I play a ton of air hockey and I have a tip for you. What makes an air hockey puck glide is that they have a large circular pocket (about 1/4" smaller all the way around and about 1/32" deep) for the air to catch in. In addition, with the pocket cut out of the bottom, there's less surface area facing the table, thus less friction. I'm willing to bet that if you implemented this into your design, you'd get better performance with less air. You could use a quieter, less powerful source of air, and still get the puck moving faster and smoother. Thanks for all your great videos!
Our air hockey table had a 120mm, high output, PC case fan mounted right underneath the center of the playfield. Worked great! You might also look at a bilge blower, as they can move quite a bit of air.
Great video Bob! One thing i would suggest is for the puck, is to cut a concave or "dish" on the inner aspect and leave the outer ring of the puck proud of the center. I believe this allows for a pocket of air to be built up under the puck so i glides better. I have seen many store bought pucks with this feature. Keep up the great work!
Instead of using the shop vac, I would use computer fans that blow inward from under the table . I had a small hockey table that ran off a small fan and was surprised how well it worked. Hope this gives some ideas Keep up the great work, looking forward to seeing a follow up with improvements!
Solution for the strikers: cut two more circles of acrylic and glue them to the bottom. Then not only would they slide just as well as the puck but the puck would only be hitting acrylic, which would stop the wood from getting damaged and also make a more satisfying "clack" noise :) If you don't want the strikers any taller, just rip off the part that's already been damaged as it's the exact height of the acrylic.
Great build, yet again, Bob. I would add feet or felt to the bottom of the table so it didn't scratch or rub any adjacent surface I set it on. As for the shop vac noise, you could get a long accordion-type host extension and set the vac outside, or in another room. Adding this to my list of "things I should make". Thanks for sharing!!!!
THANK YOU for your videos! I love how at the end you will talk about what you wish you had done or what else you could do. In woodworking-as much as we prepare-we all wish we completed a project perfect but I love your input!
Does anyone else want to make everything on his channel but can't either because of no skill or too young or does anyone else just watch because this is interesting
I have the age and skill, but I don't currently have my own workshop and tools. The only time I get to do these kinda products is when borrowing somebody else's equipment. ;-;
Adding felt to the bottom of the striker pieces might help protect the table, and felt on the other parts of the table that get damaged by the puck might help to. I love this build and I might try to make a smaller version :D
I saw this video pop up in my feed and before I watched it, I thought, "Oh man, drilling out ALL THOSE HOLES." Then I watched the video, and actually blurted out, "GENIUS!"
Awesome project, Bob! Do you think you could have used pegboard for the top? Seems like that would have been easier, not sure if the hole spacing is right. EDIT: Annnndd, I just got to the end of the video. Hah.
I absolutely LOVED my Bobby Orr mini air hockey table when I was a boy. Some details of it's construction might help your upgrades.#1 - there was no huge shop-vac powering the thing. It had a maybe 6 inch plastic fan. As summer winds down you can probably catch a deal on a small fan at Wal-Mart to try. Pull all the plumbing and just mount the fan over the whole.#2 - Where the puck hit the walls. Weatherstripping. The black foam square profile adhesive backed stuff. It may slow the action a tiny bit but it'll also give a distinctive sound to ricochet versus player strikes.
You were asking about noise reduction on the podcast, so here's my 2 cents: Instead of plumbing in the shop vac, how about an entire box fan underneath? Usually the noise from fans is directly related to the size of the blades, so larger blades = quieter. They move enough air that even on low speed it should give enough lift to be playable.
You outdid yourself, awesome project Bob (as usual). I have a thought on the peg-board "problem" that occurred to me during your debrief at the end. Someone could use peg-board as the template and use one of those self centering vic bits to drill the holes in the top (if they don't own a cnc). Your house must be turning into a 80s style arcade with all the cool things you have been building.... I think I will go back and watch the zip line video again now.
