My gaming table is, I think, rather unique. It’s my own invention, and I don’t know anyone else who has one like it, so I thought I would share with you how I made it.
For starters I wanted a roughly 6 foot by 4 foot table, that was light, easy to store, easy to move from place to place and was inexpensive. After trolling around the hardware and DIY stores I happened upon something that gave me a great idea- decorating tables!
Decorating tables are used when you apply paste to wallpaper. They are roughly six foot by two foot, and fold up. They are lightweight, and even come with a handle on the side!
For starters I wanted a roughly 6 foot by 4 foot table, that was light, easy to store, easy to move from place to place and was inexpensive. After trolling around the hardware and DIY stores I happened upon something that gave me a great idea- decorating tables!
Decorating tables are used when you apply paste to wallpaper. They are roughly six foot by two foot, and fold up. They are lightweight, and even come with a handle on the side!
My tables ready to be packed away in the garage- note the convenient carrying handle! Could they make it any easier?
I bought two of them, for about £14 each. Then, on a rare sunny day, set them up in the garden. I covered them in a layer of PVA glue, and then sprinkled on various grades of sand, to create areas of differing texture. When this was dry I used a roller to apply a couple of coats of thin white emulsion paint and PVA glue (50-50 mix) to seal the sand down and prime it at the same time. When this was dry I stippled the surface with paints. Initially I painted it red-brown, using Games Workshop paints. I would not really recommend this though, because it is too damn expensive. That was a few years ago. I have recently repainted it so it looks more desert coloured, to go with my wild west stuff, and I used some old GW paints and various coloured testers (little pots of emulsion paint you can buy from DIY stores to test your paint before you invest a load of money I buying a big pot).
Two tables clamped together makes a fairly stable, roughly 6x4 tableThe two tables are clamped together with a couple of G clamps I bought from a pound shop. This creates a reasonably stable gaming surface. I made these tables years ago, and they have stood the test of time. They have been repainted, and have needed a few very minor repairs, but all in all, I think that for an initial investment of about £30, I think that have been well worth it.
Chuck a battle cloth on it, from Games Workshop, and it's easily transformed from Wild West, to rural England!
I have a similar setup. Though mine are 6 foot by 2.5 foot or 4 foot by 3 foot per half. Both of these fold in half themselves for ease of transportation. The 4x3 tables were scratchbuilt by me and a buddy because we didn't have a set place we got together and were tired of people damaging models by walking on them.
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