the acrylic diffuser racetrack and finding a way to set it without disrupting the solid light effect and keeping it level with the felt. I am especially impressed by how clean the transition from felt to racetrack is on their table without disrupting the underlit effect.

Any tips in this regard would be helpful. Maybe nobody else has been dumb enough to try this without a professional workshop and I can be a resource for what not to do for future people with the same idea. Thanks!

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Build Pictures Below
Result For Now:
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LED backlighting in construction and design has moved to square light panels that are connected in series, but this is more of a mass market appeal. It looks like you'll have to go custom all the way if you want a racetrack that way.

Another option is to mount the racetrack flush with the foam, and then felt over top. It is not as bright, but it can be a nice glowing effect.
 
LED backlighting in construction and design has moved to square light panels that are connected in series, but this is more of a mass market appeal. It looks like you'll have to go custom all the way if you want a racetrack that way.

Another option is to mount the racetrack flush with the foam, and then felt over top. It is not as bright, but it can be a nice glowing effect.
Fully custom is the route I am going. Putting the race track under the felt is an interesting idea and one I considered, but I wasnt sure how to use adhesive between the felt and acrylic without it showing. Also wasnt sure if it would be possible to easily change the felt down the road with that route. My current plan is to put the felt on a cutout for the middle of the table and hopefully lay a snug acrylic octagon around it. The LEDs will go under it in a white painted routed track.

My top wood rail measures 58" wide without foam/material. I see a ton of people recommending suede or vinyl for the rail but Im finding it impossible to find someone who sells it in a wide enough cutout. The largest I am seeing is 56" and I am guessing after foam and raised rail I would need it to be closer to 64" wide. Where are people finding rail material wide enough for an octagon table? I would like to try an avoid a seam as I was able to find a sheet of rail foam wide enough.
 
I'm almost done with the table and played our first home game on it last night. Big thanks to people like @Irish who post detailed table builds. I took elements from his guides to make it.

Some build pics below.

Started with two octagonal sheets of wood from an old table.
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Cut the outside edges from both sheets to make the rail.

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Got some spacers and dual size cup holders from Texas Poker Supply.

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Big sheet of HD foam from a local store, didn't want a seam.

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pneumatic staple gun for the 61" stretch vinyl on the rail.

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I got a sheet of transparent 3/16" white acrylic #2447 cut into a racetrack and added 1/4" foam and speed felt to the inside octagon wood sheet.

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Didn't take many pictures from here on as I was rushing to finish before hosting a home game but I elevated the middle octagon on some boards and secured to the base with screws. I then put spacers around the outside edge and created channels for bolts to secure the rail by drilling through the center space on each side. I added an LED strip to the base in between the spacers and center octagon. I needed the spacers because if the acrylic was too close to the LED strip, then I wouldn't get the light diffusal effect from the acrylic and it would just look like dots.
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Final result.

I know the dice chips are ugly I have 3 chip sets on the way.
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That's neat. Did you put white fabric over a lit line, or did you separate the fabric into two segments?
separated into 2 segments. the led is in a curved plastic channel in between the two segments. The built is the same as having a racetrack but I left a space in between the racetrack and the middle part for the led channel. The 'racetrack' also has the padding and fabric so its same feel and same height as the middle portion.
 
Gotcha. The outside corners look pretty clean. Guess the stretching helps eliminate the need for tucking and folding. Very creative - and cool - table
 
I'm almost done with the table and played our first home game on it last night. Big thanks to people like @Irish who post detailed table builds. I took elements from his guides to make it.

Some build pics below.

Started with two octagonal sheets of wood from an old table.
View attachment 831418

Cut the outside edges from both sheets to make the rail.

View attachment 831420

Got some spacers and dual size cup holders from Texas Poker Supply.

View attachment 831423View attachment 831425

Big sheet of HD foam from a local store, didn't want a seam.

View attachment 831426View attachment 831427View attachment 831428

pneumatic staple gun for the 61" stretch vinyl on the rail.

View attachment 831430View attachment 831431View attachment 831432View attachment 831433

I got a sheet of transparent 3/16" white acrylic #2447 cut into a racetrack and added 1/4" foam and speed felt to the inside octagon wood sheet.

View attachment 831442View attachment 831443

Didn't take many pictures from here on as I was rushing to finish before hosting a home game but I elevated the middle octagon on some boards and secured to the base with screws. I then put spacers around the outside edge and created channels for bolts to secure the rail by drilling through the center space on each side. I added an LED strip to the base in between the spacers and center octagon. I needed the spacers because if the acrylic was too close to the LED strip, then I wouldn't get the light diffusal effect from the acrylic and it would just look like dots.
View attachment 831446

Final result.

I know the dice chips are ugly I have 3 chip sets on the way.
View attachment 831449View attachment 831451View attachment 831452
That looks dope!
 

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