I have a suggestion for your next project: Skeeball! I think your kids would like plus I would love to make one or my nephew. I like to go tailgating with my family during football season and I think it would be great to make it portable.
finally!!!! i'm interested in making diy air hockey table for along but i just can't find a proper tutorial video but here it is , a legit one. thank you Bob!!!
Well, not really because the process of filming everything I do makes it take way longer than it would normally. Even if I could keep track of the time, I don't think it'd be a realistic view of the actual build time.
Yea.. Having long closely placed coils could possibly work. Maybe it'd be difficult to keep the puck in place and avoid it swaying away. I don't know. I'd love to see this built though. :D
I made one of these back in high-school for a physics class and had to manually drill the 1500 or so 1/64" holes by hand. Sure wish cnc was around back then. Good work!
Why would he? You can produce a good quality paint job with spray cans if you're careful enough to prevent drips. Bringing out the paint gun only means more work, connecting the compressor, pouring paint and cleaning the equipment. Way easier to just grab a spray can.
Great project! Between the Arcade Cabinet, Lego Table, and now Air Hockey Table i would say you probably have the house your kids friends are hanging out at. Well done!
Hey bob, I'm 16 and you don't know me but it's all good. Ive watched your channel for quite some time and you have great ideas. But I noticed one thing you could change that'll make a huge difference. It's your painting. I've been working with my dad in the carpentry business for 4 years now and this technique he does when he paints could help out your work. I understand everyone has their own way of doing things and you probably do it for the purposes of your video to not be too long but trust me, you'll be pleased with the finishing work. When you paint wood or pvc, it's always good to know what type of paint you need for the object your painting. And when you do paint, do three thick layers of paint. Each time your paint is set, sand it down with 220-320 grit sand paper. After sanding it, blow it out and on to the next layer. At the end of those three layers, apply a protecting coat. The product will last you long and look great. Trust me, it's worth going the extra mile to make your project look great and last longer. Nice chatting with you bob :)
Loved it. I hope to build one myself. I actually squired a few blowers from some holiday blow ups. The blow ups ended up tearing but I figured the blowers are fine I'll keep those for something. And ta da here's bob with this awesome build. Thanks bob I now have a use for those.
Nice build Bob. I'm going to have to try this myself. I got to thinking of the air source and your comment on how a shop vac is too noisy; you may want to try a junked out high efficiency furnace combustion blower that vent s out with PVC. These blowers usually have a higher static pressure to encounter long lengths of PVC pipe to vent the flue gases from the heat exchanger. You could probably get a used one from a local HVAC contractor from a junked out furnace for a few bucks. The trick would be to get one from a furnace that wasn't junked out due to a cracked heat exchanger which would probably be all sooted up and not good for use in this application. Just a thought. Scott
This is great! I'm looking to make a shop table like this. Airflow like an air hockey table to move the pieces around, and reverse the airflow to clamp items in place.
Hey Bob! Long time viewer, first time commenter. :) I built an air hockey table with my son for a science project. We tried a bunch of different air sources (as part of his project). We were actually able to power it with a strong hair dryer (with a no heat) setting. Since it was smaller, I was able to mount the hair dryer underneath the table and then wired a switch. I also just bought a set of strikers and pucks. Great job! P.S. I don't have a CNC machine...it takes a LONG time to drill the holes by hand.
This project is awesome and it came out really well! When I had a small air hockey table like this as a kid, we used to smash our hands together as two people would go for the puck and it would hurt like hell. It would probably be a good idea to make a striker that has a guard to protect the hand as you play.
This is awesome. I want to make one of these for sure. Now that I think of it, had you ever thought of making a Foosball table before? I can only imagine it would be quite the undertaking but if anyone can do it, it is you.
That is so cool. My brother and I were just talking about the fact that he needed an air hockey table now that he has a pool table in his basement. Now the only thing is to figure out a scoreboard that can be generated with an arduino or something to that effect. Great project.
