Poker Table Plans FAQ
Want to build your own poker table? find the tips n tricks right here!
Poker table plans FAQ
IT'S UP TO YOU!!! Copy someone else's, make up your own, but MAKE THE DECISION! Easy enough...
Question: What's a good size for a pokertable?
Well, that's really two questions. I'll assume you want to build a 10 person Texas Hold'em pokertable. You know, the oval kind. Width should always be 48" or under. Why 48"? Because you might have trouble putting on or finding fabric in larger widths that will be easy to put on. Vinyl for rails especially. That is, if you want to build your own rail. We'll come back to that later.
The length should be never shorter than 7" as it may be too squished. Since wood comes in 4'x8', I'd say that's a good place to start. So a good size pokertable will be 48" x 96", or 4' x 8'.
Question: How much does it cost to build a poker table like the one above?
Look to spend around $200 for all the material. This is a pretty reasonable cost considering that these types of poker tables seel for well over $2000 in stores.Question: I want to make rails. How do I do that?
For an indepth look at how to build a poker table visit http://www.pokertabledvd.com
Question: How wide should I make the rails on my pokertable?
Most will do a 3-5" rail. Don't forget people tend to use 1" foam over
it, so it does tend to make the rail longer. If you use 2" foam (oh so
soft!), cut back on the wood 1/2 - 1".
Question: What's the best vinyl to use on my rail?
People who go to Joanns say marine or whisper vinyl stretch nicely.
Others have suggested seude or maybe some fabric, but I do not believe
anyone has tried this yet.
Question: What's the best foam to use on my rail?
1" or 2" foam thickness if you're using high density foam from Joanns.
It depends on your preference. Most will say 1". There's also blue
velvet foam carpet padding which some get from Home Depot. And of
course, there's always http://www.pokerfoam.info/ which is good for all kinds of foam.
Well, make sure you have a good amount to work with, otherwise your fingers will be dead by the time it's finished. Get someone else to help if you can. Also, have a good electric stapler in hand. Pnuematic ones won't get the staple all the way in. Use decent sized chisel tip staples. Be very generous. Place the rail over the vinyl so everything is face down. Start on the outside middle of the arc. Staple. Staple towards the end of the arc, where it meets the straight edge. Do the other 90 degree arc on the same size. Now do the other side. Staple the middle of the straight side and go towards one end. Now finish off that half-side, always going middle out. Do the opposite side now, same way. Now go about the inner rail the same. Now you have two choices. If you haven't gotten a clean wrinkle free rail, you can pull out all the staples on the outside and restaple. Once you've finished that or have skipped it, go nuts with the staples. Cut off excess vinyl. You are now done. For an indepth look at how to build a poker table visit http://www.pokertabledvd.com
Question: What's best to pad the playing surface?
See http://www.pokerfoam.info
. It had a lot of good information on the types used. People have also
used car headliner. Places to try and get the foam besides the website
mentioned above:
http://www.foambymail.com
http://www.foamorder.com
http://www.knoxfoam.com
There are a few others, if anyone knows them, PM me.
Question: What should I use to cover my pokertable?
Most popular answer: http://www.pokernstuff.com has velveteen. And they have the GOOD stuff again.
Other stuff used is poker(speed) felt, billiard felt, moleskin
(eh), velvet(eh). There's the suited cloth going around again, but at
30 bucks a yard.
Question: Should I Scotchguard my cloth/pokertable-top?
This is up to you. Be advised to TEST ON A SAMPLE PIECE FIRST!!! Please
do not complain if someone says use 3 coats, and it ruins your cloth.
Test it out, see what works. Some do, and don't use it. Some don't
care.
Question: How do I get a logo on my fabric?
Air brushing, acid dye, but it will cost you something like 50 and
up. There's also iron on paper, although the jury is still out on that
one.
Question: Where should I place cupholders?
Most people say left, right, center, no drinks at all, or sidecart. See question #1. For an indepth look at how to build a poker table visit http://www.pokertabledvd.com
Question: How long do I make the race track?
Usually the same length as your rail to give it a uniform look, but this is my personal thinking. 6" I think is the longest you should go before you cut into the playing surface.For an indepth look at how to build a poker table visit http://www.pokertabledvd.com
Question: What's best way to stain/poly the wood on a racetrack-pokertable?
This is something I am not totally proficient in wood stain/poly-ing so
I will compile this best I can. If someone puts out a better answer,
I'll post that over this one. Tung Oil seems to be good for staining
the wood. Use steel wool to sand down the wood before staining it
again. A foam brush will spread it evenly. Wait til all the stain is
down before wiping it off to get a better stain.
As for stain and poly, a minwax oil based one is what people use too.
Water based polys will dry faster and have less odor but seems to be
weaker. Use according to directions.
Question: How do I get legs on my pokertable?
for pokertable-legs you can:
1. Use folding table-legs or attach your table-top to a banquet-table
2. http://www.rockler.com
3. http://www.kitchensource.com/table-bases/
4. Male/Female pedestal
5. http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/290/N/2913/Round_Restaurant_Table_Bases.htm
6. design your own a la DeadMoneyCasino
*new* 7. http://www.ifurn.com/whitewood_T04-3758B.html PEDISTAL BASE
Question: What wood should I use? MDF or Ply?
There's a huge debate on this one. MDF is know to be seriously bad if inhaled as the sawdust is extremely fine.
Well, shouldn't you have thought about this BEFORE you built one? Never fret however, for there are many methods.
1: Leave it where it is. If you have the luxury of free space, leave it where it is. That is, unless your significant other or parental figure nags you to put it away... then you can do one of the following:
2: Prop it against the wall. With folding legs, they aren't too thick and should be fine.
3: Chain on wall method. I don't really have any other name for it, but install some hooks to your pokertable and some hooks in the wall and let it hang. Simple enough.
For an indepth look at how to build a poker table visit http://www.pokertabledvd.com