Table Build Thread - First Table (1 Viewer)

PlayerADK

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First table build! Been wanting to build this for a long time, finally got around to it.

Materials:
3/4in Maple Plywood
Hafele Legs
Rail foam 1" HD foam for poker table rails (from Tony)
Playing surface foam 1/4" closed cell foam (from Tony)
Vinyl Whisper Vinyl (from Tony)
Cup Holder Style: Jumbo S/S Cup Holders (from Tony)
Rings Wood Rings for cupholders (from Tony)
Custom gaming suede, misprint that I bought a while ago (from Tony)
- based my build around this felt, didn't choose this specific size for any reason, just wanted a nice felt and got this for a great price so based the build around that
bolts/washers/t-nuts for rail attachment
3M 77 adhesive spray

Wasn't overly concerned with cost, but I think I managed it pretty well, just wanted to build it myself + happy to purchase most of the materials from a fellow PCFer :)

Bullet points on the overall experience:
- Loved it!
- Just get a nice plunge router (especially if you do more woodworking that just a table), I had an ancient craftsman router that I used for this and I tried to use it in a way it wasn't made for, made it a nightmare
- Read this BEFORE you attempt your rail upholstery - I reached out to @Irish for advice before I started and he sent me these links but somehow I managed to avoid the most important one before I took a stab at the upholstery https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/re-upholstering-poker-table-rail.41438/
- I am generally happy with how the upholstery came out but it is the farthest thing from perfect and definitely the least impressive part of the table. Still nice overall!


Progress pics below, but here is the end result:
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Progress pics below - lots of unnecessary repetitions in photos but just dumping them all here for anyone interested. It's rare folks complain about TOO MANY pics here :)


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(LOL - look at the scrap wood underneath, my 1/4in flute dulled so I switched bits, + the collet came loose + drilled straight through when trying to route the straight-away so I ended up just using a jigsaw to finish up the straight-aways on the inside rail here. Absolute nightmare - 100% just get a nice plunge router and make sure your bits are sharp. I am lucky I got the curves done before the router decided to start acting up)
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(ignore my gasser abuse with the sawdust haha I'll steam clean them + get some covers because my setup is staying in the garage for now.)
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(just setting the rings down for a general idea on placement, ended up measuring the outer rail for exact spacing.)
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(drilling for the t-bolts)
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(accidentally made my first marks in the center of the top rail instead of where they actually needed to go haha luckily fixed before drilling!)
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(this is before they were tapped down + tightened into the wood)
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(these bolts ended up not being long enough at the end, I was dumb and forget that the foam for this table goes all the way to the end, rail vinyl adds a bit of height as well. Went and got longer bolts in the end)
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3 5/8" hole saw - My dewalt drill started acting up as well so I switched to my ancient firestorm black+decker. I will likely borrow/buy a corded drill for this next time.
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Just testing out the cupholder! Looking good!
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20 attachment limit - sharing the rest in the next post!
 
Just some wood glue to attach the rings on top of each hole!
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Attached the legs, it was a breeze. (didn't get any pics of leg installation) I chose not to add any reinforcement frame around the legs for now - I am not sure of the importance if I am being honest. Maybe someone can fill me in on that and convince me!
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Time for the rail foam - I ended up just cutting these holes my hand with a utility knife, but I was very unimpressed with the result. Any better suggestions for next time on getting a cleaner cut for the cupholders? (just cut here for now, glued + flipped over later)
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Glued + flipped over
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I definitely did this wrong/impatiently. I don't know if I used too much adhesive or didn't wait long enough for it to become tacky, but it would NOT stay stuck to the rail very well at all. It ended up being a nightmare, likely due to my own lack of experience/knowledge, but it turned out ok.
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Don't judge me too hard - lessons learned for next time :D
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Not horrible, not great. Definitely would appreciate tips for cutting out the cupholders holes
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More spray adhesive for the closed cell foam + the gaming suede here, had to spend a decent amount of time ironing the backside of the suede because it had been sitting folded for quite a long time. Used an electric turkey cutter of course to cut the rail foam + closed cell foam.
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Getting it even after applying adhesive
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I thought it would be a good idea to do some of the gaming suede while waiting for the adhesive to stick/dry more, but it just came off of the rail the longer I waited. Either way, started the staples and it was about as difficult as I expected. Next time - Definitely going to follow the specific instructions in the thread mentioned before by Irish. I took too much of a "wing-it" approach based off of a couple videos I watched. Like I said, far from perfection but I am not overly upset with the result.
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Not too bad - relieved to be done!
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Cut the excess felt, stapled the edges. Cut out the cupholder slots after this, didn't get any pictures.
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I think this was taken before I bolted it down, but rail looks pretty good overall. You can see the imperfections but it was a learning process :) Ready to bolt it down + put in the cupholders.
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Just a cross cut for the cupholders! I wanted it to fit very tight/snug as I placed the cupholders into their slots, and it worked perfectly!
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More end result pics! Live game pics to be taken in the near future!