Great project. Good that you thought ahead and answered what are likely to have been the most common comments. but even then there are people that commented without having watched to the bit where you mentioned these things.
looks great! i do have a suggestion though, make a Matthias Wandel style blower. i think it would be relatively easy to make a small one which could be balanced and should run quite quietly. love the video!
I play a ton of air hockey and I have a tip for you. What makes an air hockey puck glide is that they have a large circular pocket (about 1/4" smaller all the way around and about 1/32" deep) for the air to catch in. In addition, with the pocket cut out of the bottom, there's less surface area facing the table, thus less friction.
I'm willing to bet that if you implemented this into your design, you'd get better performance with less air. You could use a quieter, less powerful source of air, and still get the puck moving faster and smoother.
Thanks for all your great videos!
This. Oh and the handles need the pocket too. I think these could be easily 3d printed in PLA +.
I loved seeing it all come together! The best part for me is that you are already reflecting on what you want to do to make it better!!
Our air hockey table had a 120mm, high output, PC case fan mounted right underneath the center of the playfield. Worked great! You might also look at a bilge blower, as they can move quite a bit of air.
Im always so excited when there's new video on this channel 😀
Thank you!!
Great video Bob! One thing i would suggest is for the puck, is to cut a concave or "dish" on the inner aspect and leave the outer ring of the puck proud of the center. I believe this allows for a pocket of air to be built up under the puck so i glides better. I have seen many store bought pucks with this feature. Keep up the great work!
Love it, air hockey has always been one of my favorite games, never thought it could be made so simply!
This guy has one of the best DIY channels on youtube... amazed every time he posts a new video.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that!
Cool project Bob. I see you changed the lighting in the shop and you put one above you. That gives a 3D dimension on the image.
Instead of using the shop vac, I would use computer fans that blow inward from under the table . I had a small hockey table that ran off a small fan and was surprised how well it worked. Hope this gives some ideas Keep up the great work, looking forward to seeing a follow up with improvements!
I like watching the old episodes, it shows how much you have improved all around.
Solution for the strikers: cut two more circles of acrylic and glue them to the bottom. Then not only would they slide just as well as the puck but the puck would only be hitting acrylic, which would stop the wood from getting damaged and also make a more satisfying "clack" noise :)
If you don't want the strikers any taller, just rip off the part that's already been damaged as it's the exact height of the acrylic.
Great idea!
I Like To Make Stuff qual
Gff
This is awesome, Bob! You may not call this perfect byutyou sure have a knack for building a wide range of stuff! Bravo, sir!
Thanks!
I'm surprised you didn't add a way to count the points with an arduino.
same
Build Phase 2!
@Prisera1221 I had the same thought!
I was thinking the same thing! :)
I thought that to
Great build, yet again, Bob. I would add feet or felt to the bottom of the table so it didn't scratch or rub any adjacent surface I set it on. As for the shop vac noise, you could get a long accordion-type host extension and set the vac outside, or in another room. Adding this to my list of "things I should make". Thanks for sharing!!!!
Great project Bob! Would love to build this for the grand-kids. Starting to look for a quieter motor.
Did you find one?
THANK YOU for your videos! I love how at the end you will talk about what you wish you had done or what else you could do. In woodworking-as much as we prepare-we all wish we completed a project perfect but I love your input!
Does anyone else want to make everything on his channel but can't either because of no skill or too young or does anyone else just watch because this is interesting
Serena SMP
I made his wooden cake knife from a little while back. It was a gift for my sister's birthday.
Serena Sings eheheh yeah I'm too young and just have no skills XD
Serena Sings can't because I have none of the machines besides a drill and circular saw
ya
I have the age and skill, but I don't currently have my own workshop and tools. The only time I get to do these kinda products is when borrowing somebody else's equipment. ;-;
My favourite channel you kill these projects every time
Adding felt to the bottom of the striker pieces might help protect the table, and felt on the other parts of the table that get damaged by the puck might help to. I love this build and I might try to make a smaller version :D
Nicely done. The ending comments answered a buch of questions, thanks.
What a great build! I really enjoyed seeing a table saw used in a different way.
