A wargame table project 'DAR' (how to)...make your own cat proof game table!

Started by GJK, April 01, 2015, 10:29:12 PM

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GJK


Ok, this will be an ongoing DAR of my "Wargame Table (cat proof)" project; for those interested in perhaps making something similar.


As you may recall, I made a version of this table some time ago and posted pictures of it here.  I'll refresh your memories (or show you for the first time) what I currently have:


The full table:





The top removes in sections to reveal an inner table top for setting up a game that can't be disturbed by children (possibly) or felines (absolutely):





And with the top completely removed:





This was a table that I picked up at Goodwill for dirt cheap.  I made some modifications (I widened the table by cutting it in half and then adding some length as is noticeable in the picture above.  This works great, however it's a tad bit small for any game of medium to large map size.  So, I had been keeping an eye out for a new table to become my next project.  I found it last weekend:





A beauty, huh?!?!  The size is perfect and for reasons that I'll show you in shortly, this is a perfect candidate for the "cat proof" modification.  Unfortunately, the finish on the table was in bad shape and will need to go.  I picked up this table from Goodwill also for $25.00.


So first I needed some materials from the local Home Depot.  I'll need the board that will become my "inner" table.  I picked up a large sheet - I could of gotten by with half this sheet but I'll wind up using it for another project some day (actually thinking of making a replica of the Alamo for miniatures gaming with what I have left).  Not cheap, but that's ok:





A few more needed items.  Finish stripper, new finish (I'm going with "Gunstock"...perfect!), steel wool to strip the old finish off with, a new brush and some nails for attaching the inner table as I'll show you later.





Ok, so what made this table a perfect candidate?  The underside.  This table will be quite easy to make the needed modifications to because the whole thing comes apart quite simply by removing all the hardware (screws and bolts).





A close up of the legs and inner frame.  Piece of cake.





And of course the table even comes with gum stuck to the underside.  "Johnny, spit out your gum when you're at the dinner table!"





So here we have the legs removed.





And now, before removing the inner frame, I outline it on the underside of the table top.  We'll need to know exactly where it lined up previously for part of the modification process.





And now I remove the inner frame.  It was held in by a number of wood screws and luckily wasn't glued.





Now the FUN part....not.  Stripping the old finish off.  The remover is a goop that is messy, smelly and will burn the crap out of you if you get it on your skin.  I went thru two pairs of gloves during this process.  Here's two of the inner frame side by side, one stripped and one with the original (and scratched) finish.





The table top all stripped and sanded.  Yes, there was some warping but that was taken care of by soaking the top in water and then sandwiching it between two heavy pieces of particle board.





The legs were a bitch, I'm not gonna lie to you, but the finish came off.  I will have to sand these by hand (yet to be done as of the moment).





I omitted a picture here (forgot to take it) but before I disassembled the inner frame, I traced the outside of it to the sheet of board that I purchased from Home Depot.  I then cut just inside the lines to get what will become my inner table top.  It is angled in the corners so that the legs can reattach.





And then I temporarily attached it to the inner frame.  I did this so that I could sand any of the edges that were overlapping from a not so perfect cut.  Fortunately, there wasn't much.  I attached it temporarily and then disassembled it all again because it will be easier to apply the new finish to the individual pieces instead of it together as a whole.





And I should of flipped it over to show what the playing surface will look like, but that will come with the next batch of pictures so stay tuned!





Clip your freaking corners!
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Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
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"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

bbmike

Actually I'd love to have the plans for building your first, smaller table. I don't have much space but that looks like the perfect size!
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GJK

Hey Mike, the process is the same no matter what size table.  Just find one that has an easy to remove table top and you're in business.  Check Goodwill and thrift stores - I see suitable tables all the time for a reasonable price.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

bbmike

Yeah, I was just thinking I do have an old table. It's too big but I bet I could modify it...  >:D
"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence."
-Sherlock Holmes

"You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets."
-Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

"There's a horror movie called Alien? That's really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you!"
-The Doctor

"Before Man goes to the stars he should learn how to live on Earth."
-Clifford D. Simak

GJK

Like with my smaller version, it was basically a square table and not at all suitable for most any size game so I removed the top and cut the inner frame in half and added about 8" of length on the two sides and made it rectangular.  I then just made my own table top for it out of pine.  You could do the same but simply cut out a length on two of the sides to shorten the table.  Then either cut the counter top to fit or make a new one after you add the bottom to the inner frame.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

Mad Russian

Wouldn't it be easier to just get rid of the cat?? :D

Seriously, that's a nice looking table.

