For anyone attempting to do their own wiring: Use an outlet box for each receptacle. Here he just screwed them to the wood table and taped over it. If one of those wires gets tugged it can spark and catch the table on fire, there is a much higher chance of a person getting shocked, and the boxes cost ~$1 a piece. For a table like this I would recommend using full size boxes because the entirety of the box can fit nicely inside the rim of the table. You should also have the romex fit into the box, then cut the outer sheathing, and then strip the 3 wires. Any time a wire is less protected it should be in a box. One step further is if you want to wire any lights or speakers that wouldn’t be any more difficult to add from an electrical standpoint. Obviously it will cost more, and adding them would need to be considered when designing the table.
Yeah, imagine four people at the tables for hours. One of them starts fidgeting with the bottom and underneath of the table and starts touching life wires screwed right into an outlet.
I saw this table online and I thought, " WOW thats really nice!" A small group of friends and I recently started a D&D campaign and we also play board games on a regular basis. I had basically zero experience with wood working nor any experience with electrical wiring. Thanks to Gaminggeek and his video above, I was able to follow each step carefully, rewatching the video countless times to make sure I'm doing exactly as he did and i was able to duplicate his table! I learned so much in my time creating this gaming table and I honestly couldnt be happier with how it came out! Thanks again Gaminggeek for the time you took to record and upload your tutorial to youtube so others can learn and recreate the amazing table you've made! I'd post some pictures if i could of my table in your honor! Credit goes to you! Thanks again!
So glad that my tutorial helped you! And like you said, DIY with wood isn't hard at all so I hope this gives you confidence to take on other projects. If you can, try posting pics in this thread: boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
Holy shit man. I’ve seen 20+ gaming table builds. Probably 100+ tutorials of variating subjects, this has to be by far the most detailed, easy to follow, and best laid out one to date. Thank you for all your work and I can’t wait to tackle this.
Thank you so much for making this video! I'm building one this weekend with some personal modifications. You've literally made what I've wanted from a 10k-20k gaming table for a few hundred dollars! Great video, great resources, thank you again for sharing sir!
Just stumbled across this and wanted to add that for anyone who might have limited tools, you can make pretty clean cuts with a jig saw if you clamp a straight edge down and just run the jig saw along it. The same is also true, if a little more difficult, if you want to do it with a hand saw. Use a file and/or sanding block to clean the edges and you're done! This is a great build for a low cost and a little work! I wish I was your neighbor so I could help you use it!
The table is pretty awesome. My main issue is with the electrical tape. It's not a good permanent solution and really you should be using an electrical box (especially if you're doing a tutorial that other people are gonna follow). And 120v is not low voltage. Putting two ground wires under one terminal screw is fine, but suggesting to people that this circuit isn't anything to worry about is not fine. This table is going to be hooked up to a 120v 15a circuit. While under normal operation it won't be pulling anywhere near that much power, if something shorts out, it will have full access to those 15 amps. Way more than enough to start a fire or stop a heart.
Further more you should never use the stab holes in the back of outlets or switches. It was mentioned but don't do it. it is actually against code and should be mentioned in chapter 3 of the NEC. I have no idea why manufactures still put those in there products. Any time you can apply mechanical pressure to ensure a wire is secure, that method is best practice. But other than that the table is amazing.
@@Majick0003 If it is a ul listed outlet and has the stab holes you can use them, theres nothing wrong with using them as long as youre using the appropriate sized wire. Nonetheless i would still suggest putting wires under a screw it is a better practice.
I agree, technically a lot of conference room tables just have a nice power surge strip attached to them. From there it is plugged into the floor underneath. Why make actual runs when they can do it that way is my thoughts. The Powerstrip is normally UL approved. I would even go a step further and make a UPS so the game is not interrupted with a power outage. lol My other thought was get a power strip that is GFCI because there are drink holders and this means if they are drinking beer, you never know if someone will spill it.
My friend and I just finished our table and we can't thank you enough! We learned a ton about wood working from following your video. Thanks so much, I really can't say it enough. We're going to post a video soon to show you the final product!
As a gamer I’m pretty impressed. As a woodworker I’m also impressed. But as an actual electrician, some nice small trim or decorative cove or quarter round around the outside top edge would make a decent drip ledge for any spilled drinks. Perhaps most importantly if you make the first receptacle in the circuit a GFCI, it could save you a lot of future grief. Also a few more staples would be nice too :) You’ve made a really nice entertainment piece, I’m just trying to suggest a couple things to help you look after it. Really great work though and thanks for posting it.
somebody else might have said it, or you may have learned yourself, but I myself find staining much easier with a cloth. Working as a carpenter, when all the airless guns were used up, we would just take a old white undershirt, soak it, and start wiping. Works out better than a brush and won't leave streaks or anything.
kjv66 can I please see the gaming table your wife made? Did she just go off of the video or did she have blue prints? I'm just curious because I want to make a table for my husband while he's away.
Tatiana Wilbur There are links to the plans in the video description. My wife used those and she watched the video over and over again. She also had help from friends. I do have pictures or I could take some. How do you want me to send them to you?
Glad to see a simple design like this that can be made with common tools (not $2000 table saws, etc). Great work and design. Thank you for making the video and providing the links for materials and design.
Just some notes to a fellow wood worker. First off I appreciate the HELL out of seeing someone make new stuff, especially in the nerd realm. Just some things I would suggest... when sanding your project to get ready for stain, you can get rid of the bumps and texture you were talking about in your “5 things you would change” video by running it through more than just the 220 grit, maybe start with 80 and work through the grits to 220. It will give you a much smoother finish and help with some of the problems you ran into. Also instead of a poly, there are several other choices out there that gives a much harder finish that can make up for the pine being soft. At the end of the day it is just pine, but a hard lacquer or maybe even a thin epoxy coat can help a bit.i understand the point of this was to keep it on a budget, but a quart of lacquer should be comparable to a quart of poly, or at least only a few dollars more. You addressed most of the other things I would’ve changed in your follow up video and I think someone else recommended the outlets with the USB plugs. Other than that I’m so glad to see someone making something the way they want it instead of just buying another run of the mill product. Loved watching this and hopefully I’m gonna make something similar that I hope to post on TH-cam. I haven’t gotten into making videos with my woodworking yet but hope to soon! Keep making videos and improving your craft. Looking forward to seeing more. And don’t forget to countersink!!
Thanks for those tips! Do you have a link to an example of hard lacquer? I've never heard of that but I'll give it a try. Make sure to post a link here for your video build! I'd love to see it. And if you haven't already, check out the BGG forum where a lot of makes are posted: boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
As a custom cabinet maker and a nerd I wanted to say, good on you brother! Nice project. I would say NEVER push in to the back of a single gang plugin. Always roll the end and clamp it with the set screw.
ok this was just a treat to watch a friend and I are going to be making a gaming table based off your design but modifying it heavily. Examples of this is making it slightly bigger and having it where the DM/GM has a single side to themselves for the books (yes we still use books) and scraps of paper. Overall love this design and it looks VERY easy and straight forward, cant wait to build ours
@@TravelinFrench Sadly i dont because i never made it that far, since my friend that was helping wanted to make it completely different from my design I just didnt bother
I've gotten ready to start this table 3 times now. Finally got all the wood and pysched myself up to give it a go...then realized that in the instructions you talk about making your cuts, however don't list any of them. I think I can get most of it figured out due to camera angles, but will need to lay bare wood and make the measurements myself. I did a lot of looking before I found the table and instructions that would meet me at my level of "expertise" and this is great. Thank you for what you have provided here.
Did you see the instructions in the descriptions section of the video? It shows the measurements of all the pieces. Some folks have been having a difficult time downloading so just reply to this comment and I'll try and help you out.
Love the table. My suggestion to anyone doing this, you might want to use a router on the dice box cutouts to hide any over cuts on the corners. Also you can now get outlets with USB plugs built into them for extra charging convenience. But over all great build.
+MegaGamerP Yes, a plunge router would make for even cutouts so if you have one, use it! Also, outlets with USB plugs are very handy for charging phones and tablets. Someone else said you can get them for $13 from Amazon. I'm still waiting until it comes down even more and hopefully in black!
+Gaminggeek This is what I'm considering using myself, for the particular reason that I expect it to be, like you said, my gamers charging their tablets or phones that they are using for looking up rules or what have you. www.amazon.com/Enerlites-62000-4USB-I-Charger-Child-Safe-Screwless/dp/B00M11NF62/ref=sr_1_25?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1449897201&sr=1-25&keywords=wall+outlet+with+usb+ports Of course, I'm hoping price comes down some before I start building my table or I may just end up using standard outlets and swapping out when prices do come down.
Came across this little gem a couple of weeks ago. Got all the lumber and other supplies last weekend, the cupholders, etc. are in, and starting the build in a few hours. This is gonna be fun...thank you very much... ;)
Exactly what I was thinking. He could have covered those wires a bit better. Some leftover wood just to cover directly below the outlets would have made things safer as well.