Bob, you make the COOLEST projects! Thank you so much for sharing all the exciting and fun things you do. True inspiration every time.
I saw this video pop up in my feed and before I watched it, I thought, "Oh man, drilling out ALL THOSE HOLES." Then I watched the video, and actually blurted out, "GENIUS!"
fuck off
Wow! So cool! Great job!
Awesome project, Bob! Do you think you could have used pegboard for the top? Seems like that would have been easier, not sure if the hole spacing is right.
EDIT: Annnndd, I just got to the end of the video. Hah.
I absolutely LOVED my Bobby Orr mini air hockey table when I was a boy. Some details of it's construction might help your upgrades.#1 - there was no huge shop-vac powering the thing. It had a maybe 6 inch plastic fan. As summer winds down you can probably catch a deal on a small fan at Wal-Mart to try. Pull all the plumbing and just mount the fan over the whole.#2 - Where the puck hit the walls. Weatherstripping. The black foam square profile adhesive backed stuff. It may slow the action a tiny bit but it'll also give a distinctive sound to ricochet versus player strikes.
Best Dad ever
Great project! I liked how you used the CNC in the build without it becoming a CNC project. With a cover, this could become an awesome coffee table!
You were asking about noise reduction on the podcast, so here's my 2 cents: Instead of plumbing in the shop vac, how about an entire box fan underneath? Usually the noise from fans is directly related to the size of the blades, so larger blades = quieter. They move enough air that even on low speed it should give enough lift to be playable.
Wow, the hockey table is awesome Bob!
You outdid yourself, awesome project Bob (as usual). I have a thought on the peg-board "problem" that occurred to me during your debrief at the end. Someone could use peg-board as the template and use one of those self centering vic bits to drill the holes in the top (if they don't own a cnc). Your house must be turning into a 80s style arcade with all the cool things you have been building.... I think I will go back and watch the zip line video again now.
Yeah, using it was a template is a great idea!
So cool! You are just great. The variety of the projects makes your channel ones of my very favorites.
You want a challenge. Make a foosball table
yes yes yes yes yes
Would definitely like to see that
Do it! :D
Ya do it
*football
Really original project Bob. I like the use of the shop vacation. Definitely I'll make one for my kid!
I have a suggestion for your next project: Skeeball! I think your kids would like plus I would love to make one or my nephew. I like to go tailgating with my family during football season and I think it would be great to make it portable.
It's definitely on my list! I just don't have room for it currently :/
finally!!!! i'm interested in making diy air hockey table for along but i just can't find a proper tutorial video but here it is , a legit one. thank you Bob!!!
Awesome to hear!
i bet everyone just watched this video, without making the whole thing xD
well i did
+Ilham Rizqullah wow?? really? i really want to build the thing, but i didnt have the 'smith' things
me too, I don't have the materials and tools to make big projects like this but I love watching them
Little Dragon Same with me here😊
Well the video just came out today, so the chance that a load of people suddenly jumped on making one themselves is pretty slim.
Cool! Thanks Bob for this project. I like the idea of the aluminium panels on the sides. Hopefully it will then make the classic air hockey sound!
At the end of your videos can you say how long each project took you to build? I think that would be pretty cool to know.
Well, not really because the process of filming everything I do makes it take way longer than it would normally. Even if I could keep track of the time, I don't think it'd be a realistic view of the actual build time.
this is the best project that ive ever seen, keep it up man
Can you make an air hockey table using magnets of the same charge?
Yea.. Having long closely placed coils could possibly work. Maybe it'd be difficult to keep the puck in place and avoid it swaying away. I don't know. I'd love to see this built though. :D
You'd have to have double sided magnets or it'd just flip around. And the walls would need to be pretty high aswell
Ho!! WAIT A MINUTE YOUR ARE A ILLUMINATI CONFIRMED!
Then it would not be air hockey, but mag-hockey.
Would need a load of magnets, but a must-do idea.
Try to imagine the cost...
