The only simple build I’ve seen that is still simple if you don’t have an entire woodshop at your disposal. I also love the idea of using floorboards, so simple, plus waterproof and durable!
Yes and they snap together … we did realize that we failed to mention that you have to rip one floor board to get the right width for the floor but because it is not showing any saw (skill saw, jigsaw, band saw, table saw will work and most lumber yards will make that one cut for you if you have none of those tools). Thanks for your comment.
I may never build a table topper out of the extruded aluminum, but this video gave me lots of ideas for things to do with T-Tracks. I have long considered building my own gaming table (I am a hobbyist woodworker) and adding T-Tracks could put making a Wyrmwood type table within easy reach as far as functionality goes, if not in finish. ... and certainly MUCH more affordable. Great ideas, guys!
I’m not sure exactly which product you are talking about but I think it is the stuff that has just one t slot that can be attach to the side of the table. As a wood worker I think that would be slick. Make most of the table out of wood and then add the t slots for flexibility with the trays and cup holders. At first I thought we would use the t slots on the top and side and inside but basically we just use the slot on the outside edge …. So if you like to work with wood, then build most of it out of wood and buy a simple single track … I might try to get a piece of that to show folks on the second table video. Good ideas!
Indeed, once you realize the existence of t-tracks, you start to see just how many impressive things you can do with them. This guy , Jisa Koubou, does an impressive amount of fairly low-cost woodworking ("would be very expensive to buy pre-made") tools-- such as a sturdy, high-accuracy panel saw -- using them. ua-cam.com/users/jisakukobo It might inspire to other things, even if you're not in woodworking. Add that to steel rods and bearing sleeves, and you can go even further.
So I have no idea how to email you guys lol but I finished my table about an hour ago! So excited! Having a group of friends over tomorrow for some tabletop gaming, so just in time. I've got some pictures that I sent to all my buddies and they're stoked to play on it. Thank you guys for the great info
Send it to officialgamegarage@gmail.com Would love to see the pics. I remember playing on the game vault for the first time and realizing I would never want to play on a regular table again. Hope you enjoy it.
I’ve been watching people build game tables from lumber, & it seems easy enough, but this is fantastic. Dead simple-more assembly than construction, really-& more utility, with the accessory rail. I feel like an idiot for selling my pool table cheap. I could have just taken off the rails & put one of these on it!
Oooooh … and that would have been a cool table … not a bad idea to look for a messed up top of a pool table for cheap CHEAP. Then just use the base for custom, gigantic games table … reaching across the table might be tough. Thanks for the comment!!
This was one of those videos where I was like: "hmm let's skip to what this brilliant invention is and then go watch something else", but then I stayed for the personality! Great job on the editing!
Depends on what kind of table you set it on. The wider the table that you set it on is the better. I have one at my house on a table that it is solid wood and near the same size as the topper and I rarely if ever have any problems with table lifting.
Your gaming table is awesome! We just posted our D&D gaming table build. Take a peek! It definitely isn't portable :P. Subscribed - interested is seeing future builds!
Ok … I found it … a work of art … We have a CNC router in our other garage and we are still figuring out how we want to use it. We use it a lot for our camp projects but we have not used it much for a table. The inset of your table is interesting and something that we fiddling around with a bit. We will see what comes out of it. Thanks for taking the time to film, capture, edit, and post … alot of work to just build it but then to share it is whole different level. Thanks
Bravo! This is hands down the most clever, most helpful and complete how-to tutorial on building your own board game table that I have ever come across. This is coming from someone who has built a couple of DIY 'tables' already - one by creating a game topper out of 1"x6"s and one by repurposing an IKEA table. Your approach is just a brilliant use of 80/20 extruded aluminum. And your exhaustive list of components and sources is extremely well done and thoughtful. One last thing: although this certainly was not your intention, your tutorial also is proving extremely helpful to me in using extruded aluminum to build a multfunction workbench table (MFT). The only real change is that one places a piece of 3/4" ply or MDF panel on top of the aluminum frame, rather than inset into the frame. For the record, commercial versions of such tables from companies like Festool and Kreg sell for upwards of $1K+. You've certainly got a new subscriber here!
Thank you very much. The MDF top for a work bench is a great idea and I have added some of the extruded aluminum to some of my work benches as well. Am working on a puzzle table right now. The t slot stuff has so many uses and possibilities. We are hoping to get a follow up video done in the next few weeks. Thanks again for your kind words.
Anyone built a warhammer table with this? I'd like a 44x60 play area. But a 66in long rebated aluminum piece is $95 bucks pre shipping. Can you attach the aluminum end to end to form a longer piece?
This question got me to contact tnutz and watch a few videos. The price of shipping goes up considerably when he package is longer than 47 inches and 94 inches. I didn’t know about the 47 inch price jump. Because of that we are working on a seeing how strong the butt joint is. If it is strong that we could build with shorter rails and put leafs in our table … interesting thought … huh? Soooo … we ordered some stuff and we will experiment and let you know.
Yes, probably the biggest weakness of the cup holders is the clumsiness of the people around them. They rarely fall off just get bumped often. Hasn’t been too much of a problem for us.
Bumped and then slid over so you don’t bump them again. I don’t know of a drink falling mess in the many hours of play … probably more close calls when we use the shelf bracket as a table for our food. Best part of the tslot is that you can move everything really easily so your cup is in the right spot.
I've been checking vids out for weeks, finally a table I can build myself. You guys should do some extra videos on morw modifications to customize these tables.
There is one video that is 3 things we upgraded on the table and the big one is legs. Check that one out and we are still collecting ideas for a third video
$400-500 gaming addiction required to make a game vault? *glances at my easily spent $600 in board games, easily over $5,000 dumped into Warhammer 40k and easily $1,000 sunk into D&D* Maybe it's about time I bought or built a gaming vault...
I did not realize how much a game vault makes everything better. I have been playing a few games in our camper/on the road/etc. and I really enjoy playing with a vault. It will make everything better.
Absolutely!! I have a spot in the garage where the table only gets set up/down once a year so now I want add legs to it. Standard height on a table is 30” so your legs would be 28.5 inches and you might have to do a little notch on the floor of the game vault so that it nestles in tight to the rails. Another guy who used to work for tnutz shared a link to a video that gives a good understanding of how the aluminum can fasten together (3 different ways). I think if you have a 1.5 x 1.5 piece that has a custom milled end then you could easily add the 4 legs and it would still be removable but just take a little bit of time. I’ll look for that link and add it to another comment. Send us pics if you do it … we would love to add it to our community page.
Great video guys! Brilliant idea on how to make a gaming table, I’ve been wanting one forever. But the wife wouldn’t let me spend almost $2,000 on a table just for gaming. I’m terrible at building things but I may convince my cousin to help me. Glad your video popped up to watch. Best homemade how to gaming table I’ve seen. Keep up the great work guys! 👍
Whooooohoooo! You are exactly who this video is for. I also have a wife that reminds me that my hobby needs to stay a hobby :). It’s a good thing we have wives like that! Good luck on your build!! Send us a picture and we will send you a sticker! And it’s free … what a deal … build a game table for $250 and get a free sticker.
When ordering the aluminum parts, how do I make sure I am getting the black coloring? That site is not very user friendly 😅 or it's user error, either way lol
When you order from tnutz the black and the silver are different pages of ordering. I just noticed that tnutz has the black inside brackets in black now which is cool. I would definately get the matching black. That is in the new products section and then there are different pages for color and ultra light, etc.
Wow, I really love this Idea!!!!! And you explained everything very thoroughly and easy to understand. Could I build one so that the inside play area of the table is 72" x 48" ? also could i use Vinyl floor planks for spill proofing etc ?
Yes! For sure! Your rails will be 2 at 75 inches and two at 51 inches. When you buy the floor laminate you will need the planks that are greater than 52 1/2 which means you will probably end up with 60 inch planks. These are a bit more expensive per sq ft but it will work great. If you are setting the vault on top of a table roughy 48x72 you may getaway with a 1/4 inch thick laminate but if you have quite a bit of overhang when set on top I would go with the 1/2 inch (12mm) thick laminate. I’ve been tempted to build one this big. Right now I’m trying to build an 8 sided 60 inches in diameter round table. We will see how it goes. I’m using a round yoga mat for the play mat. I’m hopeful!! Let us know if you build one!!
@@DeadGoldfishProd Thank you so much for responding you guys rock.....It might be a bit before I can start this project, but I will share my project with you when I do.
Genius build. I've just built one for next to nothing out of free pallet wood for my garage. (Roughly 3x3, or 1m square as I work in Roman numerals, perfect for the skirmish games we usually play) Doing it your way would deffo have saved me a hell of lot of stress and swearing lol. The laminate with the dark rails looks really sleek, awesome idea!
Ahhhh yes … the wonderful “next to nothing” usually means less than a $100 but more than 100 hours of frustration. It all depends on what you have more of … time or money … those two rarely align right 🤣🤪
Awesome video! What would you guys recommend for turning an existing dining room table into a gaming table with frequent switches between eating and playing?
I would recommend that you buy a custom mat that fits the table and then order the 1.5x3 inch rails that would hang over all edges about a 1/2 inch. Then all drink holders and roll in bracket accessories would work with it and the table would be super easy to build. Once you put the rails together it would look like you had a giant picture frame with no picture and that would be easy to put behind the couch, under the bed, or in a closet. Set up and put away would be quick.
I love it! I've had some experience with aluminum extrusions for 3D Printers and I think that's a part you missed out on. The amount of add-ons you can do with 3D Printing is limitless. I'd like to do something like this as a "booster" on top of a kitchen table for table top RPGs.
I don’t have much experience with 3D printer but I can only imagine what would be possible. Send us any pics of anything that you figure out. Would love to see it.
Just like gaming, it’s an addiction. If you do role playing games (new to the channel) 3D printing has you covered not only with accessories for the table, but pieces for your games as well.
We have done so many things with pewter that the whole explosion of 3D printing would take our Crossroads game to a whole new level. We have some ideas about a fun way to share that game and see what others come up with when they create on their own.
Question what is the part name called officially at time stamp 7.06 to 7.15, I cant find anything for t track called a roll in adapter? Loving the idea of adding t track as a modular accessory system so easy and cheap!
I made my computer gaming rig out of 8020. I love that stuff, it's durable and easy to assemble and easy to reconfigure on demand. It never occurred to me to build a gaming table with it, thanks for the idea!
Whoooohoooo! So cool!! Send us your address to our email addy and we will send you a game garage sticker … I think you are the 5th table that we know of … we just set up our community page as well … I wonder if you can post to that. Thanks for letting us know and for the kind words!!
I believe Bosch came up with the extruded aluminum concept of building these. 80/20 is something of a plagiarist. They used to include quotes on their site that they didn't give credit to the authors.
Interesting! I don’t know anything about the history or the drama associated with extruded aluminum. 80/20 does have a lot of it. Does Bosch sell it or another company??
@@DeadGoldfishProd Bosch sells it, but only through distributers. I had to do research on best providers of extruded aluminum a few years ago for work. 80/20 has great customer service, and they've cleaned up their site quite a bit in recent years.
Do you find the cup holders stick out too far from the table edge given the 2x2 used to attach 80/20's 2488 bracket to the cup holder? My table has an 1-1/2" overhang, just right to have the 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" extrusion fit flush with the edge of the table, but Tnutz now offers the extrusions in 1-1/2″ x 3/4″ (EX-1575 and EX-1575-BLACK). To have the extrusion set back that 3/4" would be nice but with a 3/4" overhang over the extrusion, would the cup holders be able to go in and out?
They do stick out and they have not been something that has bothered me but I could see how a closer holder would be better. The roll in bracket only needs to be flush with the edge and it should work fine.
Our first effort was attaching the floor boards to nuts in the bottom facing t slot. We counter sunk each bolt and the worked hard to find the nut and tighten it down. It did work. The second one I did with tape and I eventually liked the tape enough that I took the first one apart. The tape makes it so it would not be easy to take apart but it seems more sturdy with the tape that withe the 12 or so bolts that we used.
