Basic woodworking - how easy/hard is it?

[NewJeffCT]

I'm not a very handy guy, and my wife is even less handy than me. I have some basic tools at my home - hammers, screwdrivers, a wrench or two, etc. But, nothing really special.

What I would like to do is put together a simple, but sturdy, large table that I can use for "gaming" purposes - playing wargames like Warhammer, or else for various scenarios in Dungeons & Dragons.

I'm talking about a table that is a decent bit larger than your typical kitchen/dining room table. Something maybe ping-pong table size, only a bit taller and sturdier than your typical ping-pong table - they usually don't hold up too well to not very dextrous heavy-set guys leaning up against them.

It would be set up in the basement of our house, so it does not have to be beautiful or anything, either.

[AllegroRondo]

1. Its not that bad

If you can handle a saw and a power drill, you'll do fine. I actually helped a friend build a gaming table a couple years ago. We just used a 4x8 sheet of plywood and some 2x4s. Cover with green felt, and its perfect for Warhammer 40K.

The most important thing I learned, plan everything before you start buying wood and cutting. "Measure twice, cut once."

Get a book or two from the library, like an "idiots guide", and give it a good read before you start. There will probably be plans in there you can either use or adapt.

[NewJeffCT]

6. Thanks

I'm sure my dad or my brother could do it in their sleep - but, getting them to drive up to our place and help out is another story.

[skygazer]

2. Like anything else, it's relative

Some people have a knack for working with their hands, others don't. For a project like that, someone with no knack could muddle their way through as long as they had clear directions.

I'd suggest getting a book for guidance and following the directions. The thing with tables is support - the legs have to be attached in such a way that they aren't wobbling and though that seems pretty elementary, it's surprising how tricky it can be.

Though honestly, since you want something quite sturdy, you might be better off buying an unfinished or used table - materials aren't necessarily cheap and when you add in time and effort, it may not be worth it in the end. Especially if you don't have power tools - you do not want to be screwing things together by hand.

[AllegroRondo]

9. good idea

you might want to check garage sales for old tables, then just add a piece of plywood to the top to make it larger.

[EFerrari]

3. It's fun and pretty straightforward. You don't have to be handy

just a little careful.

What would the load on the table be (in lbs)?

[NewJeffCT]

4. The weight on top of the table would be very little

I'm more concerned about a bunch of heavyset gamers jostling the table repeatedly over a period of months and eventually it collapses when one of them bumps it a bit too hard, or leans a little too far over the table to fetch his dice...

[EFerrari]

8. A simple way to do it would be to go to Lowe's or somewhere like that

and get two unfinished doors, legs that you can screw on, and a sheet of plywood to put over the top of the whole thing to make it one smooth surface.

You'd need wood screws to attach the plywood to the doors. And, it wouldn't hurt to get some brackets to join the doors on the underside. T shaped ones at either end and straight ones along the underseam.

You'd need, a drill and maybe a jig saw but if you do the math at home, you can get everything cut to spec at the lumberyard / hardware store.

And, tell your friends to be careful. :)

It might be simpler to buy a pingpong table on Craigslist.

[NewJeffCT]

10. we have a ping-pong table

but, it's not sturdy enough to be a gaming table.

And, if I buy something, I don't really have anything to transport a large sized table in - I'm not even sure if my brother's pickup truck could fit it without a lot of strapping down.

[EFerrari]

11. Is there some way to reinforce the pingpong table?

Because that would be the easiest thing.

My first husband was a woodworker and he never took busman's holiday, so I had to learn furniture repair. Once when I was repairing a wood floor, I realized why it was important that the historical Christ was a CARPENTER, lol.

But, seriously, isn't there something you might be able to do to shore up the table you already have?

[NewJeffCT]

12. There might be, but

I should have been clearer - we actually use the ping-pong table to play ping-pong. It's not really available for "gaming"

[EFerrari]

14. Hmm. Do you need something bigger than a picnic table?

I'm trying to think "simple and inexpensive".

