Hi! I've been lurking here quite a while, getting ideas for gaming tables. I think this one is done enough to make a long-winded post about it, so here goes my entry.
A little history first.... just a little. I grew up in New Jersey, and it was nice to enjoy the casinos only 75 minutes or so away. My dad taught me craps and some other table games, and for years we both loved playing them. But then life threw some changes, and now here I am in Virginia, with 2 kids, and almost no way to escape to the casino lights anymore. So I'm putting them in my basement.
I first tried a stripped-down version of this build, and it worked out OK. Add in ideas from other posts, and I had a concept ready. I figured I could work out the details as I went along, so I grabbed some tools and told the kids to get lost for a while
So here's the basic setup. 2x3 studs cut to around 11", sandwiched by 1/2" ply. Note how the outer wall has a lower lip to get it to set in the right spot and stay there. The table base is 3/4" ply, 4' x 7'2". (Weird dimensions, I know, but the felt has already been printed. This is about the absolute max length I can make the table, and besides, I don't want it so big that 1 dealer won't be able to handle all the action). I then cut 8 or 9" (can't remember) off the corners of the base, so I ended up with an octagon.
I kept cutting and nailing until I had all 8 segments done, then I threw in my twist. A pair of buckles are used to hold each segment to its neighbor. The initial lining up of the clasp didn't work out, but they have to line up to work right! So I added a little 1/4" strip to one side.
Almost there but not quite. The diagonal (corner) sections are held in tight, but the end sections wobble outward quite easily. They needed some bracing. I added some scraps to the diagonal sections to prevent that outward movement.
That's the basic table. Easy to take apart and store away when I need that space for other stuff. The rest is all about giving it a look all its own. So what's it gonna be? I'm thinking a padded suede armrest like the poker tables have, a single chip rail, and all that fancy green rubber for the dice to bounce into. Little did I know just how much of a beast it would be...
A little history first.... just a little. I grew up in New Jersey, and it was nice to enjoy the casinos only 75 minutes or so away. My dad taught me craps and some other table games, and for years we both loved playing them. But then life threw some changes, and now here I am in Virginia, with 2 kids, and almost no way to escape to the casino lights anymore. So I'm putting them in my basement.
I first tried a stripped-down version of this build, and it worked out OK. Add in ideas from other posts, and I had a concept ready. I figured I could work out the details as I went along, so I grabbed some tools and told the kids to get lost for a while
So here's the basic setup. 2x3 studs cut to around 11", sandwiched by 1/2" ply. Note how the outer wall has a lower lip to get it to set in the right spot and stay there. The table base is 3/4" ply, 4' x 7'2". (Weird dimensions, I know, but the felt has already been printed. This is about the absolute max length I can make the table, and besides, I don't want it so big that 1 dealer won't be able to handle all the action). I then cut 8 or 9" (can't remember) off the corners of the base, so I ended up with an octagon.
I kept cutting and nailing until I had all 8 segments done, then I threw in my twist. A pair of buckles are used to hold each segment to its neighbor. The initial lining up of the clasp didn't work out, but they have to line up to work right! So I added a little 1/4" strip to one side.
Almost there but not quite. The diagonal (corner) sections are held in tight, but the end sections wobble outward quite easily. They needed some bracing. I added some scraps to the diagonal sections to prevent that outward movement.
That's the basic table. Easy to take apart and store away when I need that space for other stuff. The rest is all about giving it a look all its own. So what's it gonna be? I'm thinking a padded suede armrest like the poker tables have, a single chip rail, and all that fancy green rubber for the dice to bounce into. Little did I know just how much of a beast it would be...