Man, I just went to order the rounded brackets from 80/20 and they want $23 shipping and I only live a couple states away. That was for 1 or 8 brackets.
Both 80.20 and Tnutz have high shipping costs. They must be paying the guy who tapes up the boxes an awful lot of money. I had to order a small quantity of something that I needed because I didn’t have enough and that caused me to now order a bunch of extra. I have actually resold/given away several to friends … Although it seems like we never have enough cup holders … :)
Any ETA on the updated video? Wasn't sure if there was something to learn from that before building one of these.. Also how does the Aluminum feel on your arms when you aren't wearing long sleeves? Is it cold, or doesn't really bother you?
Ohhh this is a hard one and maybe not what you want to hear. I am guessing we are March before any update on the table. Maybe you can twist Bodie’s arm to make the table the next video but we are ordering a couple of parts to see how they work and see how strong they are. We have a lot of tips and tricks to add. We have put most of the ideas in the comments that others have given and then there are a few ideas that just have to pass the “Yep we tried it and … ??? (Failed or succeeded) The aluminum is cooler to the touch. I have never thought of it as a distraction but we do play in the garage with our hats on and a sweatshirt and hoodie. One table we build has a 1.5 x1.5 metal outside and a 1.5x1.5 wood insert so it is half metal and half wood. I’ve tried to think about this question with an unbiased opinion … I live in the desert and I like cool things … I think the table takes on the temperature of the room and therefore I don’t notice it. We’ve played with lots of folks and it hasn’t been an issue … long answer for a simple question. Sorry! Next thing to learn is the viability of table legs out of the stuff. We will see.
@@DeadGoldfishProd long answer was perfect, thanks for all of that! I’m a Tax CPA by trade so it was either bite the bullet and do this asap or wait til after April, so think I might just wait so I don’t have to read too hard through all the comments! Thanks again guys, love the idea!
We have a 4x6 in the garage with the legs and no sagging thus far. Most of our tables sit on top of another table so that means the structure of the other table is dealing with the sag. I would install a cross beam with the 1.5x1.5 extruded piece of aluminum to deal with a sag.
It should work. The part that would not work would be the legs. I would set the vault on a table that sits underneath. I really like the options that you have on the rails on the outside. With Warhammer needing such a large space you may get away with a 1.5x1.5 rail instead of the 3x1.5. Just a thought if you are not going to lean on the table edge very much.
So I purchased my extrusions and then was looking through your instructions again. My extrusions are 63 in x 41 in for a vault surface of 60x38. I purchased the standard inside connectors that you mention but then I saw the option of getting more heavy duty connectors. For my table size would you recommend the more heavy duty connectors? (I will be putting legs on the table as well)
I personally like the heavier duty ones. For the table I built this past year we used the heavy duty ones. They add a second set screw to each leg of the 90 degree bracket so that you have 4 screws per bracket instead of 2. At the same time I have used the lighter one and they still work fine. The tape and vault floor is what really tightens it all up. End of the day it really is builders choice and I just go with the more heavy duty option but not for a reason that is functionally critical.
We use these to build machine guarding/racking etc at work. You can/could buy yellow plastic beading to slide into this groves. That will solve the snack problem! Got some engineered wooden flooring in the loft leftover from some DIY, this has given me a great idea for it, thank you!
We discovered that plastic beading a while ago and it has done wonders for the snack problem :) Thanks for the suggestion! Love to see your table when you finish it!
Whooohoooo! This is a question that I know little about and Bodie will have to answer. I can help you out on the lighting. At our camp we have all the lighting equipment and allows to control for the warmth of the light, brightness, etc. For the Game Garage we did not have very much money so our solution is basically a 4x8 frame of 1x4 with a simple shop light (4ft) going across the short side of the frame. I may need to get a pic to give you a better idea of what is going on. I think there are 6 lights up there and then a white flat sheet is loosely attached to the frame. The sheet is what diffuses the light and each light means we can turn them all on or eliminate a couple. Then for one of the side lights it is a 1x6 box that has three of those lights jammed in and then we use. The other 2 or 3 to hang and fill in. I’ll see if I can post the amazon link to the lights we are using. Maybe this will be another topic for a video in the future. It is simple and the light is wonderful to play games under.
Wow! I'm behind on this one. We use a Canon EOS R for the main angle and for the side angle we use a Canon 70D. @Sam Brock covered just about everything one the lighting front. At work I use Falcon Eyes BL-30TD II with Aputure light domes. Humorously, I think I prefer Dad's homebrew light set up. It's just so customizable. As we move forward, we are switching to a Canon EOS RP (the R is not mine) that we just bought and a GoPro Hero 10 for the side angle. As for sound we will be using a Zoom HN1.
We have not but I have a aluminum blade for my chop saw (miter saw) and that should work great. We used it for the 22.5 degree cuts for the octagon table that we have been working on. Cuts smooth and easy so a miter cut would be slick.
Probably not all that significant, but recommend a "structural screw", or even a "deck screw" over a drywall screw. They look similar, but 1 -- drywall screws can be corroded by the acids in wood, so, over time, they can go bad. 2 -- drywall screws are really really brittle, especially against sheer forces -- that is, anything perpendicular to the main axis of the screw, and that's pretty much most of the forces on it in this instance. Not saying it's a big deal, you may have never noticed any issues, but it's one of those "do it right and you'll be sure of never having issues" things. The added expense is really not that much.
@@The-Game-Garage May think they are the same, because they do look mostly the same, but they are not. Oh, another thing you can consider -- you could get 4x 3.5 ft 4x4s to make legs, then a couple 2x2s as cross-bracing for the 4x4s in an "x" format, to provide cross-bracing (you WANT the cross-bracing, as you probably know -- it will be wobbly-as-f without it, but if you add an x-brace it will be rock solid). The cost would be pretty cheap, you can get the 4x4s cut to size when bought, and use a simple hand saw to cut the 2x2s to the right size/shape. Use some 4x4 post brackets on the underside of the "table" to lock the 4x4s into place under the table. You can either screw it permanently together or rig up some bolts and use wing-nuts to make it easy to assemble. I can think of several ways to do the above which would be fairly cheap, regardless of your desire to have a fixed table or a fully disassemble-able one. Also, it would not be tough to make some padded top rails for the EAs, too, if you wanted to make it look a tiny bit dressier... they can even be removable with the right hardware.
Traffic Master Gray Oak sold at Home Depot. For the 3x3 table we used a 7mm thick board. We used Cross Sawn Oak Gray 12 mm (or 1/2 inch) thick for the 3x4 and bigger tables. The Traffic Master brand at Home Depot has a few different color options. Send us a pic if you build one!!
Dad got to this question before I could…not that it would matter if I got to it first cause I wouldn’t know the answer and would just have to ask him 😂
I love this! My biggest problem with other builds is that I don't have easy access to tools for wood cutting and I want a table that can be moved out of the way when we're not playing. Thank you so much for the links to all of the pieces; that's so much easier than trying to find everything myself! I'm definitely going to build it!
The only power tool you would need is the one to cut the floor of the game vault. Some places (where you buy the wood) will make the single cut and they all get cut to the same length. I look forward to seeing the pictures of your table.
Looks great exactly what I'm looking for I'm just confused if I make a 4x4 and the floor has to be 52 1/2 inches all four sides plywood sheets are only 48 inches by 8 foot and the longest floor laminate I see is 48 inches do you have a recommendation on what to use for the floor??? Thanks for your time
I looked up the Lowes website and it looks like the Pergo is 54 inches long. Most laminate is just 4 feet but there are some out there 4.5 feet long. Also a lumber company will sell a 5x5 foot piece of some plywood (think ping pong table). Sometimes this is special order.
The boards we used are too thick but they do make a floor board that would fit. We wanted a deeper vault and then when you just set them in it really is a lot less stiff. The tape means that both the corner brackets and the tape are giving you strength. Also the board sits directly on the table when taped on as opposed to a bit of a dip when it is suspended in the slot. I think that it is doable that way but not nearly as strong.
Any recommendations for the floor for a 4×4? I can't find anything wide enough to be able to attach to all 4 sides. Need 52.25" to get it taped on all 4 rails. All plywood I've seen only comes in 48" wide and the laminate flooring is about the same
I would go to a flooring store and see if they have anything that long. I have seen it as something you can special order. Also plywood that has a tongue and groove would work. Probably the way I would go is a special order for the stuff that they make ping pong tables out of. It is normally an MDF that is 5x5. I would also do a little search on eBay, marketplace, thrift stores etc. to see if you can find a used table cheap.
J'aime bien l'idée, montré comment faire est vraiment génial. Après j'ai pas tous compris le but est de faire une table de jeu transportable ? Quel poids à vôtre table à vu de nez 30kg. Je trouve dommage de construire sur solide pour un table qui ne portera au plus 3kg. Des pieds réglables serait un plus. Marker!
We are working on a leg possibility. It is heavier but people are leaning on it and we don’t want it to tip. I leave mine up for a month but can then put it away with a bit of effort.
did you consider sliding the boards in the interior of the extrusion they are 3-5mm so most flooring should fit and have the extrusion hold it in place also if a board breaks you can just unscrew one end and replace the damaged sections. they also have a 3way connector you can get to add aluminum legs too.
That idea was tossed around in the early part of the process. We stepped away from it because the vault was not deep enough but if we went with a 3x3 extrusion it felt to high overall. We played around with a 2x4 mock up version to get an idea of how it would feel. A couple inches doesn’t seem like a difference but the standard height of a table is so universal that changing it much would also require a chair change.
Oooooh … I would love to see the pictures when it is done. The double t slot on the side seems to have some interesting options for accessories. In my mind 4080 would be to big of a frame keeping me away from the game … just my thoughts.
I tried this once and they sent me the pieces cut at a 45 on the 1.5 side instead of the 3in side. I think I just did not communicate correctly but I basically chickened out on trying to do it again. I’ve been curious about trying this with 1.5x1.5 and doing an insert inside the metal frame. I think the 45 would look better but I haven’t done it personally but would welcome seeing someone give it a try.
@@The-Game-Garage Thanks for replying! I think that would solve the issue of leaving one end to slot accessories in. But I'm curious about how you would connect the ends. Would the same connector pieces work? I'm not really "handy" at all, but this looks like something I could do!
This is a really ingenious table. The only downside is that it seems heavy and it seems to take a lot of space. Out of curiosity, have you ever considered a foldable model?
I have the hinges and metal in the garage to make a foldable table. They have been sitting for several months but I need to get back to it. I want a table that fits in the back of my Camry.
@@The-Game-Garage I would be quite interested in seeing what you come up with. I am going to try my luck with doing one with MDF. I am hoping it will turn out good but my manual / builder skills are ... inexistent... to put it nicely 😅
Thanks so much! You are very kind … in the same league as Wiley and the ACME company is near hall of fame for gizmos and gadgets. Thanks so much … we are honored.
From the tnutz site: “Please scroll thru the pictures in the gallery for descriptions of all machining options. Miter cuts at both ends; we will always machine the extrusions like a trapezoid and not a parallelogram.” Can’t tell which one is supposed to be a rectangular cut at each end?
I don’t use miter cuts and only do 90 degree cuts because they miter it so that it looks like a box instead of a frame. I’ve heard they might do it the other way but I have not seen a picture of it that way.
@@DeadGoldfishProd will do, just saw your 1,000 sun video, congratulations on the achievement, and the stickers. I’m sure Pepsi will be calling any day now.
Man I love this! Although, sourcing here in Europe can be tricky as you'd need to be an engineer to know what parts to get. I'm thinking of building a modular 4x4 war gaming table which would be around 120cm x 120cm split into 3 pieces, two end pieces and one middle piece. This way I can store it and use the size I need. Is there or are you aware of a connection piece that holds two rails together length wise? So, for example, I got two 1 foot rails and want them to connect to have one 2 foot rail?
I do not have a solution that I have tried personally. They do have a splice that has either 2 or 4 places to bolt into and they fit in the t slot. We have been asked this question several times to we are going to order and part and see how stable it is. I know this isn’t a big help but that’s all I know.