Hi man! great video! As a gamer and a woodworker myself, I was feeling the urges haha Just a tip I picked up along the way and that it may help you, when staining, I never use brushes anymore. And most of the time i don't even use the pre-stainer. The problem with staining is the blotching, because some parts of the wood suck up more stain than others. To solve this, i use instead a bath sponge! Just soak the tip in the stain and go over the wood. You don't even need to follow the grain. The emptier larger wood cells will suck up more stain than the smaller ones, and as long as the sponge has stain in it, the wood itself will saturate. no need for pre-fillers or careful brushings. Plus you get to re-use the sponge and cut on waste material for a while. Hope it helps! Cheers!!
I wish I were handy enough and had the room to make this for my son and his friends. We've got a Firefly game that takes up way too much space (pun intended) to play on a regular table. I'd be happy with one that didn't even have the electrical system! Great job!
+Gaminggeek I'm surprised the people who make the huge games don't try selling the tables to play them on...lol. I'm sure they wouldn't be as well thought out as yours though.
More and more companies are making game tables. There was a recent very successful Kickstarter of one that was a pretty decent deal at $500. www.kickstarter.com/projects/1296268806/the-duchess-a-gaming-table-from-boardgametablescom/description I think you can still pre-order from them.
I'd maybe make a few changes myself, but this is an excellent video. I hope more people than I expect get inspired and actually take an hour or two to build something like this. Because my friends, there's much you can just take a little time, and build yourself, for cheaper, and better than what a store can offer you.
T-shirt rags are a must for applying finishes. Just always remember that rags soaked in finish (especially things like Danish Oil) are known to spontaneously combust. Handle appropriately and don't just toss them in the trash.
Would love to see a 2023 update version of this. Prices change over time unfortunately and coming from Australia it'll probably cost a fair bit more now.
Useful tip: if you do split wood, remove the screw and use white glue in the split to remarry the pieces. This is important because the split will increase with normal wear and tear. When the glue is dried, replace the screw carefully. Don’t restress the fault line.
I just finished building my gaming table using the information you provided. Thank you so much for this. The table turned out wonderful and only cost around 175$. This is amazing and I will be sharing this video with a lot of people.
Just bought the lumber for this project and it came out to be about $400 😬 I did spend a little extra to upgrade the rails to oak though which is crazy expensive ($60 for a 1 x 6 x 10 at Lowes) EDIT: So just lumber without oak might be doable for under $300. Not factoring in hardware and stains. Regardless of the price, I appreciate you for posting this and inspiring me to go ahead and try it.
yeah covid hit the lumber industry hard, turns out if you trap consumers at home for a few years, all of them feel the immediate need to build a deck, haha. 150 sounds more than reasonable for 2015, if only we could go back 😭
I'm building this table too. I just shopped the lumber (no electronics) and the fasteners. Price today came to $385.78+tax CAD (Canadian). The price has definitely gone up due to covid, but you won't find a pre-made table of this quality for anywhere near this price. I was shopping prebuilt solid wood tables, with no gaming functionality, and you're over a thousand easily. This is still the way to go for sure!
Another cool idea would be for under the thin supports that hold up the big cover pieces, cut a shallow dado and run a strip of LED lights under there. Would be really great for atmosphere even, like giving the dungeon master the remote to allow them to change the colour of subtle illumination over the game board.
Just saw this video a week or two ago and it really inspired me to make my own. I have no wood working experience and was surprised how easy it was to do. A couple changes I made: I extended the table from 4x4 to 4x6 for a little extra leg room, I added led lights on the inside, I found plastic "dice trays" (just storage containers) that are 2x9", and I used plywood cut into 4 pieces for the top piece to avoid warping. I got the whole table put together in about 14 hours, wiring took about 2 hours (including a trip to home depot for wire nuts), staining I haven't done yet but I think will take about 2-3 days since there are long wait times to dry. Overall I expected it to take me 3 weeks to do and I got it done in the first few days. Price: Lumber: $425 ish (used Oak for the top and Sandee plywood for cover) Hardware/Electrical: $60 Random Accessories: $75 (Led lights, cool light rails the diffuse the lights, cup holders, dice trays, and EVA foam) Additional power tools I didn't have $550 (bought a sander, nailgun, and a miter saw) So total cost for the table alone was $560, I couldve done it for around $325 if I had to, but I'd highly recommend splurging on better lumber for longevity. Could also skip the additional power tools, they helped speed up the process a lot, probably saved me 5 hours of work.
Awesome! So glad you took on this project and now you have an awesome (and large!) gaming table! Did you post pics on the BGG thread? I would love to see it.
@@gaminggeek241 I'll be adding pics in a few days when I'm done staining it!! Question, how did you attach the PVA foam to the table? Or do you leave it unattached for cleaning?
Thanks for your video. It is a big motivation for me to build my own table now. I will certainly do the one or other part differently. Unfortunately I will not end up with 150 USD, since the wood, even if I take "cheap" wood will be more expensive here. The idea to use two beams instead a big one for the foots was really great.
Pro tip 1 : buy yourself a cheap twin size foam mattress topper and cut off pieces about 1 buy 2 inches use gloves and stain and finish with the foam, It will save the need to pre-stain and leaves a smoother coat. Pro tip 2 : Blemishes around the dice holes can easily be solved with scrap wood from your build It might seem tedious but the finish in the end makes it worth the extra trouble. Pro Tip 3 : Always predrill and always prewire. If you had prewired the outlets it would have been so much simpler. Just install outlets and face plates and you're done. Also you could have done something with your table leg being two pieces. If you sandwiched a power cable in between them and put an outlet at the foot of the table you'd only need an extension cord to power up the whole table. -The last two tips can still be done with relative ease after the fact. I like what you've made, good job. Just keep in mind everything can be upgraded.
I had heard from a friend that he makes tables like this & sells em for $2,000+ each. I can't find anywhere online for people to sell em aside from Craigslist or Ebay. The latter costs money to list & with either how can I get a guarantee that someone will even buy it? Otherwise then it'll be a couple hundred dollars down the drain.
I can’t even fathom why you have 2.1k dislikes? I think you did an amazing job and your budget was very reasonable for a table this awesome. 👍👍 now enjoy your games, you’ve earned it 🤓
I will be attempting this build soon. Some things i am will be doing diffrently: 1. Woodglue everything. Except the legs. This will make the table more solid. 2. Install the outlets in proper electrical boxes that secure the romex wiring with clamps as to prevent someone from accidentaly pulling out a 110v cable out. 3. Install outlets with usb charging additions 4. Use a gfci for the first outlet in the series protecting from spills. 5. I will not be mounting a television, although it shouldn't be too hard to do in the future. But if i were to mount a tv, i would use a piece of plexiglass to protext the tv and use clear caulking around the edges to prevent spills or dust from reaching the television. I really enjoyed the video and id like to thank you for the great plans.
@@nil8392 There was one, it was a perception check which was failed. The trap has now technically activated and it is a constant flow of electricity, so it could be compared to falling on spikes or the like, while magical means are more generally a one and done sort of thing.
Putting a screen and using a taple top program is genius. My current job situation requires me to move around too much so nothing like this in my immediate future but once I save up enough I might do something like this. Would just get a nice cover for it and replace it as my dining/living room table.
This table arrived well packaged and on time. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxn94T8Mu1iMnsLCMNOI9srXSsLkI4JXKW Like another reviewer advised, I pulled everything out and made sure everything was included (everything was!). I built it alone and it took me about an hour. The color is great and for the price the lift part works well. As others have mentioned, it’s not the smoothest opening/closing, but it works. The screws do show, but I plan to order white sticker covers if that bothers us too much. Really happy with this table! UPDATE: it’s been over a year since we got this coffee table and we still love it! It gets HEAVY use as our dining table, foot rest, and school desk. Over time, the opening and closing mechanism has gotten smoother. I added a new photo with the white screw cover stickers. They blend in perfectly and make it look a little cleaner. 100% recommend!!!
a tip from someone who had an internship as a carpenter: use a sponge in a circular motion for staining and a pair of gloves. makes it easy and gets the stain in there :)
In joinery we specifically use dense mattress sponge, and then the rule is to cover ALL the item being stained - be it a cabinet carcass, front pieces of drawers, chairs, table, loose table leafs etc - before the spot one started on starts to dry (so customers will not be able to spot where the staining process began).
You inspired me to make one of these. Me and my grandpa are making one right now! We got all the wood already and some of the paint, so now we just need to build it and get the cup holders and then boom we’re done. I’m going to make a video of me building this gaming table. But anyway thank you for inspiring me to make this.
