Wood Types For Building Tables (2 Viewers)

[Hobbyphilic]

What is your favorite type of wood to work with for poker table construction? Table top, legs, apron, race track - anything wood.

Would anyone use a non plywood/MDF/OSB as a table top? It seems counter-intuitive but there is always a part of me that wants to use 6/4 red oak or walnut under the felt.

2 votes, you can change your votes.

 

[mummel]

@T_Chan the legend!

 

[atomiktoaster]

Plywood for the base, for strength, weight, ease and stability. Save the walnut for a dining top, but I'm not sure I'd attempt one after seeing the quality of work from @T_Chan. The comparison would just make me feel bad about myself.

 

[lnlver]

Most people use plywood for the base, and another wood like oak, walnut, or cherry for the exterior portions. Are you planning on building your own table and looking for ideas or advice?

 

[RowdyRawhide]

I agree with the above comments but your question is a little too general to answer without some more input. plywood playing surface, however the type of plywood would change if it is a racetrack table, and the type of wood used would possible change depending on felt color. next would be portable or permanent options too

 

[Mental Nomad]

This is a bit like asking what tool you prefer to build a table with.

 

[Mr. Cheese]

My playing base and rail pieces were all made from cabinet grade maple plywood this go around. It's around 7/8 thick plywood I believe. It's also doubled up so needless to say a 500 pound fat guy could sit in the middle and it wouldn't bow at all lol. My twin pedestals are oak.

If you want a quality build use quality materials is my way of looking at things. I've had a table made from osb I think it was or particle board (it was a free table not one that I built) and it sagged and weighted more than my current table does but it wasn't half as strong.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I've had a table made from osb I think it was or particle board and it sagged and weighted more than my current table

All the commonly-used woods weigh less than the glue used to bind wood together. Plywood has a small amount of glue between the layers; things like oriented strand and fiberboard have a lot of glue in them - that makes for the weight.

Plywood is the better material for strength/weight ratio, but OSB and MDF are less expensive (but can be better for particular applications, such as where an exposed edge is going to be finely routed, or where the higher density is a benefit, as in speaker construction.) For poker table bases, plywood is the way to go for strength, weight, stability, and anchoring capability.

 

[bobbelton]

I love Wenge (Millettia laurentii), its a rlly hard and dark wood.

 

[Mr. Cheese]

Not that you asked for a build thread but here's my last table build from start to finish:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...with-chanman-custom-cloth-step-by-step.13807/

 

[Hobbyphilic]

I love Wenge (Millettia laurentii), its a rlly hard and dark wood.

Love the wenge, how is it to work with? Similar to sapele?

I am looking for some advice and ideas for my poker table build which is still in the planning phase. It will be a permanent dining piece. Poker table will be about 94" x 44"and dining surface 96" x 46". No racetrack planned at the moment. I am also leaning towards no cup holders unless the forum can talk me out of that idea.

My playing base and rail pieces were all made from cabinet grade maple plywood this go around. It's around 7/8 thick plywood I believe. It's also doubled up so needless to say a 500 pound fat guy could sit in the middle and it wouldn't bow at all lol.

Thanks, that answers a question I had about flex in plywood.

Any ideas, design tips or interesting wood ideas are welcome. I've been looking at some pictures from @T_Chan and those are super helpful.

 

[Stylin]

For exposed wood I love working with walnut. When you take the time to fill the pores and finish it properly, it's amazing.

I use sande ply for my table construction. It's a little more expensive, but both sides are sanded so it's nice to work with and it tends to be a lot straighter then OSB. For me it's much more enjoyable.

Your topper can either be made by laminating solid boards together or using an A grade veneer ply. Again, I tend to favor walnut.

 

[bobbelton]

Love the wenge, how is it to work with? Similar to sapele?

I am looking for some advice and ideas for my poker table build which is still in the planning phase. It will be a permanent dining piece. Poker table will be about 94" x 44"and dining surface 96" x 46". No racetrack planned at the moment. I am also leaning towards no cup holders unless the forum can talk me out of that idea.


Thanks, that answers a question I had about flex in plywood.

Any ideas, design tips or interesting wood ideas are welcome. I've been looking at some pictures from @T_Chan and those are super helpful.

Wenge is easy to work with when you have good tools since its really heavy and dense. It has an awesome durability you could even build parquet or garden furniture with it. But in direct sunlight its getting brighter over the time, like on my pictures before (normally it's a bit darker) You should wear a breathing mask and gloves while working on it because splinters are mostly septic cause of the fine dust on the untreated wood, after planing and sanding those risks are gone.

 

[T_Chan]

I'm also a big fan of working with Walnut.

 

[Mikiethebull]

But aren't there different kinds of plywood? I'm using Red Oak plywood on my first table and it's pretty friggin' heavy. No way I'm going to double up and use the sheet I cut the rail out of as a base.for the sheet i'm using for the playing surface. Anyone know what kind of wood this is? This guy picks it up like it's nothing.

 

[Mikiethebull]

Oops. Here it is:

 

[Mikiethebull]

Here's a good pic - anyone know what this is?

 

[RowdyRawhide]

It's 3/4 inch plywood, at least according to the video. It doesn't appear to be the cheapest grade but maybe the next level or 2 up. Unless are building a racetrack table then you are essentially wasting money on the red oak ply as you will never see the oak veneer on it

 

[Mikiethebull]

Thanks - but is it birch, maple, pine, etc. . . .? It's certainly not the monster red oak I'm using.

 

[T_Chan]

None of the above. To me it looks like Fir, maybe spruce? I normally use cabinet grade Birch.

 

[Payback]

I typically use Baltic birch.

 

[Mikiethebull]

Ahhh, Birch. My father is a woodworker, and that's what he suggested. But that was after we already started cutting the heavy ass red oak.

Thanks!

 

[EventHorizonVII]

Hardwood ply for the base. If you are running a track that is where you can have some real fun. I'm building my side tables out of free walnut.

 

[BGinGA]

I generally use 5/8" sandply for the table surface. Never a racetrack in my builds, so it's good compromise between strength and cost. Used 3/4" oak plywood once - table was heavy as crap, never again.

Would anyone use a non plywood/MDF/OSB as a table top?

I routinely use 1/4" MDF for folding portable table-tops. Surprisingly light (unlike thicker MDF sheets) and works great, so long as you paint and seal it to prevent moisture from getting to it. I've also used 1/2" MDF for rails, and built a small table out of the remaining center section. Also heavy as crap.

Would never use OSB for anything except flooring.