We started off with a heavy duty card table from Costco but our other video shows how we put legs on it and that is our preferred method now. We have used all sorts of different tables but more sturdy the better. Enjoy and hope you get to it soon.
@@The-Game-Garage I see now that there was a follow up video and will watch that. Great stuff. Thanks. Btw...have you done and shows on the PNP games available? Seems handy for the ultra low budget player, or for the game that is no longer available. Also seems some companies like Button Shy use the low or no cost PnP as a hook bring new players to their games. Just a content thought. Thanks again, Jim aka Codog
I will have to keep this in mind. Its all good and fun to see people posting their how too's on making a budget gaming table but often requires more equipment than some people have (I dont have a table saw to cut my planks to size.........etc). The fact that this pretty much entirely assembled parts as found (at least as best as I can tell from my watching of the video you only used an electric drill/screwdriver for drilling into the wood for the cup holder) is what I think sets this apart as a truly accessible design making it easy. I did however have a question about the attachable accessories. I felt like in the video some of them felt a little bit on the flimsier side with the connector you used. I guess what I am getting at is, 1) in your experience how sturdy is that connection/surface (lets use the plank you used around 23:50 as the example) and 2) if you were to make a recommendation for a different connector, or something to add in addition to to reinforce it, maybe make it flex a little less when pressed by having something that rests along the bottom of the table once it is set in place to give it more contact area with the table for support (I don't know what this would be called as far as a material construction description) Also how well does that construction tape hold up to repeated picking up and moving of the table? as the only physical connection to the base it feels like it would wear out and eventually come unstuck but I guess it is a construction grade adhesive. Have you had instances in which it came apart in any of your builds or anything you would reinforce it with if someone were less believing/confident in the material? All the same if I ever get a play group of something running again I will have to consider making a setup like this.
Another thing that popped into my mind. How smooth or how sloppy do you think it would look/be if you had just a whiteboard insert to your more sturdy laminate based table. How would you go about it if this was what you were going for? and have you tried a similar construction to this but instead of having a topper you place on top of a card table but making one that is directly connected to the folding table?
Wow! You wrote a bunch … let me see if I can remember the questions/comments … First the flimsy bracket question. It is stronger than you would expect but I wouldn’t feel very comfortable with something bigger than the mouse pad (8x10). Hopefully in the next week or so we are going to experiment with 2 and 3 brackets that would allow for a full size shelf on the short end rail. When you get them you will see that I am not worried about them bending or braking but we need a bracket on both ends that it will not pivot. The construction tape is a total surprise. All I have to go on is our little bit of experience. We have been using the boards for two years. They store in a space that is not climate controlled (below freezing to 115+. ‘The two main tables that we use I probably move them around maybe once a month. I’m guessing I have moved them 20 times since the build. One fell off the Willy’s when I moved it down to camp. Several have fallen from their leaning spot. So far no failure. It really is impressive and unexpected from my end. We started with countersunk bolts into the t slot and we have moved every table over to tape. All I can say on that question is what we have experienced. If I were going to a plan B option I would probably look at an outdoor tile adhesive but so far this has held up. This table does have some trade offs but the portability and ease of construction plus being on the cheaper side without losing the cool factor of a serious game vault it has been the value choice for us. Not sure I answered all your questions. I’ll go back and look.
Ohhhh … one big one. I did use a chop saw to cut the planks down to size and used a table saw to rip one of the planks. The best part of that is none of those cuts ever show. They could be a 1/4 inch off and you will be just fine. They can be made with he cheapest skill saw or jig saw you can find/buy. So it is not completely tool less but you could also buy a piece of plywood and many hardware stores will let you pay by the cut to get it down to size. You would only need to get two cuts made by someone else at the store …. Just a thought if you have access to any tools.
Thanks again...so good... question: I'm looking to build a 4x4. But you said the flooring would be 1.5" smaller than the total width. 48" + 3" on both sides = 54" - 1.5 = 52.5". Are there flooring planks that long?! I haven't seen any. Most are 48", you mentioned some are 51"... have you done a 4x4? What would you recommend?
Most are 48” but a quick look on Lowes website showed a plank that was 60” long. www.lowes.com/pd/ProCore-Plus-8-Piece-7-in-x-59-75-in-English-Grove-Oak-Luxury-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring/1003091586. They are much more rare but they are out there. Also, Lowes and Home Depot can normally special order a piece of MDF that is 5 feet by 5 feet (same size as half of a ping pong table). I personally would still go with the planking that is interlocking. I do not know how the tape would work on MDF as we have only working with planking.
Just piggy backing off this question.. as I am also in the planing phase of my build, I was wondering why you left a ~1 1/2 inch lip from the laminate and the t track top vs making it flush with the laminate board? Did it affect anything like adding accessories to the sides, etc
At the beginning I wasn’t sure if I would use the t slot on the bottom or not. I never have used it. At the time all I needed was the tape on the flat between the t slots and I didn’t want to worry about flush or it moving just a bit on one side and overhanging the other so I just cut it short so that I didn’t have to worry about flush being perfect. I think it could go out flush as with the accessories we have added. Hope that helps.
For what it's worth, after a lot more research it looks like the biggest difference is that the link you initially sent for the 60" planks was VINYL plank flooring. But I had to search specifically LAMINATE flooring. Those were the specific wood planks. They're on order and will hopefully be thick enough. 👍 I'm excited! The aluminum looks good!
If you check out the part 2 video (Upgrading Our DIY Table) we fix the wobble 😬 In our original build we placed the game table on top of another table which was wobbly. We have since figured out a way to attach permanent legs that have solved the wobble and overall stability of the project.
Great video! I'm inspired. I need a version similar to Game Topper's Holmes table, which has interior dimensions of 72x36. What would be GREAT is if it had a center leaf extension of 24" so I could change the table to 48x36 when I'm not doing a massive game. Thoughts on both the entire dimensions and going with a removable leaf? Seems like a great video to make as well. Also (and again, a great video idea), what are your thoughts on a solution to create a top for the table when not in use as a board game table? Would be neat to see a solution where cover leafs slotted into the top of the rails around the table somehow.
We have not tried a center leaf concept on any of the tables we have built but it seems very possible. We may have to try a couple of fastening options to see if there is an easy way to do it. We have done two different efforts at a top but none of them have been great. The one we have used the most is a plexiglass version that is folded in half with a duct tape hinge. It’s kinda cool because you can see everything under the cover but it is really just a cat deterrent and does not truly give you a new top … more like a cover. We are open to ideas!
This is probably what I was searching for without even knowing!! Question though. For the bars, there's a lot of options about ( Machining for the ends ) did you go with (No Machining) ?
Correct. This was confusing at the beginning but I’ve gone with no machining and just the corner brackets to attach. One of our early attempts we did a countersink but it just added extra holes to the rails that I would rather not have.
For the Roll-in Panel Mount Bracket, how perpendicular is it? I was thinking that one could add a small add-on board, but I'm unsure if this is at a 90 degrees to the edge to create a level plane.
I’m not positive I understand the question so this may take us a couple of back and forth to figure it out. The bracket sticks out 90 degree perpendicular from the slot but the I think the question is how high does the bracket stick up? Is it flush with the top of the rail? It sits 1 and 1/16 of an inch below the height of the rail of the game table. I put a 1/2 plywood (8x10inch) bolted onto the bracket and it sits about a half inch below the table rail top. That all might be jibberish to the question that you had. Feel free to add another comment and we will try to answer.
@@DeadGoldfishProd basically it had looked like the bracket, when inserted, was tilted down, not sitting at a full 90 degree. I just wanted to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
I hope you are still around … I’m going to answer here and try to email you. After putting a square on the bracket it was leaning at a few degrees over 90. Your eyes were not playing tricks. I did a couple of things to check on why and basically it is just the slop that lets it not be exactly perpindicular. My solve was fairly easy although not very elegant. I used a 5/16 washer and set it under the far side under the bracket and then tightened it back down. It put it back in line and for now I think that will work. We figured this out on a big shelf bracket that uses 3 brackets and each needed the washer. Thanks for asking.
@@SANSd20 Hey Christopher, I answered this publicly but wanted to make sure you knew. Your eyes were right! It was a bit more that 90 degrees and sloped downward. After a few different attempts the simplest (although not elegant) fix was a 5/16 washer that acted like a shim on the far side of the bracket. We will mention this in our next video. the fix is not elegant but seems to work great and puts in back at a perfect perpindicular from the rail side. Thanks for your question and sorry it took so long to answer … long business trip :)
Hey Evan, is there any chance that 8020 would send us an example of each of the ways to fasten aluminum together. We get the most questions about how to connect the extrusions together. Hahaha … I know this is like saying, Hey, you like in CA. My grandma lives out there, do you know her? Who knows where you work in the company but maybe you are a part of product development or something. I like what you guys make, I wish I had lots of money and I would buy lots of your stuff.
@@DeadGoldfishProd I actually have worked in multiple departments at 8020, I know there are some booklets with examples, and actual sample kits on our website. I believe there are also videos on UA-cam that we’ve made on fastening options. I don’t know that we have a single kit with all of the fastening options, because we just have so many, but I know there is a way to get the sample kit, that may be a good start.
This is great thanks for the wonderful diy guide. I built one of these gametable toppers for our gaming group and we love it. Being into 3d printing as well I designed a card/bits holder as well using the aluminum rollin profiles as a guide. Next I think I'll design some custom cup holder for the bar/wine glasses we usually use.
Ohhhhh Nellie … this is one of those comments that I need to show my wife to start the 3 year campaign to justify the need of a 3D printer :). Would love to see a picture. Would love to send you a sticker that you can discreetly put on the bottom side of the table. Let us know where to send it.
You will love it. I played on a 36x48 all afternoon. The 48x48 is probably the next one I’ll add to my garage collection. The bigger one is great for the table hog games. Also make sure you send us a pic of your finished product and we will send you a Game Garage sticker to put on the bottom side of your table. Glad you liked it!
That’s a good idea! What material do you use to diffuse?? Most of the time the you are sitting high enough that the lights don’t get in your eyes to bad.
I just priced this exactly as described and, for a 3x4' vault table topper (no legs), the price would now be 350, tax and shipping to Indiana included (YMMV). That includes 4 cup holders and roll-in brackets but no tray tables or game mat. Personally, I would add legs (per the follow-up video) and use hardboard for the vault floor with a 1x2 across the bottom (attached to the rail with T-nuts) for more solidity.
It is good to hear an updated price as it has been a while since we made the video. I hope this is helpful for those thinking about building one. The 1x2 along the underside of the vault is another one of those ideas that we thought about but have had to add. So many options with a t slot on the bottom of the table to work with. I think there are lots of options including sliding trays, tv attachments, and DM privacy boards. Thanks for your comments!
I have built machines with aluminum extrussions the best material and way to build mechanical structures that require precision, quick with a lot of versatility.
Very nice Idear and smooth budget table. For me I might not be able to do it, though, importing the recommended parts to Germany might be way to expensive. So I would need an expert to find such funktional "rails" in Germany. Nevertheless thank you!
If anyone out there is reading this and you come up with a European supplier we have several guys wanting to build one in Europe. We don’t know of anything but it is so popular here in USA I would guess someone is going to create it but they will probably only use the metric measurement instead of what we used (inches).
One of the standard widths for this type of extrusion is 40mm. A 4080 (40mmX80mm) extrusion is going to be basically the same size as the 15 series extrusions they used, and might be easier to find in Europe. The extrusions are very commonly used by 3D printing and CNC hobbyists, so that might be a good place to start. You might also look at industrial supply places.
Really love this idea. I am not a crafty person but tables are crazy expensive. This looks easy and fun to do. Also can easily do it piece meal so don't have to incur all the costs at once. How would you perhaps make it a more permanent structure and add legs and such?