Just a couple of things I wanted to say. Don't take them too seriously. I just like gathering my thoughts as I watch videos, so each point will have a time stamp by it denoting when I thought of it during the video to help add context to my thoughts. Just to clarify, I don't intend to sound condescending or demeaning in anyway. I just want to share my experiences and ideas as well as emphasize points and whatnot. 6:31 - Consider using an impact driver when working with dimensional wood. It makes screwing long screws into soft woods very easy without needing to pre-drill holes. I also rarely have boards split on me. Very useful if you do a lot of carpentry; and judging by your pouches and tools, I'll assume that you do. Additionally, if you're using philips-head screws (I heard your bit slipping a few times), consider switching to torx or square-head. They're much easier to work with -- both now, and when they've started to rust. Applies more to outdoor projects, of course. 15:06 - Splits do happen. I find the impact pushes it in fast enough that I can avoid most splits. You just really have to watch it to keep from over-drilling and stay clear of the edges. But I'm sure you know that and I'm kind of beating a dead horse at this point, so I'll chill out on the impact vs drill thing. 17:15 - If you drill out 2 holes on opposite corners, you never have to worry about turning the jigsaw mid-cut. Not a big deal, though. "If it aint broke, dont fix it," right? 26:14 - ooo countersink. Fancy and practical. :D For those who don't know, it's a good idea to pre-drill and countersink (making the cone shape hole for the screw head to fit into) when you have to work close to the edge of a board to avoid it splitting. That close to the edge, even just a screw head can split a board. 26:50 - Awesome idea! I was wondering how you'd go about making the top easy to remove and replace. I don't think I would've thought of that if I'm honest. 29:10 - Pre-stain is always a good idea for soft woods. It adds a little more time to your project, but it well worth it. I learned that the hard way working with maple a while back. 32:21 - You might consider adding sheet of plexiglass over the bottom surface of the table to help protect the TV screen from scratches and possibly spills. 34:07 - The edges of the dice holders look like they could use some more sanding, but I'm really just being knit-picky now. Edit* I dont feel as bad for saying that now that I watched a little further and you mentioned it too, lol. Perhaps make a sort of insert that will cover up the rough edges. Kind of like the cup holders do for the round holes, but of course, without a bottom. 36:48 - Agreed. Polyurethane (or sealant of some sort) is not optional. It is a must. It will vastly improve the lifespan of the project, as well as make it look better and be easier to clean. Stopped at 42:55 because unfortunately, I ran out of time to watch the video. What I saw was great, though. It looks amazing and even though I don't intend to make one myself, it was really cool to see how it went together! Keep up the good work, and maybe post a video about that game you pre-ordered? ;D I've never heard of it, but it looks pretty fancy.
Pre-drilling holes soft or hardwood is must for longevity not just avoiding splitting, splitting only happen you prepare the material wrong or use a process that would apply irregular stress on the wood.
So I've taken on this project and my lumber total was $211 that included my lagbolts my screws and and my stain. Mine only is gonna have a 39" TV in it though so I had to modify that slightly. Between me and my mom we built it. It took a 6 hours. All that's left is standing and staining. It turned out beautiful and I thank you for the great plans and the good step-by-step guide. The only trouble I had was figuring out the framing boards that go around for the drop downIf everything else is 59" they're gonna be 57 and a 1/2 for anybody else who's having that difficulty everything else is planned out great and I highly suggest taking on this project if you think you can.
This is probably the best build I've seen so far. I'm looking forward to having the space to make my own (soon, one hopes), and you better believe I'll be using your design for a good bit of inspiration. Great work, especially with the ChromeBox upgrade you showed in the other video! I didn't even know that was a thing. ;)
Yeah, I didn't know it was a thing either until I looked into the Raspberry Pi. Someone said the Chromecast stick might work as well and it is cheaper.
Gaminggeek So now that you've had it for close to a year, what do you like best about your table? What would you change next time? Anything you would add that you hadn't thought of? Is the pine still pretty solid?
I did add caster wheels to the bottom so I could move it more easily which became necessary once I got a VR headset and needed the extra space. Other than that, I would not make any changes. The pine has held up well, although there are some dings in it which I expected. Wouldn't change anything else--has been awesome with D&D and other board games.
Just built mine this week. Came out just under 200. I had like 20ft of the wire laying around from a previous project, but even if I had to buy new - it would have only raised the cost by about $30. Sure beats those $3k-6k tables I constantly see ads for online
I'd buy drop in trays for the rectangular cut outs, solves the unevenness and spillage issues. Probably wanna buy the trays before you cut the holes though!
A nice upgrade would be those outlets that also have USB chargers on them. All it would take is rewiring the outlet, so it would be a pretty easy upgrade.
i'd get a chromecast for the monitor so that you don't have to have the laptop actually wired up to it can just wirelessly send the images to be displayed
PRO TIPS on finishing wood furniture: On any table build, do not use soft wood. in particular, white pine or popular. They both stain terribly. As a gamer who has made a career of staining and refinishing wood, any claim that foam will somehow keep you from having to condition the wood before staining is entirely false. Wood conditioner is used for staining soft wood as it does not stain evenly. If you don't use it, you will not get an even furniture grade color. Instead it will come out looking like a DIY project. Also, be very careful when sanding as it has the potential of binding up the grain, and affecting your stain, especially with hardwoods. I highly recommend using Tac cloth between steps to avoid this issue. When applying poly, use a matte or stain finish on the first coat, with a light sand in between coats. For a piece of furniture you will need at least 3 coats. Always Tac cloth the poly after sanding. Your Finish coat should be a gloss coat for added protection. I highly recommend a marine grade poly as it gives a gorgeous look, is more durable, and easier to clean. when applying poly do not over brush. You will make air bubbles and it will end up feeling very rough to the touch. Brush into your wet edge in one direction. Poly takes a lot of time and patience. If you miss a a spot, or have an imperfection, leave it alone. Let it dry and fix it on the next coat. DO NOT TOUCH OR BRUSH WET POLY ONCE IT IS APPLIED. Let it dry, and fix it on the next coat. Patience is key with furniture grade finish.
VERY NICE! Very well though out and executed plan (raising the TV frame to match the table top mat, the power installation, the bottom shelf, and the over-the-top item - the bottle opener!).
QualeQualeson my group is entirely tradesmen, oddly none of us met through work, just met through friends. I'm a Sheet Metal Worker and we have a Carpenter, Sprinkler Fitter and two Plumbers
Like most typical gamer become handyman, some corner cutting really stands out in this build. The tools made me think he was a serious handyman, then his style said otherwise.
I liked the video 👍 Just a thought though: You could recess the TV a bit more add a lip to the wood frame and inset a plexiglass cover with some weather stripping for scratch and spill-proofing the TV.
150 bucks in materials, years of experience in working with wood and a couple thousand dollrs worth of tools and machines awesome video, really loved it
Beautiful table, given me plenty of ideas for a gaming table. Now for totally late to the party ideas: Yata yata electrical is dangerous, obviously change that. Those personal cubby holes, genius, how tf did you not sand those out to perfection; you're crazy! Silicone the whole thing and hit the corners of the table with some padding. Lastly, I get that the tv was kinda sold into this lifestyle and may be too far gone for this suggestion but the entire time I thought you were gonna put a sheet of Plexiglas over the tv hole. It would save any tv from the hardest dice roll and you could go as far as to use dry erase markers to have the ultimate customizable game board.
Love it. I'm going to make one when I finally get my house. Though only changes i would make is plexi for the TV then I can just use the whole board as a normal table, save putting the cover over also I would put USB sockets next to all the trays so people can plug in. I love that it isn't perfect which is what I expect from a DIY I'm pretty damn certain mine won't.
I love to project but you really should have used proper device boxes for your outlets. There is an electrical code book for a reason. Also you are not supposed to put stranded wire under terminal screws. you could have use crimp-on screw connectors or had a solid copper tail. I still love the project but as an electrician I had to criticize.
Finished my table. Thanks so much! Cost more then 150 tho. Also to anyone doing this, a miter saw is needed for corners. Table saw doesn't allow precision. So my corners are slightly off.
To avoid the dangers of attempting to wire yourself, an easier option would be to just use surge protectors or extension cables under the table. Amateur wiring is a large contributor to house fires, as well as electrical deaths.
Nice work, but bro....You've got to get that electrical safely into insulated boxes. No reason not to, especially with that much work. Don't want a kid getting zapped or friends getting hurt grabbing underneath. Looks great.
Paleoint I was thinking the same thing. I didn't see any reason not to drill transfer holes for the wire to travel through either. Keep it all high and even cover the outlet access. Seeing the exposed wires is just asking for trouble.
I'd like to thank you for the inspiration, as I've just made a gaming table of my own. I gathered ideas from a few different sources and from you I got the idea to run electricity to the table. I chose, however, to make one of the legs hollow, ran a cable through that and put a C14-socket at the bottom for easy connecting as needed.
Great job and excellent planning! Quick question... How will you ensure the protection of the TV from more than just scratches? If a drink spills on the table (hey, accidents happen) it doesn't appear there is anything to stop it from getting "water damage". I'm assuming the plexiglass is the size of the TV screen (hard to see). If something spills onto it the beverage will follow the underside of the plexiglass and onto the TV surface. Perhaps a better idea would have been to inset the sheet of plexiglass to the table, flush with the playing surface, and make it the size of the framing around the TV. You could have then used caulking or some other type of sealant to secure the plexiglass to the wood frame. That would make the TV enclosure water-tight. Also, I think a more appropriate title would be "$150 DIY Gaming Table Upgrade" since anyone who wants to follow your example would probably have to buy the TV which would probably double (or more) the cost of this project.
