Client: “I would like to design a custom board game table. Do you think it would be possible for you to build it?”
Gaming Table Requirements
After some online research I recommended the following:
One of my favorite aspects of designing and building custom furniture is working with clients to modify a design to capture their ideas. Changes in finish or layout can dramatically alter the 'look-and-feel' of the piece. Below are a few photos that show how this played out in recent table designs.
Clarksburg Woodworks, LLC
My original table was recently upgraded with a set of table topper panels. The three panels fit easily into place as the original table design anticipated the future addition of table toppers. Each panel is made from 3/4" cabinet-grade plywood to withstand heavy use. For this table, one side of each panel is stained and finished to match the original table, with one panel featuring a chessboard design created by different color tints in the finish. The flip side of each panel is covered with Lego-style base plates, providing more than 12 square-feet of play space when all three plate-covered toppers are in place.
Weathered Oak stain on a Red Oak base provides a great contrast to the burgundy game surface. Three table-toppers install easily to provide a flat table surface. This table also features brushed aluminum cup holders and LED lighting around the perimeter of the gaming surface.
Adding table toppers to the gaming table converts the welled playing area into a flat surface for everyday use.
Weathered Gray stain and a black gaming surface give this table a real classic feel. It was constructed with pine wood which is easy to work and takes the finish well. This table includes the six game blocks, LED lighting, and four cup holders.
Red oak gaming table with a burgundy gaming surface for six players. Includes game blocks, cup holders, LED lighting, and a ledge for table toppers.
Espresso stain on pine gives this version a modern feel. The gaming surface is covered with a nylon over neoprene mat (3mm). Six four-sided game blocks and companion cup holders are mounted in the top rail. This version also includes a removable flat-panel TV gaming surface. The TV is mounted in a custom wood frame with a clear plexiglass top surface to protect the TV screen. The wood frame containing the TV and plexiglass is removable, but can also stay in place even when the table topper panels are in place.
The design is based on solid construction materials and techniques including:
The gaming surface we recommend and use is a 3mm nylon over neoprene material from FoamOrder.com. It is extremely durable and available in a wide range of colors and designs.
A tray to hold game pieces was a requirement from my first gaming table client. However, in creating the table design, I realized that a simple tray would only work for a small selection of games, and not address the wide variety of games the table could be used for. I created a game block that would fit into the rail at each of the six player positions. Each game block has four sides, with each side used for different game styles. One side is blank, another side has a shallow tray, a third holds rows of chips, and the fourth side is grooved to hold cards upright. A small access port in the table base under each game block makes it easy to pop the block up and rotate it to another side when you want to switch to a different game style.
The videos to the right shows many of the features of a gaming table, including the game blocks in each of the six player positions and the optional table toppers.
Gaming tables start at $1,495, with options that include:
Shipping, delivery and design alterations are priced separately. Six percent Maryland sales tax applies to all orders.