We have been doing a bit of research on the various fastening methods and it looks like I’m about ready to order 4 legs at 28.5 inches each and see if we can attach legs and still insure that they are strong enough to handle the occasional Dutch Blitz train wreck that happens when the kids are playing. We will keep you posted on how it works
Thanks for this video, I plan to build a large one for our group that plays Gloomhaven. I'm very excited because I actually can build this vs some videos I've seen that while cool are WAY beyond my skill level.
this is bloody brilliant i shall build one.. also on the vhb, it stands for, very high bond. i use it to mount the windows on my sailboat that travels between hawaii and alaska... so if it can take the force of the pacific pounding on it i think it will work great for a gaming table. :) now to make it perfect for solo play all you have to do is mount it on a lazy susan so you can move all the minis without standing up
Another fine idea that makes me really think … I wonder how big of a susan base they make or maybe or 4 or 6 caster array around a center axis … hmmmm We are asked about the tape more than anything and to date we have not had a tape failure with all the tables we have built. The tape is amazing.
@@The-Game-Garage the largest base is about 24" but its expensive... good ones are 18-20" for around $40. mine (12") has a metal sheet glued to it where i have two 24" metal bars with walmart magnets to stick them to the top of the lazy susan... then for whatever game im playing i can either use a single rroughly 15"x30" foam sheet with a metal sheet glued to the back to stick to the bars/susan or turn it 90 degrees and use two foam sheets this way i can indulge in my real hobby of terrain building. if im playing a board game (the various zombicide games or heroquest) i have an unpainted 15x30 foam sheet with a metal back that stands in as a table. the nice thing about all this is that it all fits into one of those large plastic tubs from walmart. your extruded bar idea will help me expand this to create a support for the lazy susan that will let me keep all the thingies needed to play the games close at hand without having to set up two folding tables. ...and vhb tape is awesome. its also permanent so the only way im getting the windows off my boat is to grind them down to the tape.. im ok with that.
Ahhhh … the real hobby of terrain building. That is something I have dabbled in but never really jumped into. With Crossroads we have played around with various options for terrain. Thanks for sharing!!
Absolutely! The aluminum rails are really really strong. You could easily order 4 legs and put them on the four corners and it would have no problem spanning the 4 or 6 foot spans.
@@DeadGoldfishProd the rails are surprisingly well priced! once I figure out another option for the laminate flooring (all I can find is max length 50 inches) which isn't quite enough to have enough room to put the double sided tape
This is awesome! In the interest of tracking cost changes (since it’s been at least a year), I just ordered the list, exactly as is and I’m at $550. Including freight to Washington. Includes about $50 flooring from Lowes and $106 game toppers 3x4 mat. Tnutz and 80/20 shipped very fast, I’ll be assembly next week and I can’t wait! Thank you for the game plan!
That is really good to know … we might see how we can adjust that to let everyone know. It seems like everything has gone up in the last few months! I look forward to a picture!!
I don’t know of a place in Europe to buy these parts but I have heard of guys setting up virtual mailbox’s that allow them to get stuff sent to an address in USA then it is sent to them. I don’t know much about how all that works. If you do figure something out then let us know so that we can pass it on to others. You are not the first to try to figure it out.
loved the video thanks for the ideas! I had a thought of making one of these and having the underside of the table be a picture that when not playing the whole tabletop can be hung on the wall nearby and have a cool art to display (instead of hiding under the bed lol). Has anyone else done this?
I have not heard of anybody doing this. It would be heavy so you would want to make sure to attach to studs but it would only be a couple inches think … that would be unique … send us a pic and we will make sure to post it on the community page and send you a couple of stickers!!
They will send set screws with the angle brackets. Your end caps normally come with plastic fasteners. The tape does all the hard work. The only screws needed are for the cup holders and those are a couple of 1 inch drywall screws and another one for the top. A drywall screw with a small washers works just fine. For the table build you won’t even need a screw driver.
Great question! An inside dimension of 3x4 produces a table 42”x54” on the outside dimension. This is actually enough room for 6 people to sit around the table but really no more. Also 3x4 inside dimension may be too small for what you are trying to do. A table that is 4 feet wide means you can only reach a bit past the center of the table. This was one of my biggest questions (that’s why we talked about it for awhile on the video) before I built the first table. I think your best way to know for sure is to make either a 2x4 wooden mock-up or cut up a big piece of cardboard. I personally duct taped a few flattened boxes before realizing how big a 42x78 (3x6 interior) table was … easily sits 8. Not much of an answer but at least an answer that helps you get closer to the answer.
@Sam Brock I can definitely picture you in the Game Garage taping boxes together and having an epiphany. For some reason that mental picture makes me laugh. As for your question @Bryan Warren, Dad covered just about everything. I think one of our friends made a 4x4 (@Sam Brock can verify for me) and that one easily fits 8 people though starts to feel a little big.
Guys, that was a fantastic video. So thought provoking. I have a question about the shelf/tray on the roll-in bracket. I did not see the head of the bolt on the top of that tray, just the nut on the bottom. I also noted a slight shadow at the back/top of the tray that might be a fastener head. Did you just mount it on the plywood and put the tray on top of it, hiding the bolt head? If so, how are you retightening the bolt periodically? Another question: if I build a 3-foot-by-6-foot topper, do the edges that hang out past the underlying table need to be reinforced so they don't bow down, or does the aluminum frame prevent them bowing down below the edge of the underlying table? Thanks again. One of the best game table tutorials on UA-cam.
Thanks for your kind comment! As for your first question, I’ll have to ask Dad to answer that one. For the 3x6 you shouldn’t get much bowing. I believe we built a 6 footer and I’m fairly certain we had no bowing (though I could be wrong). The aluminum is pretty rigid stuff.
We did a couple different versions of the tray. Best version uses a half inch thick piece of plywood that we countersunk on the top side so that the bolt with the nut on was on the bottom. Then on top we cut out a quarter inch thick sheet of plywood for the framework that holds the mouse pad in place. The outside dimension of the tray is 12.5x10 inches and the inside dimension of the frame that holds the mouse pad is 11.25x8.625 (which fits an 8x11 mousepad nicely. The frame covers up the head of the countersunk bolt unless you cut out a notch on the frame. We have not had to tighten up so far. I took a few pics of the tray that should clarify and I'll see if Bodie can get them posted or linked so you can see what I am attempting to write. You don't have to reinforce the hangover. The aluminum extrusions give you all the stability that you need. It all feels really stout. Thanks for your questions. That was the hardest part of our how to was anticipating the questions of those of you who are serious about building one. I built a wood fired pizza oven a couple years ago and I appreciated the few youtube videos that showed you the details along with the end product.
Thanks, Sam. I figured that you had sandwiched the bolt between the layers on the tray. I have been trying to develop a two part table topper like the Game Topper. I want a wooden leaning ledge, and I have almost figured out how to mount them on top of the aluminum. I have a lot of stuff figured out, but I found your video very informative. Cheers.
Is it possible to build an actual table rather than a topper? Using some legs that slot into the t-slots underneath? So that you can add or remove them as needed? That way you end up with a truly portable table.
@@The-Game-Garage That would be cool, I was trying to think how you might be able to use those roll in clips and some light weight legs and angled braces.
I think alternatively if you bought a cheap ikea or folding table, you could mount the aluminum rails directly to that instead of the laminate flooring.
Ugggh … we have built a bunch of tables but they are all for camp. This really is one of those things that we do for fun as a hobby. We have no interest in trying to start a side gig (wait … a gig is on the side … right?). I believe that if someone was willing to build these there would be a market for those that rather just spend a few bucks and get a cheaper table than most out there. We would happily let others know if someone decides to make this one of their business products.
Your right!! Living in the desert there is nothing better that ice cold water on a hot day … but I must admit I indulge in a Pepsi most everyday … but I don’t drink coffee. Bodie loves his coffee … and water :)
THIS! This is the diy game table I’ve been looking for but didn’t even know existed. I’m going 3x6 because I don’t think I own any games that are 4x4 (some war games but mine are only 3x3 mats). For starter I’ll use 2 of my 3x3 mats from FLG until I can cough up the nice big 3x6 from GameToppers. Then again… your idea of a whiteboard isn’t terrible as an insert for RPGs. I had a friend that had a glass top table that he mounted a white bedsheet below and drew on the glass as we advances the story. That later went to a high top table with a short throw projector below to throw the map onto the table from the underside and our minis on top. 🤔 All great ideas but I think I need to make this rails table first. Maybe then I’ll make a dedicated folding leg structure. Time will tell. Table first. GREAT Video! 👍👍🤙
Can’t wait to see your creation. Send us a pic and snail mail addy and we will send you a Game Garage sticker. Home Depot has a white board that is 1/8 inch thick and 4x8 in size and under $20. It is not perfect white board material but it would easily work for a grid and a bit of writing and erasing. A piece of plexiglass as the floor of the vault would be more expensive but that would allow you to set the table on any surface even like a painters drop cloth could have a grid drawn up on it … ohhhh the possibilities are endless.
@@DeadGoldfishProd you said “plexiglass floor”no “set on any surface”… like a map? 😋 Ok, structurally speaking, plexiglass sags the wider the sheet and we couldn’t have braces go across and then still be usable as clear buuuuuuuuuut… we could keep the opaque bottom with supports and then put a map/prints on the table and then cover with that with a smaller sheet pf plexy (2x2ish) for dry erase doodles. Maybe even on with a grid on one side to help with free form movements? The possibilities are endless. 😉
This is the best gaming table DIY video I have ever seen!! THANK YOU so much for doing this...I am definitely building mine this month....THANK YOU!!!!
You are very welcome! Send us a picture and your snail mail addy when you are done and we will send a Game Garage Sticker. I know its not much but it is fun for us to hear of other people building one. Enjoy!!
Glad you enjoyed! We are looking forward to seeing it and like dad said, email us a picture and your address and we will send you a game garage sticker!
The only simple build I’ve seen that is still simple if you don’t have an entire woodshop at your disposal. I also love the idea of using floorboards, so simple, plus waterproof and durable!
Yes and they snap together … we did realize that we failed to mention that you have to rip one floor board to get the right width for the floor but because it is not showing any saw (skill saw, jigsaw, band saw, table saw will work and most lumber yards will make that one cut for you if you have none of those tools). Thanks for your comment.
It’s also flimsy
I may never build a table topper out of the extruded aluminum, but this video gave me lots of ideas for things to do with T-Tracks. I have long considered building my own gaming table (I am a hobbyist woodworker) and adding T-Tracks could put making a Wyrmwood type table within easy reach as far as functionality goes, if not in finish. ... and certainly MUCH more affordable. Great ideas, guys!
We have been amazed at the many different uses for those T-Tracks. The possibilities are nearly endless. Glad the video was a help!
I’m not sure exactly which product you are talking about but I think it is the stuff that has just one t slot that can be attach to the side of the table. As a wood worker I think that would be slick. Make most of the table out of wood and then add the t slots for flexibility with the trays and cup holders. At first I thought we would use the t slots on the top and side and inside but basically we just use the slot on the outside edge …. So if you like to work with wood, then build most of it out of wood and buy a simple single track … I might try to get a piece of that to show folks on the second table video. Good ideas!
Exactly what I was thinking! Been planning on an eventual table, and these tracks are great ideas.
Indeed, once you realize the existence of t-tracks, you start to see just how many impressive things you can do with them.
This guy , Jisa Koubou, does an impressive amount of fairly low-cost woodworking ("would be very expensive to buy pre-made") tools-- such as a sturdy, high-accuracy panel saw -- using them.
ua-cam.com/users/jisakukobo
It might inspire to other things, even if you're not in woodworking.
Add that to steel rods and bearing sleeves, and you can go even further.
So I have no idea how to email you guys lol but I finished my table about an hour ago! So excited! Having a group of friends over tomorrow for some tabletop gaming, so just in time. I've got some pictures that I sent to all my buddies and they're stoked to play on it. Thank you guys for the great info
Send it to officialgamegarage@gmail.com Would love to see the pics. I remember playing on the game vault for the first time and realizing I would never want to play on a regular table again. Hope you enjoy it.