Yeah, if someone spills a drink directly onto the TV, they are paying for a new TV. But we haven't gotten close to that happening because the cup holders are really good and we keep snacks out of the gaming well. The reason why I didn't want to lay a piece of plexi/glass on the bevel of the TV is because the miniatures "float" over the map and make it difficult to know which square they are in at certain angles. But that is a good solution if you are worried about spilled drinks. Yes, about the TV cost but most people who have followed the plan don't include the TV since they don't use it for D&D.
Gaminggeek ... Good information, and yea I never thought about the difficulty of the plexiglass floating above the TV and not being able to properly see where pieces are. Personally I would think the TV would be an integral part of this build, regardless of D&D or not. There are so many game boards you could host on a TV screen that it makes it a highly functional piece for everything from complex pen&paper adventure maps right down to displaying a Tic-Tac-Toe board.
Shouldn't be too hard. A lot are already online, just do a quick Google image search. for "Shadows of Brimstone tiles" or type in the name of the specific tile(s) you're looking for.
or you could have a rear projection screen plexiglass with a projector at the bottom shelf pointing at it, so the pieces don't go directly on a scratchable surface, don't know about the visibility with the lights on though, that might be a problem
Thank you for the video, it was a lot of help. I just used your plans and video to help create my first gaming table. It was an awesome experience and I'm already thinking about how I could make another one. Thank you again, I wouldn't have done it without you sharing with the world.
In one of the annotations he's added after uploading the video he said he'd retrofitted electrical boxes after finishing the build - and recommended that anyone building this got it right the first time and just installed the boxes straight away.
For anyone watching this in 2018. HEY! Also, I have a tip for you. Use Clamps! clamps when cutting, clamps when gluing/nailing/screwing. Just use clamps. They are inexpensive and will help keep cuts clean. I would also recommend not stacking and cutting 2 boards at once. Just my opinion. Great table design.
+Gerff We still play on the kitchen table, but if someone wants something like this, why not? Keeps you from spilling on your pieces and books, convenient place to pop the top off your root beer, hold your dice and pencils in place and not drop them in the floor, I'd be up for it! Also, I suspect that he enjoys working with his hands. Bring two of your passions together and double the fun!
I realize that this is an almost 7 yr old video... I think you did a fantastic job. Just in case Gaming Table v.3.0 is in the works though, be careful with the air nailer. The nails sometimes curve when they go in and can come out the side of a board. At the 12:00 to 13:00 minute mark you put your off hand in a couple of scary spots. Be safe and and happy gaming!! :)
A couple weeks ago, I put caster wheels on the bottom so I could easily move the table around. It put 3" in height to the table though so my chairs are a little short. Other than adding the electrical boxes and the wheels, I haven't done anything else to the table so I wouldn't make any changes.
Probably a good idea. Do all the players have ample space to write? I like your table a lot but I would want to add either drawers, a fold down part for the players, or both.
Yeah, most of the players have enough space to write, although one of them uses a clipboard. Another has an electronic character sheet on their ipad. There is someone who made a version with fold-down edges that looked cool.
at the end of the video and in a couple of other ones you have I noticed that the dm has extra space. Was that achieved by just rotating one of the covering planks? If not please tell.
I also feel as though using a uniform wood could make this that much better aesthetically and would not increase cost all that much and as for myself I would have loved to do a nice dark inlay for trim on the outer edge and probably a burned in design on the boards for his top. However that is just me because I play around with carpentry constantly.
Nicely done!!! Just wish TH-cam didn't wait 5 years to recommend this.
Same dude
Ya, it's mad
Lol same
Yup!
Same
For anyone attempting to do their own wiring:
Use an outlet box for each receptacle. Here he just screwed them to the wood table and taped over it. If one of those wires gets tugged it can spark and catch the table on fire, there is a much higher chance of a person getting shocked, and the boxes cost ~$1 a piece. For a table like this I would recommend using full size boxes because the entirety of the box can fit nicely inside the rim of the table. You should also have the romex fit into the box, then cut the outer sheathing, and then strip the 3 wires. Any time a wire is less protected it should be in a box. One step further is if you want to wire any lights or speakers that wouldn’t be any more difficult to add from an electrical standpoint. Obviously it will cost more, and adding them would need to be considered when designing the table.
Yeah, imagine four people at the tables for hours. One of them starts fidgeting with the bottom and underneath of the table and starts touching life wires screwed right into an outlet.
The amount of dad energy this video exudes is dangerous and wonderful.
Yeah...I would not be comfortable pointing a nail gun toward my junk...regardless of how much wood is in the way.
@@aguywhocodesonce your married and done having kids, you no longer need your junk😂
This is like one of those situations where a neighbor is outside doing some work and all the guys come out to spectate, but on the internet.
(Checks beer in hand) Yea, that checks out
Hahaha excelant!
I saw this table online and I thought, " WOW thats really nice!" A small group of friends and I recently started a D&D campaign and we also play board games on a regular basis. I had basically zero experience with wood working nor any experience with electrical wiring. Thanks to Gaminggeek and his video above, I was able to follow each step carefully, rewatching the video countless times to make sure I'm doing exactly as he did and i was able to duplicate his table! I learned so much in my time creating this gaming table and I honestly couldnt be happier with how it came out! Thanks again Gaminggeek for the time you took to record and upload your tutorial to youtube so others can learn and recreate the amazing table you've made! I'd post some pictures if i could of my table in your honor! Credit goes to you! Thanks again!
So glad that my tutorial helped you! And like you said, DIY with wood isn't hard at all so I hope this gives you confidence to take on other projects. If you can, try posting pics in this thread:
boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
Do you have a video on displaying maps on the screen and how you do it?
Holy shit man. I’ve seen 20+ gaming table builds. Probably 100+ tutorials of variating subjects, this has to be by far the most detailed, easy to follow, and best laid out one to date. Thank you for all your work and I can’t wait to tackle this.
Glad it helps! Make sure to check out the followup videos and the post on Boardgamegeek linked in the descriptions.
6:03 that drill just played some jazz with the wood
Excellent
He needs a impact drill, his is junk
My neighbor's dog started howling from the sound, and I was playing this on my phone. 🤣
semper fi brother
Sounds more like Squidward's clarinet
Thank you so much for making this video! I'm building one this weekend with some personal modifications. You've literally made what I've wanted from a 10k-20k gaming table for a few hundred dollars! Great video, great resources, thank you again for sharing sir!
Just stumbled across this and wanted to add that for anyone who might have limited tools, you can make pretty clean cuts with a jig saw if you clamp a straight edge down and just run the jig saw along it. The same is also true, if a little more difficult, if you want to do it with a hand saw. Use a file and/or sanding block to clean the edges and you're done! This is a great build for a low cost and a little work! I wish I was your neighbor so I could help you use it!
The table is pretty awesome. My main issue is with the electrical tape. It's not a good permanent solution and really you should be using an electrical box (especially if you're doing a tutorial that other people are gonna follow). And 120v is not low voltage. Putting two ground wires under one terminal screw is fine, but suggesting to people that this circuit isn't anything to worry about is not fine. This table is going to be hooked up to a 120v 15a circuit. While under normal operation it won't be pulling anywhere near that much power, if something shorts out, it will have full access to those 15 amps. Way more than enough to start a fire or stop a heart.
Further more you should never use the stab holes in the back of outlets or switches. It was mentioned but don't do it. it is actually against code and should be mentioned in chapter 3 of the NEC. I have no idea why manufactures still put those in there products. Any time you can apply mechanical pressure to ensure a wire is secure, that method is best practice. But other than that the table is amazing.
@@Majick0003 If it is a ul listed outlet and has the stab holes you can use them, theres nothing wrong with using them as long as youre using the appropriate sized wire. Nonetheless i would still suggest putting wires under a screw it is a better practice.
I agree, technically a lot of conference room tables just have a nice power surge strip attached to them. From there it is plugged into the floor underneath. Why make actual runs when they can do it that way is my thoughts. The Powerstrip is normally UL approved. I would even go a step further and make a UPS so the game is not interrupted with a power outage. lol My other thought was get a power strip that is GFCI because there are drink holders and this means if they are drinking beer, you never know if someone will spill it.
120v AC is low voltage in fact below 600v AC is considered low voltage, but your message is not wrong.
coolhacker011 and because even sober people spill on alcoholic beverages...
I love it, Gonna make one for my father and his friends who have been playing D&D since the mid 70's
My friend and I just finished our table and we can't thank you enough! We learned a ton about wood working from following your video. Thanks so much, I really can't say it enough. We're going to post a video soon to show you the final product!
Awesome! Send me the link so I can watch it when you are done!
As a gamer I’m pretty impressed. As a woodworker I’m also impressed. But as an actual electrician, some nice small trim or decorative cove or quarter round around the outside top edge would make a decent drip ledge for any spilled drinks. Perhaps most importantly if you make the first receptacle in the circuit a GFCI, it could save you a lot of future grief. Also a few more staples would be nice too :) You’ve made a really nice entertainment piece, I’m just trying to suggest a couple things to help you look after it. Really great work though and thanks for posting it.
somebody else might have said it, or you may have learned yourself, but I myself find staining much easier with a cloth. Working as a carpenter, when all the airless guns were used up, we would just take a old white undershirt, soak it, and start wiping. Works out better than a brush and won't leave streaks or anything.