[NewJeffCT]

15. picnic table is an idea!

thanks. of course, then I'd have to get it into the basement... :(

[EFerrari]

16. LOL! You're lucky -- I don't even HAVE a basement just a crawl space

that goes uphill both ways. :)

[NewJeffCT]

20. most homes in CT have basements

unless they're right along Long Island Sound or some other body of water.

Unfortunately, we never did anything with the huge basement in our last house - it was a walk-out basement with 9 foot ceilings and a steel beam running across the top of the ceiling.

[Poiuyt]

5. Check your libray for books on furniture building

There are many written for people looking for simple projects. There are even books on making furniture out of plywood.

Woodworking doesn't have to be difficult, especially if you don't care what it looks like. :) My first project was a small table that I still use to this day.

Be careful about making large tables as you don't want then to sag in the middle. If you're having trouble finding suitable plans, let me know and I can draw up something for you that would be sturdy but simple to make.

[NewJeffCT]

7. Thanks

I had put a large sheet of finished plywood on top of a table for gaming purposes several years back, but it sagged on the edges, so I know I'll have to reinforce the edges of anything large.

I was thinking of attaching 2x4s on the bottom side of the table along the edges to help out in that regards.

[Poiuyt]

21. Along the edges AND in the middle if you are using a large sheet of plywood

Philboy's design looks like a real good one. He uses 2X4s for the top instead of plywood so there wouldn't be a sagging problem for a normal sized table. Note how the legs are angled to prevent racking when under stress. That adds a little complexity and class to the project but probably isn't necessary unless the table is going to be pushed around a lot. There are other ways to brace the legs that would be simpler, but wouldn't look as nice..

[NewJeffCT]

26. What I might do is

Just see if I can find an old table and then get a sheet of plywood, and then put the 2x4s along the edges of the plywood and lay the sheet on top of the old table. The table will stop the sagging in the middle and the 2x4s along the edges - I hope.

[LeftyFingerPop]

13. The strongest table you will ever find (picture and instructions)

I've made a few of these. This table is so strong, you could probably almost put a car on the top of it. I don't have any plans because I just winged the design, but I will type brief instructions after the picture.




1) Decide the size you want.
2) Buy enough 2 x 4's for your size table.
3) Get some deck screws...3 inches long.
4) Build the frame for the table top first. A simple box made with 2 x 4's screwed together at the ends.
5) In this case, I made the table top itself with 2 x 4's...you may want to use some 3/4 inch finish grade plywood instead. Attach the table top to the frame with the screws.
6) Make 4 legs out of the 2 x 4's. Each end of the leg is cut at a 15 degree angle. Slip one end of each leg into the inside of the frame and screw it to the side of the frame. Cover the leg with a 2 x 4 block so you essentially "sandwich" the leg against the inside of the frame.
7) Brace the legs with 2 x 4's as shown in the picture.

It's a little difficult to give exact instrictions without having formal plans...put hopefully you can get the general idea. good luck.

[EFerrari]

17. That's a good looking table.

:thumbsup:

[LeftyFingerPop]

18. Thanks...

it's probably not the prettiest thing in the world, but oh man is it strong.

[EFerrari]

19. It looks like both and that's hard to pull off!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. Gorilla Glue!!!

And that's the extent of my woodworking knowledge.

Glad to help.

:hi:

[democrat2012]

23. Not too difficult.

[BrotherBuzz]

24. Think doors...

door companies will gladly sell their mistakes cheap. A pair of hollow core doors can be fastened together to make, say, a 72"X 80" table top that is plenty sturdy. With minimal amount of cowboy carpentry they could be lengthened, too. Set them on trusses, and you're in business. It could be knockdown and easily transportable.

OR you could simply special order 3/4" plywood 5X10.

Or you could take my weekend seminar on making looooooong plywood. I once made two pieces of plywood, 1/8th" X 24" X 54' long, for a wing mast I built for an ocean racing trimaran.

[NewJeffCT]

25. That's an idea

I think somebody upthread mentioned doors as well. Doors are also easier to transport.