I’ve made so many shelves, machine guards etc using that “extruded Aluminium” and for the life of me I can’t remember the proper name of it :-(
Bosch profile / strut profile
@@luisguscast l kjn😊😊😊😊n😊k😊i
I’ve been watching people build game tables from lumber, & it seems easy enough, but this is fantastic. Dead simple-more assembly than construction, really-& more utility, with the accessory rail. I feel like an idiot for selling my pool table cheap. I could have just taken off the rails & put one of these on it!
Oooooh … and that would have been a cool table … not a bad idea to look for a messed up top of a pool table for cheap CHEAP. Then just use the base for custom, gigantic games table … reaching across the table might be tough. Thanks for the comment!!
This was one of those videos where I was like: "hmm let's skip to what this brilliant invention is and then go watch something else", but then I stayed for the personality! Great job on the editing!
Thank you! We know what you are talking about. We always enjoy it when the talking heads are real people. We will do our best to keep it real.
When someone puts a lot of pressure on one side does the table lift?
Depends on what kind of table you set it on. The wider the table that you set it on is the better. I have one at my house on a table that it is solid wood and near the same size as the topper and I rarely if ever have any problems with table lifting.
Your gaming table is awesome! We just posted our D&D gaming table build. Take a peek! It definitely isn't portable :P. Subscribed - interested is seeing future builds!
Portable is over rated :). Will definitely take a look!!
Ok … I found it … a work of art … We have a CNC router in our other garage and we are still figuring out how we want to use it. We use it a lot for our camp projects but we have not used it much for a table. The inset of your table is interesting and something that we fiddling around with a bit. We will see what comes out of it. Thanks for taking the time to film, capture, edit, and post … alot of work to just build it but then to share it is whole different level. Thanks
Bravo! This is hands down the most clever, most helpful and complete how-to tutorial on building your own board game table that I have ever come across.
This is coming from someone who has built a couple of DIY 'tables' already - one by creating a game topper out of 1"x6"s and one by repurposing an IKEA table. Your approach is just a brilliant use of 80/20 extruded aluminum. And your exhaustive list of components and sources is extremely well done and thoughtful. One last thing: although this certainly was not your intention, your tutorial also is proving extremely helpful to me in using extruded aluminum to build a multfunction workbench table (MFT). The only real change is that one places a piece of 3/4" ply or MDF panel on top of the aluminum frame, rather than inset into the frame. For the record, commercial versions of such tables from companies like Festool and Kreg sell for upwards of $1K+.
You've certainly got a new subscriber here!
Thank you very much. The MDF top for a work bench is a great idea and I have added some of the extruded aluminum to some of my work benches as well. Am working on a puzzle table right now. The t slot stuff has so many uses and possibilities. We are hoping to get a follow up video done in the next few weeks. Thanks again for your kind words.
Anyone built a warhammer table with this? I'd like a 44x60 play area. But a 66in long rebated aluminum piece is $95 bucks pre shipping. Can you attach the aluminum end to end to form a longer piece?
This question got me to contact tnutz and watch a few videos. The price of shipping goes up considerably when he package is longer than 47 inches and 94 inches. I didn’t know about the 47 inch price jump. Because of that we are working on a seeing how strong the butt joint is. If it is strong that we could build with shorter rails and put leafs in our table … interesting thought … huh? Soooo … we ordered some stuff and we will experiment and let you know.
Does bumping the cup holders from below knock them off the track? I've got some leg jigglers at my table, haha
Yes, probably the biggest weakness of the cup holders is the clumsiness of the people around them. They rarely fall off just get bumped often. Hasn’t been too much of a problem for us.
Bumped and then slid over so you don’t bump them again. I don’t know of a drink falling mess in the many hours of play … probably more close calls when we use the shelf bracket as a table for our food. Best part of the tslot is that you can move everything really easily so your cup is in the right spot.
I've been checking vids out for weeks, finally a table I can build myself. You guys should do some extra videos on morw modifications to customize these tables.
There is one video that is 3 things we upgraded on the table and the big one is legs. Check that one out and we are still collecting ideas for a third video
$400-500 gaming addiction required to make a game vault?
*glances at my easily spent $600 in board games, easily over $5,000 dumped into Warhammer 40k and easily $1,000 sunk into D&D*
Maybe it's about time I bought or built a gaming vault...
I did not realize how much a game vault makes everything better. I have been playing a few games in our camper/on the road/etc. and I really enjoy playing with a vault. It will make everything better.
I love when you zoom in on your hand gestures and when you add the funny subtitles. Great video!
I never know if people are going to like/understand the "hand gesture zoom ins." I'm really glad someone out there appreciates them! Thanks, Eric!
I wish I had a great relationship with your father. Cherish it. Also good table.
Good relationships with family members are a blessing!!
Awesome Video. Thanks so much....I now have my next project.
So many projects … so little time.
I would think that space would be great for dominos.
I know more alluminum= more expense. But do you think this could be built with more to give it its own legs? How would you do that if you wanted to?
Absolutely!! I have a spot in the garage where the table only gets set up/down once a year so now I want add legs to it. Standard height on a table is 30” so your legs would be 28.5 inches and you might have to do a little notch on the floor of the game vault so that it nestles in tight to the rails. Another guy who used to work for tnutz shared a link to a video that gives a good understanding of how the aluminum can fasten together (3 different ways). I think if you have a 1.5 x 1.5 piece that has a custom milled end then you could easily add the 4 legs and it would still be removable but just take a little bit of time. I’ll look for that link and add it to another comment. Send us pics if you do it … we would love to add it to our community page.
This is the link of various ways you to fasten your aluminum ua-cam.com/video/PrpBxLhH18Q/v-deo.html.
@@DeadGoldfishProd thanks!
Great video guys! Brilliant idea on how to make a gaming table, I’ve been wanting one forever. But the wife wouldn’t let me spend almost $2,000 on a table just for gaming. I’m terrible at building things but I may convince my cousin to help me. Glad your video popped up to watch. Best homemade how to gaming table I’ve seen. Keep up the great work guys! 👍
Whooooohoooo! You are exactly who this video is for. I also have a wife that reminds me that my hobby needs to stay a hobby :). It’s a good thing we have wives like that! Good luck on your build!! Send us a picture and we will send you a sticker! And it’s free … what a deal … build a game table for $250 and get a free sticker.
Awesome to hear! Hope your able to make it!
When ordering the aluminum parts, how do I make sure I am getting the black coloring? That site is not very user friendly 😅 or it's user error, either way lol
When you order from tnutz the black and the silver are different pages of ordering. I just noticed that tnutz has the black inside brackets in black now which is cool. I would definately get the matching black. That is in the new products section and then there are different pages for color and ultra light, etc.
Wow, I really love this Idea!!!!! And you explained everything very thoroughly and easy to understand. Could I build one so that the inside play area of the table is 72" x 48" ? also could i use Vinyl floor planks for spill proofing etc ?
Yes! For sure! Your rails will be 2 at 75 inches and two at 51 inches. When you buy the floor laminate you will need the planks that are greater than 52 1/2 which means you will probably end up with 60 inch planks. These are a bit more expensive per sq ft but it will work great. If you are setting the vault on top of a table roughy 48x72 you may getaway with a 1/4 inch thick laminate but if you have quite a bit of overhang when set on top I would go with the 1/2 inch (12mm) thick laminate. I’ve been tempted to build one this big. Right now I’m trying to build an 8 sided 60 inches in diameter round table. We will see how it goes. I’m using a round yoga mat for the play mat. I’m hopeful!! Let us know if you build one!!
Glad the explanation was clear! I’ll leave it to dad to answer your questions…looks like he already did 😁👍
@@DeadGoldfishProd Thank you so much for responding you guys rock.....It might be a bit before I can start this project, but I will share my project with you when I do.
Genius build. I've just built one for next to nothing out of free pallet wood for my garage. (Roughly 3x3, or 1m square as I work in Roman numerals, perfect for the skirmish games we usually play)
Doing it your way would deffo have saved me a hell of lot of stress and swearing lol.
The laminate with the dark rails looks really sleek, awesome idea!
At least yours was basically free which means you might have money left over to build another one like ours 😁
Ahhhh yes … the wonderful “next to nothing” usually means less than a $100 but more than 100 hours of frustration. It all depends on what you have more of … time or money … those two rarely align right 🤣🤪
Awesome video! What would you guys recommend for turning an existing dining room table into a gaming table with frequent switches between eating and playing?
I would recommend that you buy a custom mat that fits the table and then order the 1.5x3 inch rails that would hang over all edges about a 1/2 inch. Then all drink holders and roll in bracket accessories would work with it and the table would be super easy to build. Once you put the rails together it would look like you had a giant picture frame with no picture and that would be easy to put behind the couch, under the bed, or in a closet. Set up and put away would be quick.
Great idea, i was looking to buy/build a table but damn, I've built things with extruded aluminium it totally flew by my mind.
It’s amazing stuff. Fun to work with!!
I love it! I've had some experience with aluminum extrusions for 3D Printers and I think that's a part you missed out on. The amount of add-ons you can do with 3D Printing is limitless. I'd like to do something like this as a "booster" on top of a kitchen table for table top RPGs.
I don’t have much experience with 3D printer but I can only imagine what would be possible. Send us any pics of anything that you figure out. Would love to see it.
Like @Sam Brock said we would love to see anything you come up with! 3D printing fascinates us we just haven’t gotten our hands on one yet.
Just like gaming, it’s an addiction. If you do role playing games (new to the channel) 3D printing has you covered not only with accessories for the table, but pieces for your games as well.
We have done so many things with pewter that the whole explosion of 3D printing would take our Crossroads game to a whole new level. We have some ideas about a fun way to share that game and see what others come up with when they create on their own.
Question what is the part name called officially at time stamp 7.06 to 7.15, I cant find anything for t track called a roll in adapter? Loving the idea of adding t track as a modular accessory system so easy and cheap!
Ok … my third effort to answer this … it is called a Roll in panel mount adapter. Item #2488
I made my computer gaming rig out of 8020. I love that stuff, it's durable and easy to assemble and easy to reconfigure on demand. It never occurred to me to build a gaming table with it, thanks for the idea!
Whooooohoooo! If you have experience with it you know how many options you have … just up to your imagination!!
I’d love to see your gaming rig! We’ve loved the stuff
Just built a 3ft by 3ft table and played a first two games on it. Great video and great channel. Thanks!!
Whoooohoooo! So cool!! Send us your address to our email addy and we will send you a game garage sticker … I think you are the 5th table that we know of … we just set up our community page as well … I wonder if you can post to that. Thanks for letting us know and for the kind words!!
Awesome! @SamBrock and I are so excited to see people enjoying their game tables. Thanks for watching!
Very nice, I haven't seen a portable version of a game table. Cool! Glad you listed out your materials, etc. Thanks.
You’re welcome. Thanks for the comment!!
Thank you! We’ve been surprised by how useful portability has been
I believe Bosch came up with the extruded aluminum concept of building these. 80/20 is something of a plagiarist. They used to include quotes on their site that they didn't give credit to the authors.
Interesting! I don’t know anything about the history or the drama associated with extruded aluminum. 80/20 does have a lot of it. Does Bosch sell it or another company??
@@DeadGoldfishProd Bosch sells it, but only through distributers. I had to do research on best providers of extruded aluminum a few years ago for work. 80/20 has great customer service, and they've cleaned up their site quite a bit in recent years.
Do they happen to sell in Europe?
Do you find the cup holders stick out too far from the table edge given the 2x2 used to attach 80/20's 2488 bracket to the cup holder? My table has an 1-1/2" overhang, just right to have the 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" extrusion fit flush with the edge of the table, but Tnutz now offers the extrusions in 1-1/2″ x 3/4″ (EX-1575 and EX-1575-BLACK). To have the extrusion set back that 3/4" would be nice but with a 3/4" overhang over the extrusion, would the cup holders be able to go in and out?
They do stick out and they have not been something that has bothered me but I could see how a closer holder would be better. The roll in bracket only needs to be flush with the edge and it should work fine.
@@The-Game-Garage Thanks! I'll go with the 3/4" x 1-1/2" and will report back with my findings.
Did you explore attaching the floorboards/tabletop to the bottom of the frame with L brackets and T-nuts?
