How to Make a Poker Table

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:PokerTable
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How to Make a Poker Table

Introduction

For at-home poker players, having a real poker table is a costly luxury. But there's no reason to shell out the big bucks when you can make a professional-quality poker table yourself. Using these guidelines, you can impress all your friends at the next game night with your homemade poker table.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Use a rectangular 6-foot lightweight folding table as your base. Choose a sturdy folding table to ensure durability.
2

Step Two

Lay your plywood board on the floor, bottom side up. Place your folding table on top of the plywood, measuring the sides to ensure that it is evenly spaced. Draw an outline of the table on the plywood.
3

Step Three

Decide whether you want your table to be rounded on the ends like an oval or if you only want the corners rounded off. Keep in mind that your tabletop will be slightly smaller if you choose the oval style for the ends.
4

Step Four

Draw the arcs for the ends of your tabletop on the plywood. Measure an equal distance from the end and the side; the length you measure will depend on whether you want rounded edges or an oval shape. Then, beginning at your midpoint, use a string attached to a pencil as a compass to draw a curved line from your end point to your side point.
5

Step Five

Use a jigsaw to cut off the edges. Don't cut directly on the line. You want to leave enough room between your cut and the line for sanding the edges.
6

Step Six

Sand the edges down to your lines using an orbital sander or heavy-duty sandpaper. Quickly sand the top of your board and your two plywood strips as well. This will create smooth working surfaces.
7

Step Seven

Cut your two strips into three equal pieces each so that you have six 32-inch pieces. These will be the framing for your tabletop.
8

Step Eight

Place the table, bottom-side up, back onto your plywood tabletop, which should still be bottom-side up as well. Line up the table with the outline you previously drew on the plywood, then place the six 32-inch pieces around the table as your frame. The pieces in the middle will not meet if your tabletop is eight feet long.
9

Step Nine

Screw the pieces onto the tabletop using #8 one-inch wood screws.
10

Step Ten

Seal the tabletop and let it cure overnight.
11

Step Eleven

Place the foam padding on your upright tabletop and cut off any excess around the edges.
12

Step Twelve

Spray the tabletop and the bottom of the foam with a spray adhesive, then attach the foam to the tabletop. Test the spray adhesive before applying all over, and follow the directions for use on the can.
13

Step Thirteen

Keep the table upright and place your poker table felt on top. Trim the felt as necessary, but make sure that you leave plenty of overhang for stapling it in place. Pull the felt as taut as possible and, using your staple gun, staple it in place underneath the table. Cut off any excess felt after stapling, but do not cut it too close to the staples.
14

Step Fourteen

Place your padded railing around the table, making sure that the ends meet on a long side rather than a corner or an end. Remove any excess length. Use your staple gun, loaded with heavy-duty staples (at least 1/2"), to staple the railing under the table every few inches. You may decide to attach the railing using screws and washers rather than staples if your staples aren't sturdy enough.
15

Step Fifteen

Apply Scotchguard to the felt to repel spills and other potential stains.

Overall Tips & Warnings

  • Coat your plywood board and strips with a sealant after sanding them to add durability.
  • Secure the foam to the tabletop using masking tape in order to stabilize the foam while you are cutting it.
  • Have someone help when you are applying the felt. One of you can pull the felt taut while the other staples, helping to ensure that the felt is as tight as possible.
  • Attach the two ends of your railing using an appropriate adhesive if the top piece sticks out noticeably.
  • Wear safety glasses any time you use your jigsaw or sander.
  • Make the table felt as taut as possible. Failure to secure it tightly can result in bunching later on.

Overall Things You'll Need

  • Razor blade
  • Staple gun with 1/2 staples
  • Sander or heavy-duty sand paper
  • Poker table felt
  • Foam padding
  • Pre-cut padded railing
  • Scissors
  • Jigsaw
  • #8 1-inch wood screws
  • 6-foot folding table
  • Spray adhesive
  • 8'x4'x3/4 piece of birch plywood, cut down to 42 wide, with the remaing 6 inches cut into two pieces lengthwise
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