My wife used this video to build me a gaming table for my birthday. It's the best birthday present I've ever received! Thanks for posting this video!
kjv66 can I please see the gaming table your wife made? Did she just go off of the video or did she have blue prints? I'm just curious because I want to make a table for my husband while he's away.
Tatiana Wilbur There are links to the plans in the video description. My wife used those and she watched the video over and over again. She also had help from friends. I do have pictures or I could take some. How do you want me to send them to you?
Glad to see a simple design like this that can be made with common tools (not $2000 table saws, etc). Great work and design. Thank you for making the video and providing the links for materials and design.
Just some notes to a fellow wood worker. First off I appreciate the HELL out of seeing someone make new stuff, especially in the nerd realm. Just some things I would suggest... when sanding your project to get ready for stain, you can get rid of the bumps and texture you were talking about in your “5 things you would change” video by running it through more than just the 220 grit, maybe start with 80 and work through the grits to 220. It will give you a much smoother finish and help with some of the problems you ran into. Also instead of a poly, there are several other choices out there that gives a much harder finish that can make up for the pine being soft. At the end of the day it is just pine, but a hard lacquer or maybe even a thin epoxy coat can help a bit.i understand the point of this was to keep it on a budget, but a quart of lacquer should be comparable to a quart of poly, or at least only a few dollars more. You addressed most of the other things I would’ve changed in your follow up video and I think someone else recommended the outlets with the USB plugs. Other than that I’m so glad to see someone making something the way they want it instead of just buying another run of the mill product. Loved watching this and hopefully I’m gonna make something similar that I hope to post on TH-cam. I haven’t gotten into making videos with my woodworking yet but hope to soon! Keep making videos and improving your craft. Looking forward to seeing more. And don’t forget to countersink!!
Thanks for those tips! Do you have a link to an example of hard lacquer? I've never heard of that but I'll give it a try. Make sure to post a link here for your video build! I'd love to see it. And if you haven't already, check out the BGG forum where a lot of makes are posted: boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
it is 2022 and youtube finally decided to show me this piece of art. Wonderful job.
As a custom cabinet maker and a nerd I wanted to say, good on you brother! Nice project. I would say NEVER push in to the back of a single gang plugin. Always roll the end and clamp it with the set screw.
ok this was just a treat to watch
a friend and I are going to be making a gaming table based off your design but modifying it heavily.
Examples of this is making it slightly bigger and having it where the DM/GM has a single side to themselves for the books (yes we still use books) and scraps of paper.
Overall love this design and it looks VERY easy and straight forward, cant wait to build ours
do u have the plans for that??? I was thinking of just the same tweaks and it would be dope if u had the plans
@@TravelinFrench Sadly i dont because i never made it that far, since my friend that was helping wanted to make it completely different from my design I just didnt bother
I've gotten ready to start this table 3 times now. Finally got all the wood and pysched myself up to give it a go...then realized that in the instructions you talk about making your cuts, however don't list any of them. I think I can get most of it figured out due to camera angles, but will need to lay bare wood and make the measurements myself. I did a lot of looking before I found the table and instructions that would meet me at my level of "expertise" and this is great. Thank you for what you have provided here.
Did you see the instructions in the descriptions section of the video? It shows the measurements of all the pieces. Some folks have been having a difficult time downloading so just reply to this comment and I'll try and help you out.
I am not in a position where I can make, afford, or have space for something like this, but your table makes me drool.
Love the table. My suggestion to anyone doing this, you might want to use a router on the dice box cutouts to hide any over cuts on the corners. Also you can now get outlets with USB plugs built into them for extra charging convenience. But over all great build.
+MegaGamerP Yes, a plunge router would make for even cutouts so if you have one, use it! Also, outlets with USB plugs are very handy for charging phones and tablets. Someone else said you can get them for $13 from Amazon. I'm still waiting until it comes down even more and hopefully in black!
+Gaminggeek This is what I'm considering using myself, for the particular reason that I expect it to be, like you said, my gamers charging their tablets or phones that they are using for looking up rules or what have you. www.amazon.com/Enerlites-62000-4USB-I-Charger-Child-Safe-Screwless/dp/B00M11NF62/ref=sr_1_25?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1449897201&sr=1-25&keywords=wall+outlet+with+usb+ports Of course, I'm hoping price comes down some before I start building my table or I may just end up using standard outlets and swapping out when prices do come down.
+Gaminggeek www.amazon.com/GREENCYCLE-Electric-Charger-Outlet-Station/dp/B013QP0OWY
About $12.50 each (prime) and in black
Came across this little gem a couple of weeks ago. Got all the lumber and other supplies last weekend, the cupholders, etc. are in, and starting the build in a few hours. This is gonna be fun...thank you very much... ;)
Glad to be of help! Make sure to post pics of your build to the BGG forum: boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
Very nice build. One thing I would suggest … for the receptacles, I would use the ones that have 2 usb plugs added. very useful for the electronics!
And pvc conduit so no one gets shocked over time. Especially on those unsheathed wires
Exactly what I was thinking. He could have covered those wires a bit better. Some leftover wood just to cover directly below the outlets would have made things safer as well.
As someone who's actually went to school for commercial and residential wiring the receptacles on the side scare the shit out of me.
Hi man! great video!
As a gamer and a woodworker myself, I was feeling the urges haha
Just a tip I picked up along the way and that it may help you, when staining, I never use brushes anymore. And most of the time i don't even use the pre-stainer. The problem with staining is the blotching, because some parts of the wood suck up more stain than others. To solve this, i use instead a bath sponge! Just soak the tip in the stain and go over the wood. You don't even need to follow the grain. The emptier larger wood cells will suck up more stain than the smaller ones, and as long as the sponge has stain in it, the wood itself will saturate. no need for pre-fillers or careful brushings. Plus you get to re-use the sponge and cut on waste material for a while.
Hope it helps!
Cheers!!
Hey, that's a great idea! I'll try it for my next project.
glad to share! ;)
BoyWithKnife i
Wouldn't foam brushes get the same effect?
Dude - thanks. I just finished mine. I never would have had the courage to try something like this had you not walked through it so carefully.
That drill adaptor is one hell of a time saver.
I just have 2 drills. Impact for the screws, driver for the drilling...
I wish I were handy enough and had the room to make this for my son and his friends. We've got a Firefly game that takes up way too much space (pun intended) to play on a regular table. I'd be happy with one that didn't even have the electrical system! Great job!
IKR! We played Firefly and it does take up serious real estate. But Shadows of Brimstone takes up even more!
+Gaminggeek I'm surprised the people who make the huge games don't try selling the tables to play them on...lol. I'm sure they wouldn't be as well thought out as yours though.
More and more companies are making game tables. There was a recent very successful Kickstarter of one that was a pretty decent deal at $500. www.kickstarter.com/projects/1296268806/the-duchess-a-gaming-table-from-boardgametablescom/description
I think you can still pre-order from them.
+Gaminggeek Hey, thanks! The tables are pretty, but I still like yours. :D.
and yet... your table that you made for only 150$ looks so much better!
I'd maybe make a few changes myself, but this is an excellent video. I hope more people than I expect get inspired and actually take an hour or two to build something like this. Because my friends, there's much you can just take a little time, and build yourself, for cheaper, and better than what a store can offer you.
If you want a good finish with staining, DON'T use a brush, use a rag instead, smoother and no brush strokes
T-shirt rags are a must for applying finishes. Just always remember that rags soaked in finish (especially things like Danish Oil) are known to spontaneously combust. Handle appropriately and don't just toss them in the trash.
When I saw you add the bottle opener. I gave you a like.
Yeah, that's the feature my friends like the most!
Your gaming buddies are so lucky,hope they appreciate the work you put into enhancing their gaming experience.
Would love to see a 2023 update version of this. Prices change over time unfortunately and coming from Australia it'll probably cost a fair bit more now.
About $400 in the US.
Useful tip: if you do split wood, remove the screw and use white glue in the split to remarry the pieces. This is important because the split will increase with normal wear and tear. When the glue is dried, replace the screw carefully. Don’t restress the fault line.
I just finished building my gaming table using the information you provided. Thank you so much for this. The table turned out wonderful and only cost around 175$. This is amazing and I will be sharing this video with a lot of people.
Glad it helped! Make sure to post pics on boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
Just bought the lumber for this project and it came out to be about $400 😬 I did spend a little extra to upgrade the rails to oak though which is crazy expensive ($60 for a 1 x 6 x 10 at Lowes)
EDIT: So just lumber without oak might be doable for under $300. Not factoring in hardware and stains.
Regardless of the price, I appreciate you for posting this and inspiring me to go ahead and try it.
yeah covid hit the lumber industry hard, turns out if you trap consumers at home for a few years, all of them feel the immediate need to build a deck, haha. 150 sounds more than reasonable for 2015, if only we could go back 😭
7 years ago lumber wasn't so expensive. Covid just made that worse sadly.
