Author Topic: What do you use for your wargames table? (Read 1833 times)

tikitang · « **Reply #15 on:** September 16, 2023, 10:30:47 PM »

I use a Chicreat 80509 garden table, made of aluminium legs and a black glass board.

3' x 3' in size, but I only put 2' x 2' battle-mats on it, as I only do skirmishes with a handful of models per side.

Iain R · « **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2023, 09:16:07 PM »

I have two folding plasting 6x2 pasting tables that I can clamp together to make a 6x4, but I find myself more often using a folding wooden 4x4 table I designed and built myself, as this is sufficient for most of the gaming I do this weather.

Daeothar · « **Reply #17 on:** September 18, 2023, 09:55:41 AM »

I used two metal shelving units for the base of mine. These particular ones are approximately 200cm tall, but come disassembled, and the legs are in two parts each. This enables one to make one tall unit, or two units of 1m tall. They come with chipboard shelves, which I used on two of the three units. The third is without shelves, so I can store different table modules (with different themes; desert, temperate, snow etc) there. Those are 120x60cm (4'x2' in freedom units) and come three to a theme.

So; I used three shelving unit halves to create a base for my 120x180cm tabletop (4'x 6' in freedom units). I placed them next to eachother and simply tiewrapped the legs together. I also added some felt with ducttape to the bottom of the legs to protect the floor.

The units are approximately 90x40cm each, so the tabletop has a nice overhang on all sides for ease of use as well, without making the whole thing unstable. The base of the tabletop is a foldable wallpapering table, which I cut to length. That used to be my gaming table for well over a decade before this, but I used trestles under that. Which, as you can imagine, is a lot less stable. Also; not as tall.

Bear in mind that, even though this has been standing now for a couple of years already, it has always been intended as a temporary measure, until I get to finally build the wargames table of my dreams (in hardwood). So I never took the time to wrinkle out the imperfections. But with some more care and planning, these units could be a very good permanant solution!

Here's an old picture, from when I just installed it. Bear in mind that the shelfless unit has since been moved to the left, to be less in the way , and the boxes have been relocated, so my table modules fit in there...

jon_1066 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 18, 2023, 10:11:05 AM »

Quote from: Daeothar on September 18, 2023, 09:55:41 AM

... Those are 120x60cm (4"x2" in freedom units) and come three to a theme.

So; I used three shelving unit halves to create a base for my 120x180cm tabletop (4"x 6" in freedom units). I placed them next to eachother and simply tiewrapped the legs together. I also added some felt with ducttape to the bottom of the legs to protect the floor.

...

In freedom units " means inches, ' means feet. You are in danger of doing a Spinal Tap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAXzzHM8zLw

Also note if you are in the UK standard sized sheets are 4' by 8' which is not 120 by 240 cm but 122 by 244.

Daeothar · « **Reply #19 on:** September 18, 2023, 10:23:46 AM »

Quote from: jon_1066 on September 18, 2023, 10:11:05 AM

...You are in danger of doing a Spinal Tap.

I better hire a couple of dwarves then

It has been corrected.

Quote from: jon_1066 on September 18, 2023, 10:11:05 AM

Also note if you are in the UK standard sized sheets are 4' by 8' which is not 120 by 240 cm but 122 by 244.

Same here on the continent: all sizes are a couple of cm too large, so they will have to be adjusted beforehand: 122x61, 244x122, etc.

Volleyfire! · « **Reply #20 on:** September 18, 2023, 03:42:54 PM »

I use kitchen cupboard base units with either drawers or doors on so you can store your scenery and figures away underneath, and on top I use sheets of really thick ply as the table top.

RSDean · « **Reply #21 on:** September 18, 2023, 09:31:47 PM »

I used to habitually use two 2.5x6 heavy duty plastic folding banquet tables set up to make a 5x6 table. When we moved a few years ago, there wasn’t really a space that would fit the 5x6 and allow you to move around it, so I more often use a 4x6 folding table sold under the trade name of “Alpha Gaming Table”. Smaller games can be set up on a 36” squar card table, similar to the banquet tables.

SteveBurt · « **Reply #22 on:** September 20, 2023, 11:04:55 AM »

I use 6’x2’ panels made many years ago atop our dining table. These are hardboard, painted blue green, braced with 2” timber underneath. I have 4 of them, so can make 6x4, 6x6 or 8x6 although I rarely use the biggest size these days.

Mindenbrush · « **Reply #23 on:** September 21, 2023, 11:09:53 AM »

Two of the usual 6’x2.5’ folding tables with 2 pieces of batten framed 1” x 5’x4’ plywood clamped on top to provide an 8’x5’ table.

Plywood is lighter than MDF.

Debating about adding a raised edge around the tabletop but not sure if this will give people ‘wrist ache’.

white knight · « **Reply #24 on:** September 21, 2023, 11:28:37 AM »

This is only at the planning stage currently, because I need to redo the windows of the gaming room before I can move onto the next stage, but I have this friend who is a kitchen designer for a big brand and we've already worked together to design me some custom miniatures and gaming cabinets using their wide catalog and while not the cheapest option, it's certainly cheaper than getting a carpenter to do it and gives a very professional finish.

As the next stage, I will get him to design 2 wargaming table sections, each made with some of their counter cabinets as the base, with a tabletop underneath as a common base and then add custom wheels (with brakes) so it's mobile. On the top of that would go another tabletop with a larger footprint than the base, so we have some comfortable overhang there, and then use their plinths to form a raised border along one long and 2 short sides. The reason to leave one side open is to be able to push the two tables together to form one large one.

To get it all assembled in this manner I will need to slip some extra money to their installer, but I've also done that for the cabinets.

To give an idea of the result, here are a couple pictures of the cabinets, which are at varying depths from top to bottom due to the slope of the roof to maximise the use. The bottom section runs 80cm deep to store unbuilt and unpainted stuff. The whole thing is about 6m across. I went for an ultra-matte white finish which is very smooth to the touch, but could have gone for a more standard (cheaper) finish as well.