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Some extra indentation around the cupholders due to my rail foam cuts earlier, slightly bummed about that but still looks very nice in general, something to improve on for the next table.
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Felt size: 80"x38", betting line is 60.5x18.5"
Table size: 86"x44"

It was a lot of fun (generally speaking) to build - lots of lessons learned for next time and looking to build something with more precision next time. Likely going for a raised rail table next time! don't judge too hard ty :LOL: :laugh:

lmk if you have questions about any other part of the process!
 
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Wow, looks like you did a really nice job on this, love the black on black look. I will look forward to seeing the rest of the build photos for the upholstery and legs install.

So did you go the full 96" length of the 4x8 plywood for the size? I am fantasizing about building one like this myself, but probably will never happen.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Nice job dude, it's always an awesome feeling to be sitting around the table playing cards and tell those playing that you built the table yourself. Pride of ownership! :tup: Good luck with avoiding the first game new table curse lol
 
Very nice build and a great write up! I really like the look of those Hafele legs & would like to read your impression of their sturdiness during game play.

Well done! :tup: :love::tup:
 
Very nice build and a great write up! I really like the look of those Hafele legs & would like to read your impression of their sturdiness during game play.

Well done! :tup: :love::tup:
I'll definitely report back after the first game! Hopefully this week! Thanks!
 
Very nice build and a great write up! I really like the look of those Hafele legs & would like to read your impression of their sturdiness during game play.

Well done! :tup: :love::tup:
Super super sturdy! No complaints in the slightest about the stability of the table with 10 people resting on it. I was nervous because I wasn't able to get gorilla legs, but these hafele legs have really done their job well!
 
Looks great! I was referred to this forum by a fellow PCF'er after mentioning I wanted to build by own table. I've gone through several "plans" but I haven't found anything helpful. I love this design (cup holders on the rail vs in the racetrack). I have some carpentry experience but would love to find some blueprints to assist with my design and build. Any recommendations on where to find some plans matching this style? Or maybe just some measurements (radius', etc) to get me going? Again, great build! Love the black on black.

Looking forward to checking out the rest of the forum!

-J
 
Looks great! I was referred to this forum by a fellow PCF'er after mentioning I wanted to build by own table. I've gone through several "plans" but I haven't found anything helpful. I love this design (cup holders on the rail vs in the racetrack). I have some carpentry experience but would love to find some blueprints to assist with my design and build. Any recommendations on where to find some plans matching this style? Or maybe just some measurements (radius', etc) to get me going? Again, great build! Love the black on black.

Looking forward to checking out the rest of the forum!

-J
Just lots of research and these resources were my savior! This youtube video was a great help, then if you need help on dimensions just ask around here and we can give advice. In my case, I bought 2 premade felts (misprints I believe) from a vendor so I had to base my builds around predetermined sizes (it was up to me to decide how much room I wanted from the rail to the betting line)

Shoutout to @Irish for this thread! Give it a thorough read before starting your table! You'll thank yourself later for it.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/poker-table-building-guides-tips-tricks.64206/
 
Can we buy the wood rings for the cup holders, if yes from whom and how much are they for
 

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