I'm building this table too. I just shopped the lumber (no electronics) and the fasteners. Price today came to $385.78+tax CAD (Canadian). The price has definitely gone up due to covid, but you won't find a pre-made table of this quality for anywhere near this price. I was shopping prebuilt solid wood tables, with no gaming functionality, and you're over a thousand easily. This is still the way to go for sure!
If you can get the oak from a local lumber yard or hardwood dealer, you can usually get it for WAY cheaper than at the big box stores.
Another cool idea would be for under the thin supports that hold up the big cover pieces, cut a shallow dado and run a strip of LED lights under there. Would be really great for atmosphere even, like giving the dungeon master the remote to allow them to change the colour of subtle illumination over the game board.
Just saw this video a week or two ago and it really inspired me to make my own. I have no wood working experience and was surprised how easy it was to do. A couple changes I made: I extended the table from 4x4 to 4x6 for a little extra leg room, I added led lights on the inside, I found plastic "dice trays" (just storage containers) that are 2x9", and I used plywood cut into 4 pieces for the top piece to avoid warping.
I got the whole table put together in about 14 hours, wiring took about 2 hours (including a trip to home depot for wire nuts), staining I haven't done yet but I think will take about 2-3 days since there are long wait times to dry. Overall I expected it to take me 3 weeks to do and I got it done in the first few days.
Price: Lumber: $425 ish (used Oak for the top and Sandee plywood for cover)
Hardware/Electrical: $60
Random Accessories: $75 (Led lights, cool light rails the diffuse the lights, cup holders, dice trays, and EVA foam)
Additional power tools I didn't have $550 (bought a sander, nailgun, and a miter saw)
So total cost for the table alone was $560, I couldve done it for around $325 if I had to, but I'd highly recommend splurging on better lumber for longevity.
Could also skip the additional power tools, they helped speed up the process a lot, probably saved me 5 hours of work.
Awesome! So glad you took on this project and now you have an awesome (and large!) gaming table! Did you post pics on the BGG thread? I would love to see it.
@@gaminggeek241 I'll be adding pics in a few days when I'm done staining it!!
Question, how did you attach the PVA foam to the table? Or do you leave it unattached for cleaning?
@@patfee5766 I left them unattached as they stayed down without any glue.
Thanks for your video. It is a big motivation for me to build my own table now. I will certainly do the one or other part differently. Unfortunately I will not end up with 150 USD, since the wood, even if I take "cheap" wood will be more expensive here. The idea to use two beams instead a big one for the foots was really great.
Pro tip 1 : buy yourself a cheap twin size foam mattress topper and cut off pieces about 1 buy 2 inches use gloves and stain and finish with the foam, It will save the need to pre-stain and leaves a smoother coat.
Pro tip 2 : Blemishes around the dice holes can easily be solved with scrap wood from your build It might seem tedious but the finish in the end makes it worth the extra trouble.
Pro Tip 3 : Always predrill and always prewire. If you had prewired the outlets it would have been so much simpler. Just install outlets and face plates and you're done. Also you could have done something with your table leg being two pieces. If you sandwiched a power cable in between them and put an outlet at the foot of the table you'd only need an extension cord to power up the whole table.
-The last two tips can still be done with relative ease after the fact.
I like what you've made, good job. Just keep in mind everything can be upgraded.
...and if you use some of the rest Foam you also get rid of the incredible loud clicker of dices hitting the sides.
Optional. If you dislike it.
You could also sand it to smooth it out, would it be fun, no, wood it look nice, yeah
Thank you for the idea about running power through the table leg, i built this table and incorporated your idea, worked really well
@@marlinbundo2409 would you have a picture to get a clear idea of that?
Running the power cord through the table is very clever... didn't even think of that
My buddy and I made a slightly larger one of these a couple years ago. Your video was a massive boon and help. Thanks!
Post pics on the BGG thread (linked above)! I would love to see it! Glad this helped.
overall for not being an expert woodworker, I think it turned out pretty cool and rather functional
For someone with that much subscribers, Your grammar could be better. I'm sorry I'm a grammar officer. Good day :3
*many subscribers...
this is either decent trolling... or you're an idiot...
I had heard from a friend that he makes tables like this & sells em for $2,000+ each. I can't find anywhere online for people to sell em aside from Craigslist or Ebay. The latter costs money to list & with either how can I get a guarantee that someone will even buy it? Otherwise then it'll be a couple hundred dollars down the drain.
@@zacharychoate5428 Looks like the grammar officer just got arrested
I can’t even fathom why you have 2.1k dislikes? I think you did an amazing job and your budget was very reasonable for a table this awesome. 👍👍 now enjoy your games, you’ve earned it 🤓
I will be attempting this build soon. Some things i am will be doing diffrently:
1. Woodglue everything. Except the legs. This will make the table more solid.
2. Install the outlets in proper electrical boxes that secure the romex wiring with clamps as to prevent someone from accidentaly pulling out a 110v cable out.
3. Install outlets with usb charging additions
4. Use a gfci for the first outlet in the series protecting from spills.
5. I will not be mounting a television, although it shouldn't be too hard to do in the future. But if i were to mount a tv, i would use a piece of plexiglass to protext the tv and use clear caulking around the edges to prevent spills or dust from reaching the television.
I really enjoyed the video and id like to thank you for the great plans.
Make sure to post the results if you build it! Lots of awesome builds posted here: boardgamegeek.com/article/29290545#29290545
I really like how solidly built this is. Wonderful build and thank you so much for doing this video. Love our gaming community!
reaches under table. gets shocked, take 1d6 lighting damage
just roll a D20 for revival
Don’t you do a save first? Or is it too late?
@@nil8392 electricity is to fast for a save lol
@@nil8392 There was one, it was a perception check which was failed. The trap has now technically activated and it is a constant flow of electricity, so it could be compared to falling on spikes or the like, while magical means are more generally a one and done sort of thing.
contitution save?
Putting a screen and using a taple top program is genius. My current job situation requires me to move around too much so nothing like this in my immediate future but once I save up enough I might do something like this. Would just get a nice cover for it and replace it as my dining/living room table.
This table arrived well packaged and on time. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxn94T8Mu1iMnsLCMNOI9srXSsLkI4JXKW Like another reviewer advised, I pulled everything out and made sure everything was included (everything was!). I built it alone and it took me about an hour. The color is great and for the price the lift part works well. As others have mentioned, it’s not the smoothest opening/closing, but it works. The screws do show, but I plan to order white sticker covers if that bothers us too much. Really happy with this table! UPDATE: it’s been over a year since we got this coffee table and we still love it! It gets HEAVY use as our dining table, foot rest, and school desk. Over time, the opening and closing mechanism has gotten smoother. I added a new photo with the white screw cover stickers. They blend in perfectly and make it look a little cleaner. 100% recommend!!!
a tip from someone who had an internship as a carpenter: use a sponge in a circular motion for staining and a pair of gloves. makes it easy and gets the stain in there :)
Thanks for the tip! Will try it next time.
In joinery we specifically use dense mattress sponge, and then the rule is to cover ALL the item being stained - be it a cabinet carcass, front pieces of drawers, chairs, table, loose table leafs etc - before the spot one started on starts to dry (so customers will not be able to spot where the staining process began).
You inspired me to make one of these. Me and my grandpa are making one right now! We got all the wood already and some of the paint, so now we just need to build it and get the cup holders and then boom we’re done. I’m going to make a video of me building this gaming table. But anyway thank you for inspiring me to make this.
Didn't think I would watch the whole thing but I was so sad when it was over. Great video and awesome table!
Just a couple of things I wanted to say. Don't take them too seriously. I just like gathering my thoughts as I watch videos, so each point will have a time stamp by it denoting when I thought of it during the video to help add context to my thoughts. Just to clarify, I don't intend to sound condescending or demeaning in anyway. I just want to share my experiences and ideas as well as emphasize points and whatnot.
6:31 - Consider using an impact driver when working with dimensional wood. It makes screwing long screws into soft woods very easy without needing to pre-drill holes. I also rarely have boards split on me. Very useful if you do a lot of carpentry; and judging by your pouches and tools, I'll assume that you do. Additionally, if you're using philips-head screws (I heard your bit slipping a few times), consider switching to torx or square-head. They're much easier to work with -- both now, and when they've started to rust. Applies more to outdoor projects, of course.
15:06 - Splits do happen. I find the impact pushes it in fast enough that I can avoid most splits. You just really have to watch it to keep from over-drilling and stay clear of the edges. But I'm sure you know that and I'm kind of beating a dead horse at this point, so I'll chill out on the impact vs drill thing.
17:15 - If you drill out 2 holes on opposite corners, you never have to worry about turning the jigsaw mid-cut. Not a big deal, though. "If it aint broke, dont fix it," right?
26:14 - ooo countersink. Fancy and practical. :D For those who don't know, it's a good idea to pre-drill and countersink (making the cone shape hole for the screw head to fit into) when you have to work close to the edge of a board to avoid it splitting. That close to the edge, even just a screw head can split a board.