Our first effort was attaching the floor boards to nuts in the bottom facing t slot. We counter sunk each bolt and the worked hard to find the nut and tighten it down. It did work. The second one I did with tape and I eventually liked the tape enough that I took the first one apart. The tape makes it so it would not be easy to take apart but it seems more sturdy with the tape that withe the 12 or so bolts that we used.
Game collecton at $400?! Hell kingdom death monster it's self is over that.
Hehehehe … I hear ya! That’s why a table is an accessory before the first shelf is full
Man, I just went to order the rounded brackets from 80/20 and they want $23 shipping and I only live a couple states away. That was for 1 or 8 brackets.
Both 80.20 and Tnutz have high shipping costs. They must be paying the guy who tapes up the boxes an awful lot of money. I had to order a small quantity of something that I needed because I didn’t have enough and that caused me to now order a bunch of extra. I have actually resold/given away several to friends … Although it seems like we never have enough cup holders … :)
Any ETA on the updated video? Wasn't sure if there was something to learn from that before building one of these..
Also how does the Aluminum feel on your arms when you aren't wearing long sleeves? Is it cold, or doesn't really bother you?
Ohhh this is a hard one and maybe not what you want to hear. I am guessing we are March before any update on the table. Maybe you can twist Bodie’s arm to make the table the next video but we are ordering a couple of parts to see how they work and see how strong they are. We have a lot of tips and tricks to add. We have put most of the ideas in the comments that others have given and then there are a few ideas that just have to pass the “Yep we tried it and … ??? (Failed or succeeded)
The aluminum is cooler to the touch. I have never thought of it as a distraction but we do play in the garage with our hats on and a sweatshirt and hoodie. One table we build has a 1.5 x1.5 metal outside and a 1.5x1.5 wood insert so it is half metal and half wood. I’ve tried to think about this question with an unbiased opinion … I live in the desert and I like cool things … I think the table takes on the temperature of the room and therefore I don’t notice it. We’ve played with lots of folks and it hasn’t been an issue … long answer for a simple question. Sorry!
Next thing to learn is the viability of table legs out of the stuff. We will see.
We would love to the the updated video soon! But don’t have ETA 😬 like dad said, probably around March for that video.
@@DeadGoldfishProd long answer was perfect, thanks for all of that! I’m a Tax CPA by trade so it was either bite the bullet and do this asap or wait til after April, so think I might just wait so I don’t have to read too hard through all the comments! Thanks again guys, love the idea!
Any sagging issues? How would you prevent that if so?
We have a 4x6 in the garage with the legs and no sagging thus far. Most of our tables sit on top of another table so that means the structure of the other table is dealing with the sag. I would install a cross beam with the 1.5x1.5 extruded piece of aluminum to deal with a sag.
Well, I just figured out what my next big project will be.
Sweet! Email us a picture when you finish and we’ll send you a sticker. Glad we could contribute to your project list!
Ohhhh the fun of discovery! That’s why my wife gets nervous when I watch DIY type videos hahahaha!
What are you thoughts on making this for a warhammer set up?
4 by 6 might be a bit heavy from AL
It should work. The part that would not work would be the legs. I would set the vault on a table that sits underneath. I really like the options that you have on the rails on the outside. With Warhammer needing such a large space you may get away with a 1.5x1.5 rail instead of the 3x1.5. Just a thought if you are not going to lean on the table edge very much.
i’ve only just discovered your guys content but i’m already a big fan. i’m excited to build my own table eventually. keep up the great work
Well thank you so much! We enjoy making it when we can. Send us pics if you ever get around to your table.
So I purchased my extrusions and then was looking through your instructions again. My extrusions are 63 in x 41 in for a vault surface of 60x38. I purchased the standard inside connectors that you mention but then I saw the option of getting more heavy duty connectors. For my table size would you recommend the more heavy duty connectors? (I will be putting legs on the table as well)
I personally like the heavier duty ones. For the table I built this past year we used the heavy duty ones. They add a second set screw to each leg of the 90 degree bracket so that you have 4 screws per bracket instead of 2. At the same time I have used the lighter one and they still work fine. The tape and vault floor is what really tightens it all up. End of the day it really is builders choice and I just go with the more heavy duty option but not for a reason that is functionally critical.
Thanks for the response!
We use these to build machine guarding/racking etc at work. You can/could buy yellow plastic beading to slide into this groves. That will solve the snack problem! Got some engineered wooden flooring in the loft leftover from some DIY, this has given me a great idea for it, thank you!
We discovered that plastic beading a while ago and it has done wonders for the snack problem :) Thanks for the suggestion! Love to see your table when you finish it!
The plastic seems to do best. We bought an aluminum insert first but too expensive and fairly hard to work with.
What camera gear do you use? And lighting?? Looks nice, seems simple- I like it!
Whooohoooo! This is a question that I know little about and Bodie will have to answer. I can help you out on the lighting. At our camp we have all the lighting equipment and allows to control for the warmth of the light, brightness, etc. For the Game Garage we did not have very much money so our solution is basically a 4x8 frame of 1x4 with a simple shop light (4ft) going across the short side of the frame. I may need to get a pic to give you a better idea of what is going on. I think there are 6 lights up there and then a white flat sheet is loosely attached to the frame. The sheet is what diffuses the light and each light means we can turn them all on or eliminate a couple. Then for one of the side lights it is a 1x6 box that has three of those lights jammed in and then we use. The other 2 or 3 to hang and fill in. I’ll see if I can post the amazon link to the lights we are using. Maybe this will be another topic for a video in the future. It is simple and the light is wonderful to play games under.
Wow! I'm behind on this one. We use a Canon EOS R for the main angle and for the side angle we use a Canon 70D. @Sam Brock covered just about everything one the lighting front. At work I use Falcon Eyes BL-30TD II with Aputure light domes. Humorously, I think I prefer Dad's homebrew light set up. It's just so customizable. As we move forward, we are switching to a Canon EOS RP (the R is not mine) that we just bought and a GoPro Hero 10 for the side angle. As for sound we will be using a Zoom HN1.
Have you tried the "miter" cut aluminum option so the corners join like a frame?
We have not but I have a aluminum blade for my chop saw (miter saw) and that should work great. We used it for the 22.5 degree cuts for the octagon table that we have been working on. Cuts smooth and easy so a miter cut would be slick.
Probably not all that significant, but recommend a "structural screw", or even a "deck screw" over a drywall screw. They look similar, but
1 -- drywall screws can be corroded by the acids in wood, so, over time, they can go bad.
2 -- drywall screws are really really brittle, especially against sheer forces -- that is, anything perpendicular to the main axis of the screw, and that's pretty much most of the forces on it in this instance.
Not saying it's a big deal, you may have never noticed any issues, but it's one of those "do it right and you'll be sure of never having issues" things. The added expense is really not that much.
I would agree. A drywall screw is best for drywall. A deck screw will have better strength.
@@The-Game-Garage
May think they are the same, because they do look mostly the same, but they are not.
Oh, another thing you can consider -- you could get 4x 3.5 ft 4x4s to make legs, then a couple 2x2s as cross-bracing for the 4x4s in an "x" format, to provide cross-bracing (you WANT the cross-bracing, as you probably know -- it will be wobbly-as-f without it, but if you add an x-brace it will be rock solid).
The cost would be pretty cheap, you can get the 4x4s cut to size when bought, and use a simple hand saw to cut the 2x2s to the right size/shape. Use some 4x4 post brackets on the underside of the "table" to lock the 4x4s into place under the table. You can either screw it permanently together or rig up some bolts and use wing-nuts to make it easy to assemble. I can think of several ways to do the above which would be fairly cheap, regardless of your desire to have a fixed table or a fully disassemble-able one.
Also, it would not be tough to make some padded top rails for the EAs, too, if you wanted to make it look a tiny bit dressier... they can even be removable with the right hardware.
Hi! Really nice project! What's the name or number especifcly of de color of the floor laminate that you used?
Traffic Master Gray Oak sold at Home Depot. For the 3x3 table we used a 7mm thick board. We used Cross Sawn Oak Gray 12 mm (or 1/2 inch) thick for the 3x4 and bigger tables. The Traffic Master brand at Home Depot has a few different color options. Send us a pic if you build one!!
Dad got to this question before I could…not that it would matter if I got to it first cause I wouldn’t know the answer and would just have to ask him 😂
I love this! My biggest problem with other builds is that I don't have easy access to tools for wood cutting and I want a table that can be moved out of the way when we're not playing. Thank you so much for the links to all of the pieces; that's so much easier than trying to find everything myself! I'm definitely going to build it!
The only power tool you would need is the one to cut the floor of the game vault. Some places (where you buy the wood) will make the single cut and they all get cut to the same length. I look forward to seeing the pictures of your table.
Thank you for this tutorial. I wish I had seen your tutorial before participating in the adapTable crowsfunding ^^'
Glad it was a help! What is adapTable?
@@The-Game-Garage this: ua-cam.com/video/-XM0DtgXRYA/v-deo.html
That looks pretty cool! Have you used it?
@@The-Game-Garage not yet. i got mine through their last kickstarter with LED light attachment. Planned arrival should be in summer.
Looks great exactly what I'm looking for I'm just confused if I make a 4x4 and the floor has to be 52 1/2 inches all four sides plywood sheets are only 48 inches by 8 foot and the longest floor laminate I see is 48 inches do you have a recommendation on what to use for the floor??? Thanks for your time
I looked up the Lowes website and it looks like the Pergo is 54 inches long. Most laminate is just 4 feet but there are some out there 4.5 feet long. Also a lumber company will sell a 5x5 foot piece of some plywood (think ping pong table). Sometimes this is special order.
@@The-Game-Garage cool thanks for the ideas!
I'm curious if you could slot the floor into the inner T-Slot. Or if maybe the boards are too thick for that?
The boards we used are too thick but they do make a floor board that would fit. We wanted a deeper vault and then when you just set them in it really is a lot less stiff. The tape means that both the corner brackets and the tape are giving you strength. Also the board sits directly on the table when taped on as opposed to a bit of a dip when it is suspended in the slot. I think that it is doable that way but not nearly as strong.
If you find a way to do it let us know and send a picture! I think there would be a few people interested in doing it that way.
Any recommendations for the floor for a 4×4? I can't find anything wide enough to be able to attach to all 4 sides. Need 52.25" to get it taped on all 4 rails. All plywood I've seen only comes in 48" wide and the laminate flooring is about the same
I would go to a flooring store and see if they have anything that long. I have seen it as something you can special order. Also plywood that has a tongue and groove would work. Probably the way I would go is a special order for the stuff that they make ping pong tables out of. It is normally an MDF that is 5x5. I would also do a little search on eBay, marketplace, thrift stores etc. to see if you can find a used table cheap.
@@The-Game-Garage thank you!
J'aime bien l'idée, montré comment faire est vraiment génial.
Après j'ai pas tous compris le but est de faire une table de jeu transportable ?
Quel poids à vôtre table à vu de nez 30kg. Je trouve dommage de construire sur solide pour un table qui ne portera au plus 3kg. Des pieds réglables serait un plus.
Marker!
We are working on a leg possibility. It is heavier but people are leaning on it and we don’t want it to tip. I leave mine up for a month but can then put it away with a bit of effort.
@@DeadGoldfishProd ua-cam.com/video/MdM6KuvLk1E/v-deo.html
did you consider sliding the boards in the interior of the extrusion they are 3-5mm so most flooring should fit and have the extrusion hold it in place also if a board breaks you can just unscrew one end and replace the damaged sections. they also have a 3way connector you can get to add aluminum legs too.
That idea was tossed around in the early part of the process. We stepped away from it because the vault was not deep enough but if we went with a 3x3 extrusion it felt to high overall. We played around with a 2x4 mock up version to get an idea of how it would feel. A couple inches doesn’t seem like a difference but the standard height of a table is so universal that changing it much would also require a chair change.
Just found this video. Love it. Going to give this a go using 2040 as 4080 is a bit expensive
Oooooh … I would love to see the pictures when it is done. The double t slot on the side seems to have some interesting options for accessories. In my mind 4080 would be to big of a frame keeping me away from the game … just my thoughts.