Good Hunting.

MR
The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Nefaro

Quote from: Mad Russian on April 04, 2015, 11:06:17 AM
Wouldn't it be easier to just get rid of the cat?? :D

Seriously, that's a nice looking table.

Good Hunting.

MR


LOL!


I wasn't gonna propose it, but that is a lot of work for cat prevention.  ;D

GJK

It's a lot of work to punch, sort and clip counters and laminate charts and print rulebooks so that I can write in it while learning a new boargame but it's a fun part of the process.  I could just get rid of boardgames altogether and stick with my cat and computer games....but nah...building a special table is all worth it.  :)
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

GJK

Not a lot done for the project this weekend as it's wet and chilly but I did finish sanding the legs:



(unsanded on left)

So really all that is left to do is to put the new finish on, sealer (going with a gloss) and then assemble the pieces once dry.  I'll uploads pics of the final results once that is done.  Actually, there is one more step that I can possibly do today if the weather clears up and that is to put the guide 'rails' on the underside of the table top.  Remember that we traced the outline of the inner table to the underside of the table top?  Well I'll use those marks to glue some wood pieces that will fit just inside the inner table when the table top is in place.  That will keep it from sliding around.  Pics showing what I'm talking about there once I've added those.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

W8taminute

I admire your passion for your hobby and your cat.  I have two cats of my own so I can appreciate your work.   O0


That table you bought for $25 looks very similar to the table we have in our kitchen that I bought new from Crate and Barrel for about $250!
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Romulan Commander to Kirk

Staggerwing

Gary, do you plan to trim the bolts (and poss. cap them) after assembly so they don't stick out onto the gaming surface? Or are you going to cover them up somehow?

If you trimmed them and then covered them with small triangular shelves you could make the shelves drink holders or shallow dice trays or something similar.
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GJK

Interesting idea Stagger.  I hadn't really worried about the bolts sticking out over the playing surface since it's an angled corner and that I likely wouldn't have a map going underneath them.  I certainly could hacksaw them shorter and may do just that or maybe something as you suggest, making little corner holders for cups or what have you.  Good ideas, I'll think on that one.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

GJK


Ok, resuming my Wargame Table Project (WGP) now that we've moved in to our new house and I have a mancave garage from which to work out of.  No, I don't have a lathe (yet).


So I was at the point that I was ready to begin staining but wanted to wait until after the move.  I selected a color of stain that I thought looked good and was appropriately named:





First coat on the tabletop and a LIGHT sanding (400 grit) after it had dried:





A second coat was applied and then lightly sanded as well.  Then a polyurethane (clear gloss) was applied with a new stainer/glaze sprayer that I purchased ($60 Home Depot - not needed for the project but puts a nice smooth coat on with no bubbles).  This is what it looks like after the first glaze:





That took a week to dry and was then lightly sanded and a 2nd coat was applied for thorough protection:





The finished tabletop:





And legs:





Midstream, I had an idea for the tabletop.  Instead of having to lift it off to play every time, I wanted it to open up like a baby grand piano with the inside of the table exposed.  I thought about how I would do this night after night while laying in bed and then the solution finally came to me.  I picked up a pair of stainless drawer handle pulls from the hardware store and some stainless hooks.  I wanted the tabletop to have the hooks that will be open ended towards the drawer handles so that I could lift the table top from one end or even remove it completely, easily.  I have some additional hardware that will allow me to "lock" the lid in the open position and I will include pictures of that assembly once it is all done.


Here's the drawer pulls set inside one of the long side inner frames.  I used a router to dig out the hole/slot for it to fit in to:





So because of that change midstream, I had to resand and have begun to refinish the inner frame.  That is out drying at this moment.


Here's sort of a visual of how this will work.  If you can imagine this hook mounted to the underside of the table top, it will be sitting in this position (I need to flatten out the hook a bit to make the table top sit flush with the inner side:





And when the lid opens, the hook will swing around the drawer handle that is embedded in to the inner side:





Again, some hardware (whatever the thing was called, found them online; pictures later) allows me to "lock" the tabletop in the up position.


So, next set of pictures should be the finished project.  I'm currently waiting on the first (re)coat of finish to dry on the inner side boards and then will sand, apply another coat and perhaps another until it is the same deep color as the legs and table top and then will put the whole thing together, including the piece that will sit inside that the games will go on.  I'm thinking of putting a felt cover over it but haven't decided as of yet.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

Nefaro


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