26:50 - Awesome idea! I was wondering how you'd go about making the top easy to remove and replace. I don't think I would've thought of that if I'm honest.
29:10 - Pre-stain is always a good idea for soft woods. It adds a little more time to your project, but it well worth it. I learned that the hard way working with maple a while back.
32:21 - You might consider adding sheet of plexiglass over the bottom surface of the table to help protect the TV screen from scratches and possibly spills.
34:07 - The edges of the dice holders look like they could use some more sanding, but I'm really just being knit-picky now. Edit* I dont feel as bad for saying that now that I watched a little further and you mentioned it too, lol. Perhaps make a sort of insert that will cover up the rough edges. Kind of like the cup holders do for the round holes, but of course, without a bottom.
36:48 - Agreed. Polyurethane (or sealant of some sort) is not optional. It is a must. It will vastly improve the lifespan of the project, as well as make it look better and be easier to clean.
Stopped at 42:55 because unfortunately, I ran out of time to watch the video. What I saw was great, though. It looks amazing and even though I don't intend to make one myself, it was really cool to see how it went together! Keep up the good work, and maybe post a video about that game you pre-ordered? ;D I've never heard of it, but it looks pretty fancy.
You ran out of time to watch the video but had time to write a dissertation on it?
Derick Ryan Good thoughts, thanks for sharing!
Pre-drilling holes soft or hardwood is must for longevity not just avoiding splitting, splitting only happen you prepare the material wrong or use a process that would apply irregular stress on the wood.
So I've taken on this project and my lumber total was $211 that included my lagbolts my screws and and my stain. Mine only is gonna have a 39" TV in it though so I had to modify that slightly. Between me and my mom we built it. It took a 6 hours. All that's left is standing and staining. It turned out beautiful and I thank you for the great plans and the good step-by-step guide. The only trouble I had was figuring out the framing boards that go around for the drop downIf everything else is 59" they're gonna be 57 and a 1/2 for anybody else who's having that difficulty everything else is planned out great and I highly suggest taking on this project if you think you can.
That's awesome, Kyle! Make sure to post pics in the BGG thread: boardgamegeek.com/thread/1471747/build-gaming-table-150
This is probably the best build I've seen so far. I'm looking forward to having the space to make my own (soon, one hopes), and you better believe I'll be using your design for a good bit of inspiration. Great work, especially with the ChromeBox upgrade you showed in the other video! I didn't even know that was a thing. ;)
Yeah, I didn't know it was a thing either until I looked into the Raspberry Pi. Someone said the Chromecast stick might work as well and it is cheaper.
Gaminggeek
So now that you've had it for close to a year, what do you like best about your table? What would you change next time? Anything you would add that you hadn't thought of? Is the pine still pretty solid?
I did add caster wheels to the bottom so I could move it more easily which became necessary once I got a VR headset and needed the extra space. Other than that, I would not make any changes. The pine has held up well, although there are some dings in it which I expected. Wouldn't change anything else--has been awesome with D&D and other board games.
Cool. The casters make sense. Thanks for the info!
This looks really nice. I like how you use the insert to give you more table space for your DM gear, and it fits perfectly without overlapping the TV.
This is incredible! Your players are fortunate to have you in their lives.
Peace.
Thanks! I hope you have a good gaming group too!
2021 prices: adjust for inflation, add pandemic, carry the 1.. comes to about $152,581.. give or take a grand depending on gas prices..
that is so true hahahaha
Haha. For me it came to $206. Not too shabby.
Feel like a daily problem as a Canadian. This table is easily 350-400$ in mats for us now.
Try a reclaimed wood place or a habitat for humanity store. Sometimes they have great options for repurposing items and it cuts the cost down
Just built mine this week. Came out just under 200. I had like 20ft of the wire laying around from a previous project, but even if I had to buy new - it would have only raised the cost by about $30.
Sure beats those $3k-6k tables I constantly see ads for online
I'd buy drop in trays for the rectangular cut outs, solves the unevenness and spillage issues. Probably wanna buy the trays before you cut the holes though!
Woah.. that countersink drill bit that swaps out for a screwdriver bit... brought a tear of joy to my eye. i need this
A nice upgrade would be those outlets that also have USB chargers on them. All it would take is rewiring the outlet, so it would be a pretty easy upgrade.
That'd be a downgrade. Traditional outlets are more versatile.
you can buy outlets that have 3-prongs and USB outlets.
www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-Radiant-White-15-Amp-Decorator-Outlet-Usb-Residential/50253183
Your video came up in my recommended section and I'm glad it did nice table.
The overall Dad energy of this video is awesome! Love the video and I plan on making a table like this.
He’s so cute. He has such dad energy.
Omg! 1:40 that is the CUTEST compressor I have ever seen in my entire life!
Hahaha right! Do you call it a nail gun or a air nailer lol?
@@badger_actual8249 I say hitachi or brad nailer.
My son's and I built this over the weekend. It came out great. Thanks for the video!
Awesome! I'm glad you were able to do this project with your son! Hope you get some good gaming in on it.
i'd get a chromecast for the monitor so that you don't have to have the laptop actually wired up to it can just wirelessly send the images to be displayed
+Adam Cole yeah One thing I was looking at was putting an HDMI wall plate to keep the cable under the table and plug in when you need it.
PRO TIPS on finishing wood furniture:
On any table build, do not use soft wood. in particular, white pine or popular. They both stain terribly.
As a gamer who has made a career of staining and refinishing wood, any claim that foam will somehow keep you from having to condition the wood before staining is entirely false. Wood conditioner is used for staining soft wood as it does not stain evenly. If you don't use it, you will not get an even furniture grade color. Instead it will come out looking like a DIY project. Also, be very careful when sanding as it has the potential of binding up the grain, and affecting your stain, especially with hardwoods.
I highly recommend using Tac cloth between steps to avoid this issue.
When applying poly, use a matte or stain finish on the first coat, with a light sand in between coats. For a piece of furniture you will need at least 3 coats. Always Tac cloth the poly after sanding. Your Finish coat should be a gloss coat for added protection. I highly recommend a marine grade poly as it gives a gorgeous look, is more durable, and easier to clean.
when applying poly do not over brush. You will make air bubbles and it will end up feeling very rough to the touch. Brush into your wet edge in one direction. Poly takes a lot of time and patience. If you miss a a spot, or have an imperfection, leave it alone. Let it dry and fix it on the next coat. DO NOT TOUCH OR BRUSH WET POLY ONCE IT IS APPLIED. Let it dry, and fix it on the next coat.
Patience is key with furniture grade finish.
I was searching for how to create a ttrpg and found this instead. I can't say I was disappointed this was an awesome build!
This is really great, the only change i would make is turn the table into an octagon or hexagon shape.
The geek is strong with this one. Well done, but next time - use boxes. Maybe make the sockets GFCI too just in case someone spills their drink.
The first outlet should be GFCI that way all outlets still have GFCI function
VERY NICE! Very well though out and executed plan (raising the TV frame to match the table top mat, the power installation, the bottom shelf, and the over-the-top item - the bottle opener!).
due to inflation, this table is now 2,000$
2024 inflation about $4,000. 😢
I was just about to ask this question...
At Lowes with the given shopping list your looking at at least $450 depending on how cheap you can find your wood and what outlets and boxes you use
@@contingencyplan-nd3pqbuilding this table right now and it’s a little over $450 for me
Vote Trump🎉
Love this! Like the others I just wish I was this handy and had time and money and space to do this kind of work!
Just want to say that's the best hand drawn exploded view (of your table) that I've ever seen!
Gaming nerd AND handyman? What sorcery is this?
We are many, but hidden indoors away from the sun.
Yep me and a couple of my buddys are carpenters and gamers
You see, we gamers have discovered the secret where if you make your own food and furniture than that saves us money for more video games.
QualeQualeson my group is entirely tradesmen, oddly none of us met through work, just met through friends. I'm a Sheet Metal Worker and we have a Carpenter, Sprinkler Fitter and two Plumbers
Like most typical gamer become handyman, some corner cutting really stands out in this build. The tools made me think he was a serious handyman, then his style said otherwise.
I liked the video 👍 Just a thought though: You could recess the TV a bit more add a lip to the wood frame and inset a plexiglass cover with some weather stripping for scratch and spill-proofing the TV.
yeah, that's a good idea, although I didn't want the plexi to be too far above the tv in order to avoid the minis from "floating" off the grid.
150 bucks in materials, years of experience in working with wood and a couple thousand dollrs worth of tools and machines
awesome video, really loved it
Beautiful table, given me plenty of ideas for a gaming table. Now for totally late to the party ideas:
Yata yata electrical is dangerous, obviously change that.
Those personal cubby holes, genius, how tf did you not sand those out to perfection; you're crazy! Silicone the whole thing and hit the corners of the table with some padding.
Lastly, I get that the tv was kinda sold into this lifestyle and may be too far gone for this suggestion but the entire time I thought you were gonna put a sheet of Plexiglas over the tv hole. It would save any tv from the hardest dice roll and you could go as far as to use dry erase markers to have the ultimate customizable game board.