Just found your channel, really enjoyed the video. New subscriber.
Thanks for the sub! We’re hoping to put out another video in the next couple days!
Thanks a bunch! This has been fun!!
Great video! Excellent idea. One question though: Is there any way to cut the ends of the aluminum at 45° and connect them?
I tried this once and they sent me the pieces cut at a 45 on the 1.5 side instead of the 3in side. I think I just did not communicate correctly but I basically chickened out on trying to do it again. I’ve been curious about trying this with 1.5x1.5 and doing an insert inside the metal frame. I think the 45 would look better but I haven’t done it personally but would welcome seeing someone give it a try.
@@The-Game-Garage Thanks for replying! I think that would solve the issue of leaving one end to slot accessories in. But I'm curious about how you would connect the ends. Would the same connector pieces work? I'm not really "handy" at all, but this looks like something I could do!
This is a really ingenious table. The only downside is that it seems heavy and it seems to take a lot of space. Out of curiosity, have you ever considered a foldable model?
I have the hinges and metal in the garage to make a foldable table. They have been sitting for several months but I need to get back to it. I want a table that fits in the back of my Camry.
@@The-Game-Garage I would be quite interested in seeing what you come up with. I am going to try my luck with doing one with MDF. I am hoping it will turn out good but my manual / builder skills are ... inexistent... to put it nicely 😅
Wile E. Coyote-Super Genius guys!
Thanks so much! You are very kind … in the same league as Wiley and the ACME company is near hall of fame for gizmos and gadgets. Thanks so much … we are honored.
Recognized the voice immediately. Great video and thanks for the product list. It’s been a few years, any update I should consider?
This is awesome! Thank you for doing this.
Your welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
We enjoyed doing it. Happy you liked it!!
From the tnutz site: “Please scroll thru the pictures in the gallery for descriptions of all machining options. Miter cuts at both ends; we will always machine the extrusions like a trapezoid and not a parallelogram.”
Can’t tell which one is supposed to be a rectangular cut at each end?
I don’t use miter cuts and only do 90 degree cuts because they miter it so that it looks like a box instead of a frame. I’ve heard they might do it the other way but I have not seen a picture of it that way.
@@The-Game-Garage It prompts for machining options at each end, just wasn’t sure if y’all had any selections in mind for this build?
We set ours a little bit askew, but it’s finished and functional!
I love this table. Fantastic idea and great execution. I need to make one of these for D&D. Thanks for making this video.
Send us a pic when you build it and we will send you a Game Garage sticker. Thanks for your kind words.
@@DeadGoldfishProd will do, just saw your 1,000 sun video, congratulations on the achievement, and the stickers. I’m sure Pepsi will be calling any day now.
Thanks for believing in us Fitz!
Man I love this! Although, sourcing here in Europe can be tricky as you'd need to be an engineer to know what parts to get. I'm thinking of building a modular 4x4 war gaming table which would be around 120cm x 120cm split into 3 pieces, two end pieces and one middle piece. This way I can store it and use the size I need. Is there or are you aware of a connection piece that holds two rails together length wise? So, for example, I got two 1 foot rails and want them to connect to have one 2 foot rail?
I do not have a solution that I have tried personally. They do have a splice that has either 2 or 4 places to bolt into and they fit in the t slot. We have been asked this question several times to we are going to order and part and see how stable it is. I know this isn’t a big help but that’s all I know.
Awesome build that is now at the top of my To Do list. What 3x3 table did you use for your base?
Thanks for all the links as well!
We started off with a heavy duty card table from Costco but our other video shows how we put legs on it and that is our preferred method now. We have used all sorts of different tables but more sturdy the better. Enjoy and hope you get to it soon.
@@The-Game-Garage I see now that there was a follow up video and will watch that. Great stuff. Thanks.
Btw...have you done and shows on the PNP games available? Seems handy for the ultra low budget player, or for the game that is no longer available. Also seems some companies like Button Shy use the low or no cost PnP as a hook bring new players to their games. Just a content thought.
Thanks again, Jim aka Codog
Great job guys I’m building one.
Whooohooooo! Send a pic when you finish it!!
Fantastic! Can’t wait to see it 😁😁😁
Now i need to fin these pieces in Spain
Search for T-slot extruded aluminum … maybe someone sells it … I’ve never been to Spain … or even Europe for that matter 😃
I will have to keep this in mind. Its all good and fun to see people posting their how too's on making a budget gaming table but often requires more equipment than some people have (I dont have a table saw to cut my planks to size.........etc). The fact that this pretty much entirely assembled parts as found (at least as best as I can tell from my watching of the video you only used an electric drill/screwdriver for drilling into the wood for the cup holder) is what I think sets this apart as a truly accessible design making it easy.
I did however have a question about the attachable accessories. I felt like in the video some of them felt a little bit on the flimsier side with the connector you used. I guess what I am getting at is, 1) in your experience how sturdy is that connection/surface (lets use the plank you used around 23:50 as the example) and 2) if you were to make a recommendation for a different connector, or something to add in addition to to reinforce it, maybe make it flex a little less when pressed by having something that rests along the bottom of the table once it is set in place to give it more contact area with the table for support (I don't know what this would be called as far as a material construction description)
Also how well does that construction tape hold up to repeated picking up and moving of the table? as the only physical connection to the base it feels like it would wear out and eventually come unstuck but I guess it is a construction grade adhesive. Have you had instances in which it came apart in any of your builds or anything you would reinforce it with if someone were less believing/confident in the material?
All the same if I ever get a play group of something running again I will have to consider making a setup like this.
Another thing that popped into my mind. How smooth or how sloppy do you think it would look/be if you had just a whiteboard insert to your more sturdy laminate based table. How would you go about it if this was what you were going for?
and have you tried a similar construction to this but instead of having a topper you place on top of a card table but making one that is directly connected to the folding table?
Wow! You wrote a bunch … let me see if I can remember the questions/comments … First the flimsy bracket question. It is stronger than you would expect but I wouldn’t feel very comfortable with something bigger than the mouse pad (8x10). Hopefully in the next week or so we are going to experiment with 2 and 3 brackets that would allow for a full size shelf on the short end rail. When you get them you will see that I am not worried about them bending or braking but we need a bracket on both ends that it will not pivot.
The construction tape is a total surprise. All I have to go on is our little bit of experience. We have been using the boards for two years. They store in a space that is not climate controlled (below freezing to 115+. ‘The two main tables that we use I probably move them around maybe once a month. I’m guessing I have moved them 20 times since the build. One fell off the Willy’s when I moved it down to camp. Several have fallen from their leaning spot. So far no failure. It really is impressive and unexpected from my end. We started with countersunk bolts into the t slot and we have moved every table over to tape. All I can say on that question is what we have experienced. If I were going to a plan B option I would probably look at an outdoor tile adhesive but so far this has held up.
This table does have some trade offs but the portability and ease of construction plus being on the cheaper side without losing the cool factor of a serious game vault it has been the value choice for us. Not sure I answered all your questions. I’ll go back and look.
Ohhhh … one big one. I did use a chop saw to cut the planks down to size and used a table saw to rip one of the planks. The best part of that is none of those cuts ever show. They could be a 1/4 inch off and you will be just fine. They can be made with he cheapest skill saw or jig saw you can find/buy. So it is not completely tool less but you could also buy a piece of plywood and many hardware stores will let you pay by the cut to get it down to size. You would only need to get two cuts made by someone else at the store …. Just a thought if you have access to any tools.
Thanks again...so good... question: I'm looking to build a 4x4. But you said the flooring would be 1.5" smaller than the total width. 48" + 3" on both sides = 54" - 1.5 = 52.5".
Are there flooring planks that long?! I haven't seen any. Most are 48", you mentioned some are 51"... have you done a 4x4? What would you recommend?
Most are 48” but a quick look on Lowes website showed a plank that was 60” long. www.lowes.com/pd/ProCore-Plus-8-Piece-7-in-x-59-75-in-English-Grove-Oak-Luxury-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring/1003091586. They are much more rare but they are out there. Also, Lowes and Home Depot can normally special order a piece of MDF that is 5 feet by 5 feet (same size as half of a ping pong table). I personally would still go with the planking that is interlocking. I do not know how the tape would work on MDF as we have only working with planking.
Just piggy backing off this question.. as I am also in the planing phase of my build, I was wondering why you left a ~1 1/2 inch lip from the laminate and the t track top vs making it flush with the laminate board? Did it affect anything like adding accessories to the sides, etc
At the beginning I wasn’t sure if I would use the t slot on the bottom or not. I never have used it. At the time all I needed was the tape on the flat between the t slots and I didn’t want to worry about flush or it moving just a bit on one side and overhanging the other so I just cut it short so that I didn’t have to worry about flush being perfect. I think it could go out flush as with the accessories we have added. Hope that helps.
For what it's worth, after a lot more research it looks like the biggest difference is that the link you initially sent for the 60" planks was VINYL plank flooring. But I had to search specifically LAMINATE flooring. Those were the specific wood planks. They're on order and will hopefully be thick enough. 👍
I'm excited! The aluminum looks good!
sorry but 1 min in and that is way too wobbly for me to watch a 30 min video about
If you check out the part 2 video (Upgrading Our DIY Table) we fix the wobble 😬 In our original build we placed the game table on top of another table which was wobbly. We have since figured out a way to attach permanent legs that have solved the wobble and overall stability of the project.
Great video! I'm inspired.
I need a version similar to Game Topper's Holmes table, which has interior dimensions of 72x36. What would be GREAT is if it had a center leaf extension of 24" so I could change the table to 48x36 when I'm not doing a massive game. Thoughts on both the entire dimensions and going with a removable leaf? Seems like a great video to make as well.
Also (and again, a great video idea), what are your thoughts on a solution to create a top for the table when not in use as a board game table? Would be neat to see a solution where cover leafs slotted into the top of the rails around the table somehow.
We have not tried a center leaf concept on any of the tables we have built but it seems very possible. We may have to try a couple of fastening options to see if there is an easy way to do it. We have done two different efforts at a top but none of them have been great. The one we have used the most is a plexiglass version that is folded in half with a duct tape hinge. It’s kinda cool because you can see everything under the cover but it is really just a cat deterrent and does not truly give you a new top … more like a cover. We are open to ideas!
This is probably what I was searching for without even knowing!!
Question though. For the bars, there's a lot of options about ( Machining for the ends ) did you go with (No Machining) ?
Correct. This was confusing at the beginning but I’ve gone with no machining and just the corner brackets to attach. One of our early attempts we did a countersink but it just added extra holes to the rails that I would rather not have.
@@DeadGoldfishProd Thank you very much ! :)
Another point for dad who beat me to the comment section again!
For the Roll-in Panel Mount Bracket, how perpendicular is it? I was thinking that one could add a small add-on board, but I'm unsure if this is at a 90 degrees to the edge to create a level plane.
I’m not positive I understand the question so this may take us a couple of back and forth to figure it out. The bracket sticks out 90 degree perpendicular from the slot but the I think the question is how high does the bracket stick up? Is it flush with the top of the rail? It sits 1 and 1/16 of an inch below the height of the rail of the game table. I put a 1/2 plywood (8x10inch) bolted onto the bracket and it sits about a half inch below the table rail top. That all might be jibberish to the question that you had. Feel free to add another comment and we will try to answer.
@@DeadGoldfishProd basically it had looked like the bracket, when inserted, was tilted down, not sitting at a full 90 degree. I just wanted to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
I hope you are still around … I’m going to answer here and try to email you. After putting a square on the bracket it was leaning at a few degrees over 90. Your eyes were not playing tricks. I did a couple of things to check on why and basically it is just the slop that lets it not be exactly perpindicular. My solve was fairly easy although not very elegant. I used a 5/16 washer and set it under the far side under the bracket and then tightened it back down. It put it back in line and for now I think that will work. We figured this out on a big shelf bracket that uses 3 brackets and each needed the washer. Thanks for asking.
