Expanding My Table...

So, first I guess I should tell you why I'm expanding my table. When I first started to paint figures, I thought that painting 10mm figures was challenging. Well, it was... to a point. But then I started painting 15mm figures, and found that challenging too... But then I found 25mm figures, and the plastic ones... And I found them... cheap! You can get about 50 25mm figs for about $10. Check out Hobby Lobby! They are listed as 1/72 scale figures.

Anyway, my normal 4 foot by 4 foot table was not cutting it anymore. So, I decided to more than double my playing surface by changing to 6 foot by 6 foot! Woopie!

So, this will serve as a primer on how to build a gaming surface that sits on top of a smaller table...

Here's my 4 foot by 4 foot table. Notice the 25mm infantry regiments in line formation. They are basically 7 inches long when in line formation. That means you won't have room to maneuver. So, I decided to stop that...

Glue-board, or particle board, or plywood, I'm not sure what this is... comes in 4 foot by 8 foot sections. Therefore, I cut the boards down to 3 foot by 6 foot. (I guess an 8 foot by 8 foot table would be cool, however... I don't think that I could reach to the middle of the table... :)

This is how I WAS going to do it... But I decided not to do it this way. The top and bottom boards would "hang" off the side of the 4 foot by 4 foot table without any support... So I changed the design that was in my head...

Notice Micah's Elmo book in the lower left corner... Anyway... Here you can see that there will be supports in the middle and two supports on the sides which rest on the smaller table... Then, I moved it down to the basement (almost didn't make it, that 8 foot by 8 foot table simply wouldn't have fit!).

So here you can see what I've been talking about... The 2 by 2's and two of the 2 by 4's rest on the 4 foot by 4 foot table... And basically the 2 6 foot by 3 foot sections rest on them... The 2 by 4's on the sides are there for support, and to bind it all together... It all works rather well...

Now I've sanded the edges (there's nothing worse than a splinter while playing a game...) and I've gotten everything ready to paint...

Some good advice with the painting -- paint the inside first! Or else wear a shirt with green horizontal stripes. I ran out of paint, and this is only the first coat anyway... But...

As you can see, it works rather well, and there's lots of room!

4 by 4 = 16 square feet...

6 by 6 = 36 square feet... that's 20 extra square feet!

So, if anybody wants to come to Nebraska to play on my really big table, let me know...

Now it's time to mow the lawn on the hottest day of the year so far...

--- Bert.