I can't describe it as a words.. ITS AMAZING !
Make a ski ball machine now
It's on my list :) I just have to find space
+I Like To Make Stuff what's the hook behind your saw blade I've never seen one before
wbap hellcat Behind the blade? That's called a riving knife. It helps prevent kickback.
+I Like To Make Stuff mount the ski ball machine to the bottom of the air hockey and make a table that the top rotates on
+I Like To Make Stuff thanks
Very fun and nice project!
This is absolutely brilliant. You've done Canada a service.
This is so cool. I hope your kids realize one day (if they don't already know) how lucky they are to have you for a dad. Great project Bob.
Arduino with a sensor to automatically keep score?
Fun project Bob. I am thinking fan from old kitchen ventilation unit for the blower. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Bob I have a question, I want to know about the specs air blower volume and air pressure..............
Thank You.........
The shop vac I used is linked in the description. You can find all of the specs there.
I Like To Make Stuff do a mini pool table
Not a mini pool table but a full 8 by 4 feet one
Narration and editing is brilliant
And the award for the best dad goes to... :D
That is sweet Bob!! Awesome project, I love air hockey. Great design too, simple and straight forward steps
Thanks Zac!
Hey rob will you be going to makerfaire 2016?
I'll be at Maker Faire Atlanta Oct 1-2 (it's the same time as the one in NYC unfortunately.)
KhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhChaschuky999
Cha,se
Chaschuky999 i thought it was bob.
I made one of these back in high-school for a physics class and had to manually drill the 1500 or so 1/64" holes by hand. Sure wish cnc was around back then. Good work!
All that gear and you use spray cans?
Using a brush would be more tedious
You'd have to keep dipping your brush in the paint and with spray paint you just spray it on
I was meaning spray equipment, but I do like your comment, way to go.
Andrew Jackson
Why would he? You can produce a good quality paint job with spray cans if you're careful enough to prevent drips. Bringing out the paint gun only means more work, connecting the compressor, pouring paint and cleaning the equipment. Way easier to just grab a spray can.
Your kids are so lucky with such a creative and overall awesome dad, great video as always!
Aww.. thank you! I really appreciate that :)
Hey how about, instead of using pvc as a striker, glue an acrilyc in the bottom of it, i'm pretty sure that will work just fine :)
Definitely!
+I Like To Make Stuff by the way, good job and great channel :)
So much WINNING in this video, thanks Bob
In would paint a red line down the middle so they know not to pass on to the other side
what a great fun build!! i bet your kids love you more than ever!! i like that your always thinking about improvements! much love brother!!
Why didn't you.....dang it Bob!! Lol ;) jk. Awesome build man! Adding it to my build list :)
Great project! Between the Arcade Cabinet, Lego Table, and now Air Hockey Table i would say you probably have the house your kids friends are hanging out at. Well done!
That is the fanciest paint booth I've ever seen...
I know right?! Plenty of plants :)
WOW!!! that is so awesome!!! I love it, great job!!!
hey i like to make stuff guy not trying to be mean but you look like iron man or it just mr
I'll take that :)
And i am your biggest fan
amazed by how talented you truly are
That is awesome. It definitely hits my "to do list" and my kids are going to love it! thx for the inspiration.
Great project Bob. Looks like good fun.
Great job Bob! That looked like it took a lot of planning and work!
Thank you!!
daym an air hokey table wow.So creative
Hey bob, I'm 16 and you don't know me but it's all good. Ive watched your channel for quite some time and you have great ideas. But I noticed one thing you could change that'll make a huge difference. It's your painting. I've been working with my dad in the carpentry business for 4 years now and this technique he does when he paints could help out your work. I understand everyone has their own way of doing things and you probably do it for the purposes of your video to not be too long but trust me, you'll be pleased with the finishing work. When you paint wood or pvc, it's always good to know what type of paint you need for the object your painting. And when you do paint, do three thick layers of paint. Each time your paint is set, sand it down with 220-320 grit sand paper. After sanding it, blow it out and on to the next layer. At the end of those three layers, apply a protecting coat. The product will last you long and look great. Trust me, it's worth going the extra mile to make your project look great and last longer. Nice chatting with you bob :)
Loved it. I hope to build one myself. I actually squired a few blowers from some holiday blow ups. The blow ups ended up tearing but I figured the blowers are fine I'll keep those for something. And ta da here's bob with this awesome build. Thanks bob I now have a use for those.
