Table building questions (1 Viewer)

[Zathras]

Hi all, first post here on PCF...
I'm getting ready to build a couple tables and am in the research and design mode.

I also have been thinking about a raised, lighted rail design, which is something I haven't done before. Here is a cross section I've been playing around with.

With my current tables, I use basically image 1 with the base and rail lip cut from a sheet of 3/4 high quality plywood ("B") Then I cut the rail from 3/4" sheathing ("A") and the rest of A is scrap. The vinyl wraps around A1 & B2 and the rail just sits on top of the base (B1). The rail is not attached to the table. Basic design and works great.

So I was trying to take that same design and expand it for decorative nails on the outside and a light/diffuser on the inside. I came up with image 2 which adds a spacer made from the scraps of A, and a piece of 1/4 (ply or mdf) at the bottom, to provide a larger surface to sit on the base and also to mount the light diffuser to. The top of the diffuser would be up against the underside of the top rail, where the vinyl wraps around, either attached with an L bracket every so often, or just freestanding.

Alternatively I could router a slot halfway thru C maybe just inside the edge, and have the diffuser sit in the slot. But then I have to finish off the front of C with some veneer or something.

Yet another option would be to punt the 1/4" on the bottom altogether and simply mount the diffuser from above using the L-brackets. Not sure if there would be any support issues with this but it would be great to avoid the 1/4" piece.

I've never played on or seen in person a table with a light/diffuser in the rail. However I have seen a number of pix online, and many seem to utilize a slot in the base, to hold the diffuser. Just wondering if anyone has used this technique on attaching the diffuser to the rail, and how that worked out. Any comments about the design in general are welcome.

Also wondering if anyone has used a CNC shop or lasercutting shop to cut their rails, and what the ballpark price was.

 

[spikeithard]

Hey welcome...
As an owner of a lighted raised rail table, I can say they are WELL worth it but make sure you do it right the first time.

here is a thread you may want to go over. lots of goodies there to help you out

http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/threads/lighted-raised-rail-table-how-to.78135/

 

[Zathras]

Thanks for the link. Been a member over there for years. Looks like an excellent table build. Seems like the diffuser goes into a slot in the base, although it's kind of hard to tell from the photos... just basing it off his diagrams. Do you have a closeup view of how your rail meets the surface?

 

[spikeithard]

no sorry I dont.

 

[Randy]

meatboy has made a copy of his thread here too which is excellent because it's basically the lighted raised rail manual.

meatboy's table doesn't have the problem you describe. The bottom part of the diffuser is hidden so he has simply affixed it to the baseboard as shown in photo 5 in part 2 of meatboy's build thread: http://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/lighted-raised-rail-table-how-to-part-2.3742/

You can see in the photos that he cuts a 6mm channel in the playing surface sheet (green in diagram below) which allows space for the hardboard surrounding the playing surface (pink) and the diffuser (white.)

In your design, you should consider moving the gap between B1 & B2 to directly under the diffuser, making the gap wider and having the diffuser run down into the gap so you can affix it to B2. This makes piece C redundant which is great. The main issue this presents is that the edge of your playing surface is now visible meaning you'd want to use the hardboard trick to stop the corner of the playing surface foam being compressed by the fabric. I would also bring the diffuser back a few millimetres so it sits under A1 slightly.

 

[chipjoker]

I doing a raised lit rail right now, Hopefully done tonight, that a friend and I designed so that I use 2 sheets of ply (and only 2 sheets) with no scrap, I will post up the build and design soon (as long as all is right after tonight).

 

[Zathras]

I appreciate the design of the "Meatboy Raised Rail"®. It looks like the pad ends at the hardboard in the slot, and then I assume the ssc is wrapped around the hardboard and stapled under the "green"(?) layer. (also a good technique to make a racetrack level with a padded infield). It is a thing of beauty... however it requires a slot in the main surface, which I was hoping to avoid. I was hoping to have the padded surface extend edge to edge, and have the rail sit on top of it. I may yet go the MBRR® route if I have to.. just looking for design ideas.

Chipjoker, would be interested in seeing pix of yours as well.

On a related subject, what are people using for diffusers? plexiglas with decals? aluminum with stencil cutouts? anything else?

 

[T_Chan]

With the MBRR method, which I use often, it's still essentially a padded surface area from end to end with the exception of a 1/8" of hardboard at the very end which you don't feel unless you take your hand feel the foam to the very very edge of the playing surface where the cloth meets the diffuser. That part of the playing surface pretty much never gets used.

 

[Randy]

With the MBRR method, which I use often, it's still essentially a padded surface area from end to end with the exception of a 1/8" of hardboard at the very end which you don't feel unless you take your hand feel the foam to the very very edge of the playing surface where the cloth meets the diffuser. That part of the playing surface pretty much never gets used.

Yeah I used super thin plastic instead of hardboard on my racetrack build and nobody has ever noticed that the first millimetre or two of playing surface isn't padded, and it would be less of an issue when it's tucked up right next to the diffuser.

I'm curious why OP wants padded SSC under the rail? When the rail is on you won't be able to see it anyway. It wouldn't be a "slot" in the playing surface as such, the playing surface would just run into the diffuser and stop instead of going underneath. I'm sure there's a reason for your design and your hesitation to use meatboy's design... are you planning on occasionally taking off the rail and using the full surface for some other purpose?

 

[Mental Nomad]

are you planning on occasionally taking off the rail and using the full surface for some other purpose?

I like the versatility of being able to lift the rail and use the table...but bear in mind that if the padding/SSC run under the rail, it will likely carry a permanent impression. You may end up covering the whole thing with a cloth to cover that... in which case, you'll probably cover the one or two mm gap in the MBRR method, anyway.

 

[Zathras]

I like the versatility of being able to lift the rail and use the table...but bear in mind that if the padding/SSC run under the rail, it will likely carry a permanent impression. You may end up covering the whole thing with a cloth to cover that... in which case, you'll probably cover the one or two mm gap in the MBRR method, anyway.

Yes, it's partly this versatility- we play other games (large strategy boardgames) and it might be nice to be able to remove the rail and have a larger full surface to play on. Secondarily is that I have an aluminum template for routering rail pieces and the more I can use that the better.

What are people using for led strips? I think it's about 18.5' around- Anyone use Nora lighting NUTP1 LED 16' tape roll and add a couple of 12" extensions?

http://www.amazon.com/Nora-Lighting...&ie=UTF8&qid=1430495251&sr=1-1&keywords=nutp1

 

[Zathras]

So I just saw this thread
http://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/choice-for-table-rail-lighting-color.5531/
where this LED strip is being discussed
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-10M-RGB-5...tDomain_0&var=&hash=item2a3ee0350b&rmvSB=true

Which seems to be in the $20-25 range for a 6M LED strip, as opposed to $125 for the Nora strip 5M roll? anyone have thoughts on the difference? Or am I calculating something wrong?