I've been trying to place who your voice reminds me of and I finally got it... Mr. Rogers! And that's no disrespect, because that guy was awesome.
Mr rogers was spec ops if you didnt know!
My mistake it was the painting guy um....fuck whats his name...robert ross (had to do a google real quick)
He was a marine DI
Awesome! My husband wanted to do something similar! I really want to surprise him with a table like this.
Go for it! Make sure to check out the BGG thread linked above to get a wealth of helpful info from others who made the table.
@@gaminggeek241 Thank you!
Love it. I'm going to make one when I finally get my house. Though only changes i would make is plexi for the TV then I can just use the whole board as a normal table, save putting the cover over also I would put USB sockets next to all the trays so people can plug in. I love that it isn't perfect which is what I expect from a DIY I'm pretty damn certain mine won't.
I love to project but you really should have used proper device boxes for your outlets. There is an electrical code book for a reason. Also you are not supposed to put stranded wire under terminal screws. you could have use crimp-on screw connectors or had a solid copper tail.
I still love the project but as an electrician I had to criticize.
Just started to build a game table by using a bunch of the ideas you have here. Thanks for the inspiration and the how-to.
Finished my table. Thanks so much! Cost more then 150 tho. Also to anyone doing this, a miter saw is needed for corners. Table saw doesn't allow precision. So my corners are slightly off.
To avoid the dangers of attempting to wire yourself, an easier option would be to just use surge protectors or extension cables under the table. Amateur wiring is a large contributor to house fires, as well as electrical deaths.
Good build till he didn't enclose his wiring.
@@allenfogarty2384 What do you mean by 'enclose' ?
Nice work, but bro....You've got to get that electrical safely into insulated boxes. No reason not to, especially with that much work. Don't want a kid getting zapped or friends getting hurt grabbing underneath. Looks great.
he did he retro fitted it with saftey boxes for the outlets and made safety measures for the wiring
Paleoint I was thinking the same thing. I didn't see any reason not to drill transfer holes for the wire to travel through either. Keep it all high and even cover the outlet access. Seeing the exposed wires is just asking for trouble.
I'd like to thank you for the inspiration, as I've just made a gaming table of my own. I gathered ideas from a few different sources and from you I got the idea to run electricity to the table. I chose, however, to make one of the legs hollow, ran a cable through that and put a C14-socket at the bottom for easy connecting as needed.
That's a great idea! Glad my plans were helpful. If you have posted any photos, I'd love to see them.
I didn't see a comment about it, but if you want a good alternative to wood putty you can mix saw dust and wood glue. It sands nice and stains nice.
+Non Stop Table Top Doesn't the glue prevent the stain from adhering?
+Gaminggeek since the mixture should be a paste it's mostly sawdust. I have never encountered a problem.
+Non Stop Table Top Okay, I'll have to try it next time. Thanks for the tip!
Great job and excellent planning!
Quick question... How will you ensure the protection of the TV from more than just scratches? If a drink spills on the table (hey, accidents happen) it doesn't appear there is anything to stop it from getting "water damage". I'm assuming the plexiglass is the size of the TV screen (hard to see). If something spills onto it the beverage will follow the underside of the plexiglass and onto the TV surface.
Perhaps a better idea would have been to inset the sheet of plexiglass to the table, flush with the playing surface, and make it the size of the framing around the TV. You could have then used caulking or some other type of sealant to secure the plexiglass to the wood frame. That would make the TV enclosure water-tight.
Also, I think a more appropriate title would be "$150 DIY Gaming Table Upgrade" since anyone who wants to follow your example would probably have to buy the TV which would probably double (or more) the cost of this project.
Yeah, if someone spills a drink directly onto the TV, they are paying for a new TV. But we haven't gotten close to that happening because the cup holders are really good and we keep snacks out of the gaming well.
The reason why I didn't want to lay a piece of plexi/glass on the bevel of the TV is because the miniatures "float" over the map and make it difficult to know which square they are in at certain angles. But that is a good solution if you are worried about spilled drinks.
Yes, about the TV cost but most people who have followed the plan don't include the TV since they don't use it for D&D.
Gaminggeek ... Good information, and yea I never thought about the difficulty of the plexiglass floating above the TV and not being able to properly see where pieces are.
Personally I would think the TV would be an integral part of this build, regardless of D&D or not. There are so many game boards you could host on a TV screen that it makes it a highly functional piece for everything from complex pen&paper adventure maps right down to displaying a Tic-Tac-Toe board.
Yes, at some point, I am going to figure out how to digitize all of the Shadows of Brimstone tiles.
Shouldn't be too hard. A lot are already online, just do a quick Google image search. for "Shadows of Brimstone tiles" or type in the name of the specific tile(s) you're looking for.
or you could have a rear projection screen plexiglass with a projector at the bottom shelf pointing at it, so the pieces don't go directly on a scratchable surface, don't know about the visibility with the lights on though, that might be a problem
Thank you for the video, it was a lot of help. I just used your plans and video to help create my first gaming table. It was an awesome experience and I'm already thinking about how I could make another one. Thank you again, I wouldn't have done it without you sharing with the world.
Awesome! Make sure to post pics over at BGG (see link in description).
Dear god man, put those outlets in boxes...
Yeah. I can only imagine someone fidgeting with their hands under the table and getting a good ol' jump start to their heart.
+Jazz Greiner yeah tell that to the Fire Marshall when your insurance company tells you to take a hike after your house fire! Lol
In one of the annotations he's added after uploading the video he said he'd retrofitted electrical boxes after finishing the build - and recommended that anyone building this got it right the first time and just installed the boxes straight away.
lol hilarious
+JewUnit6 what's so funny?
a drop of oil or some wax on the screws will help a lot if your drill is a bit on the weak side for that size screws
+Jesus von Nazaret That's a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
+Gaminggeek To add to that, if you're going to be doing a lot of screws, a wax ring seal for a toilet gives you a bunch of good wax at a good price.
Another great option is just to scrape a screw along a bar of soap.
or use some spit
+Gaminggeek Or you can get an impact driver as that is a power tool specifically designed for driving nails with max possible torque.
For anyone watching this in 2018. HEY! Also, I have a tip for you. Use Clamps! clamps when cutting, clamps when gluing/nailing/screwing. Just use clamps. They are inexpensive and will help keep cuts clean. I would also recommend not stacking and cutting 2 boards at once. Just my opinion. Great table design.
all we had back in the day when we played dungeons and dragons was a dining room table and an endless supply of chips and pop lol
+Jade Rogue Yeah, I find it humorous that people now think you have to have anything but dice, a notebook, and a pencil to play the game.
+Gerff We still play on the kitchen table, but if someone wants something like this, why not? Keeps you from spilling on your pieces and books, convenient place to pop the top off your root beer, hold your dice and pencils in place and not drop them in the floor, I'd be up for it!
Also, I suspect that he enjoys working with his hands. Bring two of your passions together and double the fun!
oh, i wasn't knocking it... wish we had it back in the day lol
I realize that this is an almost 7 yr old video... I think you did a fantastic job. Just in case Gaming Table v.3.0 is in the works though, be careful with the air nailer. The nails sometimes curve when they go in and can come out the side of a board. At the 12:00 to 13:00 minute mark you put your off hand in a couple of scary spots. Be safe and and happy gaming!! :)
I like that you have open wires within reach of any unexpected player.
Is there anything that you wish you have done differently or added while building the table, now that you've been using it for almost a year?
A couple weeks ago, I put caster wheels on the bottom so I could easily move the table around. It put 3" in height to the table though so my chairs are a little short. Other than adding the electrical boxes and the wheels, I haven't done anything else to the table so I wouldn't make any changes.
Probably a good idea. Do all the players have ample space to write? I like your table a lot but I would want to add either drawers, a fold down part for the players, or both.
Yeah, most of the players have enough space to write, although one of them uses a clipboard. Another has an electronic character sheet on their ipad. There is someone who made a version with fold-down edges that looked cool.
at the end of the video and in a couple of other ones you have I noticed that the dm has extra space. Was that achieved by just rotating one of the covering planks? If not please tell.
If you look closely, it is just a cover piece used to extend the space. He could even do the same on the other side as well.
The only thing I would add to this is to use a router on the edges and inside the pockets.
I like having the edges routed as well, makes corners less prone to splintering if someone's clothes were to brush on it and ruin the stain.
Yes, I kept thinking a router would take it to a the next level of quality.
I also feel as though using a uniform wood could make this that much better aesthetically and would not increase cost all that much and as for myself I would have loved to do a nice dark inlay for trim on the outer edge and probably a burned in design on the boards for his top. However that is just me because I play around with carpentry constantly.
Agree, or at least chisel out the corners in the boxes where the jigsaw clearly tore up the wood.
I have to say a huge thank you for making this tutorial! While I made some changes, I never would have built my own without it. You are awesome!
Pretty sweet! I'm thinking I'd want some glass/plexiglass to go over that TV to protect the screen though.
The problem with that is that it'll look like your miniatures are floating wich is a bit trippy and annoying
In the description he states that there is a piece of plexiglass protecting the tv.