Nice build Bob. I'm going to have to try this myself. I got to thinking of the air source and your comment on how a shop vac is too noisy; you may want to try a junked out high efficiency furnace combustion blower that vent s out with PVC. These blowers usually have a higher static pressure to encounter long lengths of PVC pipe to vent the flue gases from the heat exchanger. You could probably get a used one from a local HVAC contractor from a junked out furnace for a few bucks. The trick would be to get one from a furnace that wasn't junked out due to a cracked heat exchanger which would probably be all sooted up and not good for use in this application. Just a thought. Scott
your videos have always been well produced. This one is one of my favorites.
Thanks Jacob!
This is a great project. Not sure how I missed it when it came out. But I love this idea.
This is great! I'm looking to make a shop table like this. Airflow like an air hockey table to move the pieces around, and reverse the airflow to clamp items in place.
Genius .... This was awesome!
best wishes from Ecuador
Awesome project! I would love to build one of these and I've never thought of using a shop vac to power it
Hey Bob! Long time viewer, first time commenter. :)
I built an air hockey table with my son for a science project. We tried a bunch of different air sources (as part of his project). We were actually able to power it with a strong hair dryer (with a no heat) setting. Since it was smaller, I was able to mount the hair dryer underneath the table and then wired a switch.
I also just bought a set of strikers and pucks.
Great job!
P.S.
I don't have a CNC machine...it takes a LONG time to drill the holes by hand.
Really cool project, Bob! I think I might have never stopped playing this if I had it as a kid. ha ha
great video, bob! i think this is my favorite of your projects so far. suuuper cool build! i want one!
its in your colours :O
Do you think bob is lacking orange ?
The puck was orange! ;)
Thanks Laura!
Your projects are always the best ones Bob! Keep up the amazing work, i love this channel!!!
This project is awesome and it came out really well! When I had a small air hockey table like this as a kid, we used to smash our hands together as two people would go for the puck and it would hurt like hell. It would probably be a good idea to make a striker that has a guard to protect the hand as you play.
I love the way you honestly say, what you would do better if you had known several things from beginning. Great videos'
Love the project Bob. Keep em coming.
Very cool! An elegantly simple build with a great payoff!
This is awesome. I want to make one of these for sure. Now that I think of it, had you ever thought of making a Foosball table before? I can only imagine it would be quite the undertaking but if anyone can do it, it is you.
I've always wanted to make this type of build. Great work Bob!
Hey Bob, Nice job! You can use a blower from a car ventilation. They have a lot of flow, but are relative quite.
That is so cool. My brother and I were just talking about the fact that he needed an air hockey table now that he has a pool table in his basement. Now the only thing is to figure out a scoreboard that can be generated with an arduino or something to that effect. Great project.
Great project. Good that you thought ahead and answered what are likely to have been the most common comments. but even then there are people that commented without having watched to the bit where you mentioned these things.
Yeah, it happens every time :)
looks great! i do have a suggestion though, make a Matthias Wandel style blower. i think it would be relatively easy to make a small one which could be balanced and should run quite quietly. love the video!
Man i remember having a hockey table as a kid, it was so fun! My parents surprised me and my brother with it, it was the best thing ever.
amazing work man, ur kids are the luckiest on the planet
Great project man, thanks for sharing!
Great project and video Bob!
I don't actually know anything about making stuff, but this is really satisfying and entertaining :D
This was absolutely epic. Didn't expect you to make the paddles too!
Super cool build! I would have loved this as a kid!
Sweet project! Might have to build one myself. Nice job Bob.