DanP35
12-15-2011, 10:52 AM
Hey there PMC Community,
I just joined and this place is great. The craftsmanship around here is out of control. I’m getting ready to dive into my first table top and i've got a couple basic questions on table top construction before I begin.
First and foremost, let me explain the setup. I live in a fairly small apartment, so i've got a pretty large bar-height island that seats 6-8 that is my only table. I have stools for that table, so while i could just buy a folding poker table, i'd also need to buy 8+ chairs, store them, and it would be awkward to set it up in my smallish apartment living room.
I think the best solution is to just make a table top that fits onto my existing island for turning it into a good playing surface, but i have a few questions.
I plan to make the top in two pieces so it can fold and fit under a bed. Going to cut it in half, screw in hinges on the top side, but only at the edges so it will be away from the playing surface. My plan was to mount the hinges, then pad and felt the playing surface and run a double line of staples just along each side of the seam so that the padding and felt wouldn't bunch up when the table gets folded. Basically forcing a nice seam for the table to fold at. This will make the padded rail a bit hard, but i think i'm going to use the same strategy as for the table felt and taper the padding as it gets to the seam so that right at the seam it will only be vinyl to fold, and not the foam.
On the bottom, i'm going to spray glue some black felt (probably the very first step) so that the table underneath won't get damaged. Then some 1x1" strips strategically placed on each side will keep the table top snugly fitted to the table.
A few question regarding this plan:
1) Will having a rectangular poker table present any problems i'm not forseeing? Obviously the classic oval table is better for seeing everyone, but are there structural/construction advantages to it?
2) What is the best way to mount the rail to the table? In almost every tutorial, this seemingly important step is totally skipped. Should i just flip the whole thing over and screw in from the bottom using proper length screws that won't come out the top of the rail? I'm just very reluctant to screw anything from underneath bc it worries me when the sharp end is up!
3) Will vinyling around a right angle be very difficult? I'm not an upholstery expert, so i have a bit of a hard time visualizing the process until i'm doing it, but my initial thought is the only tricky part will be making the inside and outside corner edges look clean. Aside from that, there should be no cutting really. Depending on how the corners come out, I might get some pieces of tin or something to nail in at the corners on the outer edge to hide the seam if it’s ugly.
4) I'd love to customize the playing surface a bit. Are there any methods other than screen printing that don't interfere too much? The screenprinting’s not out of the question, but a DIY method would be ideal.
5) Are cupholders in the rail a pain in the ass? This setup makes it impossible to put cupholders in the playing surface or on a racetrack, so the rail is the only option. I'm inclined to just skip it, but i'm sure i'll feel differently once a precariously balanced beer spills on my brand new table!
Sorry for the total onslaught of questions, no pressure for anyone to answer any or all, but for whomever can share a bit of wisdom, it would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone lives in the DC area, you'll earn yourself an invite and free beer for a game!
I just joined and this place is great. The craftsmanship around here is out of control. I’m getting ready to dive into my first table top and i've got a couple basic questions on table top construction before I begin.
First and foremost, let me explain the setup. I live in a fairly small apartment, so i've got a pretty large bar-height island that seats 6-8 that is my only table. I have stools for that table, so while i could just buy a folding poker table, i'd also need to buy 8+ chairs, store them, and it would be awkward to set it up in my smallish apartment living room.
I think the best solution is to just make a table top that fits onto my existing island for turning it into a good playing surface, but i have a few questions.
I plan to make the top in two pieces so it can fold and fit under a bed. Going to cut it in half, screw in hinges on the top side, but only at the edges so it will be away from the playing surface. My plan was to mount the hinges, then pad and felt the playing surface and run a double line of staples just along each side of the seam so that the padding and felt wouldn't bunch up when the table gets folded. Basically forcing a nice seam for the table to fold at. This will make the padded rail a bit hard, but i think i'm going to use the same strategy as for the table felt and taper the padding as it gets to the seam so that right at the seam it will only be vinyl to fold, and not the foam.
On the bottom, i'm going to spray glue some black felt (probably the very first step) so that the table underneath won't get damaged. Then some 1x1" strips strategically placed on each side will keep the table top snugly fitted to the table.
A few question regarding this plan:
1) Will having a rectangular poker table present any problems i'm not forseeing? Obviously the classic oval table is better for seeing everyone, but are there structural/construction advantages to it?
2) What is the best way to mount the rail to the table? In almost every tutorial, this seemingly important step is totally skipped. Should i just flip the whole thing over and screw in from the bottom using proper length screws that won't come out the top of the rail? I'm just very reluctant to screw anything from underneath bc it worries me when the sharp end is up!
3) Will vinyling around a right angle be very difficult? I'm not an upholstery expert, so i have a bit of a hard time visualizing the process until i'm doing it, but my initial thought is the only tricky part will be making the inside and outside corner edges look clean. Aside from that, there should be no cutting really. Depending on how the corners come out, I might get some pieces of tin or something to nail in at the corners on the outer edge to hide the seam if it’s ugly.
4) I'd love to customize the playing surface a bit. Are there any methods other than screen printing that don't interfere too much? The screenprinting’s not out of the question, but a DIY method would be ideal.
5) Are cupholders in the rail a pain in the ass? This setup makes it impossible to put cupholders in the playing surface or on a racetrack, so the rail is the only option. I'm inclined to just skip it, but i'm sure i'll feel differently once a precariously balanced beer spills on my brand new table!
Sorry for the total onslaught of questions, no pressure for anyone to answer any or all, but for whomever can share a bit of wisdom, it would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone lives in the DC area, you'll earn yourself an invite and free beer for a game!