@@SANSd20 Hey Christopher, I answered this publicly but wanted to make sure you knew. Your eyes were right! It was a bit more that 90 degrees and sloped downward. After a few different attempts the simplest (although not elegant) fix was a 5/16 washer that acted like a shim on the far side of the bracket. We will mention this in our next video. the fix is not elegant but seems to work great and puts in back at a perfect perpindicular from the rail side. Thanks for your question and sorry it took so long to answer … long business trip :)
Hey 8020, I work there!!!
Hey Evan, is there any chance that 8020 would send us an example of each of the ways to fasten aluminum together. We get the most questions about how to connect the extrusions together. Hahaha … I know this is like saying, Hey, you like in CA. My grandma lives out there, do you know her? Who knows where you work in the company but maybe you are a part of product development or something. I like what you guys make, I wish I had lots of money and I would buy lots of your stuff.
@@DeadGoldfishProd I actually have worked in multiple departments at 8020, I know there are some booklets with examples, and actual sample kits on our website. I believe there are also videos on UA-cam that we’ve made on fastening options. I don’t know that we have a single kit with all of the fastening options, because we just have so many, but I know there is a way to get the sample kit, that may be a good start.
This is great thanks for the wonderful diy guide. I built one of these gametable toppers for our gaming group and we love it. Being into 3d printing as well I designed a card/bits holder as well using the aluminum rollin profiles as a guide. Next I think I'll design some custom cup holder for the bar/wine glasses we usually use.
Ohhhhh Nellie … this is one of those comments that I need to show my wife to start the 3 year campaign to justify the need of a 3D printer :). Would love to see a picture. Would love to send you a sticker that you can discreetly put on the bottom side of the table. Let us know where to send it.
A friend and I are going to build 48x36 and a 48x48 very soon after seeing this. Great work and the parts list makes it super easy. Thanks
You will love it. I played on a 36x48 all afternoon. The 48x48 is probably the next one I’ll add to my garage collection. The bigger one is great for the table hog games. Also make sure you send us a pic of your finished product and we will send you a Game Garage sticker to put on the bottom side of your table. Glad you liked it!
Do you have any part # info for the piece in the corners for the 90 turn for the LED's?
Glad it was a help! Email us a picture when your done!
Thanks for the great tutorial! Thinking about building one but adding diffusers for the LEDs.
That’s a good idea! What material do you use to diffuse?? Most of the time the you are sitting high enough that the lights don’t get in your eyes to bad.
3 ft x 4 ft isn't a square. lol
I love it! Yep … your right … good catch :)
Awesome video! Just stumbled on it as a suggestion in my feed. New subscriber! Definitely going to try this out soon!
Very cool! Send us a pic when you finish and we will send you a sticker … glad you found us!
Thanks for subscribing! Hope your build goes well!
I just priced this exactly as described and, for a 3x4' vault table topper (no legs), the price would now be 350, tax and shipping to Indiana included (YMMV). That includes 4 cup holders and roll-in brackets but no tray tables or game mat.
Personally, I would add legs (per the follow-up video) and use hardboard for the vault floor with a 1x2 across the bottom (attached to the rail with T-nuts) for more solidity.
It is good to hear an updated price as it has been a while since we made the video. I hope this is helpful for those thinking about building one. The 1x2 along the underside of the vault is another one of those ideas that we thought about but have had to add. So many options with a t slot on the bottom of the table to work with. I think there are lots of options including sliding trays, tv attachments, and DM privacy boards. Thanks for your comments!
Wow, My best friend, I liked the video very much, thanks you for sharing, stay safe, stay blessed
You are welcome … glad you enjoyed it.
I have built machines with aluminum extrussions the best material and way to build mechanical structures that require precision, quick with a lot of versatility.
Totally agree!!
Very nice Idear and smooth budget table. For me I might not be able to do it, though, importing the recommended parts to Germany might be way to expensive. So I would need an expert to find such funktional "rails" in Germany. Nevertheless thank you!
If anyone out there is reading this and you come up with a European supplier we have several guys wanting to build one in Europe. We don’t know of anything but it is so popular here in USA I would guess someone is going to create it but they will probably only use the metric measurement instead of what we used (inches).
One of the standard widths for this type of extrusion is 40mm. A 4080 (40mmX80mm) extrusion is going to be basically the same size as the 15 series extrusions they used, and might be easier to find in Europe.
The extrusions are very commonly used by 3D printing and CNC hobbyists, so that might be a good place to start.
You might also look at industrial supply places.
Really love this idea. I am not a crafty person but tables are crazy expensive. This looks easy and fun to do. Also can easily do it piece meal so don't have to incur all the costs at once. How would you perhaps make it a more permanent structure and add legs and such?
We have been doing a bit of research on the various fastening methods and it looks like I’m about ready to order 4 legs at 28.5 inches each and see if we can attach legs and still insure that they are strong enough to handle the occasional Dutch Blitz train wreck that happens when the kids are playing. We will keep you posted on how it works
Thanks for this video, I plan to build a large one for our group that plays Gloomhaven. I'm very excited because I actually can build this vs some videos I've seen that while cool are WAY beyond my skill level.
Very cool! Make sure to send us a pic and we will send you a Game Garage sticker … so fun to see people building their own table!!
Awesome! This table is perfect for Gloomhaven! Definitely send us pictures!
this is bloody brilliant i shall build one.. also on the vhb, it stands for, very high bond. i use it to mount the windows on my sailboat that travels between hawaii and alaska... so if it can take the force of the pacific pounding on it i think it will work great for a gaming table. :) now to make it perfect for solo play all you have to do is mount it on a lazy susan so you can move all the minis without standing up
Another fine idea that makes me really think … I wonder how big of a susan base they make or maybe or 4 or 6 caster array around a center axis … hmmmm
We are asked about the tape more than anything and to date we have not had a tape failure with all the tables we have built. The tape is amazing.
@@The-Game-Garage the largest base is about 24" but its expensive... good ones are 18-20" for around $40. mine (12") has a metal sheet glued to it where i have two 24" metal bars with walmart magnets to stick them to the top of the lazy susan... then for whatever game im playing i can either use a single rroughly 15"x30" foam sheet with a metal sheet glued to the back to stick to the bars/susan or turn it 90 degrees and use two foam sheets this way i can indulge in my real hobby of terrain building. if im playing a board game (the various zombicide games or heroquest) i have an unpainted 15x30 foam sheet with a metal back that stands in as a table. the nice thing about all this is that it all fits into one of those large plastic tubs from walmart.
your extruded bar idea will help me expand this to create a support for the lazy susan that will let me keep all the thingies needed to play the games close at hand without having to set up two folding tables.
...and vhb tape is awesome. its also permanent so the only way im getting the windows off my boat is to grind them down to the tape.. im ok with that.
Ahhhh … the real hobby of terrain building. That is something I have dabbled in but never really jumped into. With Crossroads we have played around with various options for terrain. Thanks for sharing!!
i wonder if this would hold for a game that needs a larger table (6x4 feet for warhammer and the like)
Absolutely! The aluminum rails are really really strong. You could easily order 4 legs and put them on the four corners and it would have no problem spanning the 4 or 6 foot spans.
@@DeadGoldfishProd the rails are surprisingly well priced! once I figure out another option for the laminate flooring (all I can find is max length 50 inches) which isn't quite enough to have enough room to put the double sided tape
This is awesome! In the interest of tracking cost changes (since it’s been at least a year), I just ordered the list, exactly as is and I’m at $550. Including freight to Washington. Includes about $50 flooring from Lowes and $106 game toppers 3x4 mat. Tnutz and 80/20 shipped very fast, I’ll be assembly next week and I can’t wait! Thank you for the game plan!
That is really good to know … we might see how we can adjust that to let everyone know. It seems like everything has gone up in the last few months! I look forward to a picture!!
can you share a picture if you don't mind me asking?
Any chance you can suggest alternative companies in Europe for these parts ?
I know it is a long shot, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.
I don’t know of a place in Europe to buy these parts but I have heard of guys setting up virtual mailbox’s that allow them to get stuff sent to an address in USA then it is sent to them. I don’t know much about how all that works. If you do figure something out then let us know so that we can pass it on to others. You are not the first to try to figure it out.
loved the video thanks for the ideas! I had a thought of making one of these and having the underside of the table be a picture that when not playing the whole tabletop can be hung on the wall nearby and have a cool art to display (instead of hiding under the bed lol). Has anyone else done this?
I have not heard of anybody doing this. It would be heavy so you would want to make sure to attach to studs but it would only be a couple inches think … that would be unique … send us a pic and we will make sure to post it on the community page and send you a couple of stickers!!
Are there additional screws needed for this build? If so, what size would be correct?
They will send set screws with the angle brackets. Your end caps normally come with plastic fasteners. The tape does all the hard work. The only screws needed are for the cup holders and those are a couple of 1 inch drywall screws and another one for the top. A drywall screw with a small washers works just fine. For the table build you won’t even need a screw driver.
The cup holders are essential and absolutely worth the little bit of extra work!
This is such a cleaver idea. I would like to build one for my D&D group. With a group up to 6 people my guess is 6x4. What are your thoughts?
Great question! An inside dimension of 3x4 produces a table 42”x54” on the outside dimension. This is actually enough room for 6 people to sit around the table but really no more. Also 3x4 inside dimension may be too small for what you are trying to do. A table that is 4 feet wide means you can only reach a bit past the center of the table. This was one of my biggest questions (that’s why we talked about it for awhile on the video) before I built the first table. I think your best way to know for sure is to make either a 2x4 wooden mock-up or cut up a big piece of cardboard. I personally duct taped a few flattened boxes before realizing how big a 42x78 (3x6 interior) table was … easily sits 8. Not much of an answer but at least an answer that helps you get closer to the answer.
@Sam Brock I can definitely picture you in the Game Garage taping boxes together and having an epiphany. For some reason that mental picture makes me laugh. As for your question @Bryan Warren, Dad covered just about everything. I think one of our friends made a 4x4 (@Sam Brock can verify for me) and that one easily fits 8 people though starts to feel a little big.
This is awesome -- thank you!
Thanks a bunch!
Guys, that was a fantastic video. So thought provoking. I have a question about the shelf/tray on the roll-in bracket. I did not see the head of the bolt on the top of that tray, just the nut on the bottom. I also noted a slight shadow at the back/top of the tray that might be a fastener head. Did you just mount it on the plywood and put the tray on top of it, hiding the bolt head? If so, how are you retightening the bolt periodically?
Another question: if I build a 3-foot-by-6-foot topper, do the edges that hang out past the underlying table need to be reinforced so they don't bow down, or does the aluminum frame prevent them bowing down below the edge of the underlying table?
Thanks again. One of the best game table tutorials on UA-cam.
Thanks for your kind comment! As for your first question, I’ll have to ask Dad to answer that one. For the 3x6 you shouldn’t get much bowing. I believe we built a 6 footer and I’m fairly certain we had no bowing (though I could be wrong). The aluminum is pretty rigid stuff.
We did a couple different versions of the tray. Best version uses a half inch thick piece of plywood that we countersunk on the top side so that the bolt with the nut on was on the bottom. Then on top we cut out a quarter inch thick sheet of plywood for the framework that holds the mouse pad in place. The outside dimension of the tray is 12.5x10 inches and the inside dimension of the frame that holds the mouse pad is 11.25x8.625 (which fits an 8x11 mousepad nicely. The frame covers up the head of the countersunk bolt unless you cut out a notch on the frame. We have not had to tighten up so far. I took a few pics of the tray that should clarify and I'll see if Bodie can get them posted or linked so you can see what I am attempting to write.
You don't have to reinforce the hangover. The aluminum extrusions give you all the stability that you need. It all feels really stout.
Thanks for your questions. That was the hardest part of our how to was anticipating the questions of those of you who are serious about building one. I built a wood fired pizza oven a couple years ago and I appreciated the few youtube videos that showed you the details along with the end product.
Thanks, Sam. I figured that you had sandwiched the bolt between the layers on the tray. I have been trying to develop a two part table topper like the Game Topper. I want a wooden leaning ledge, and I have almost figured out how to mount them on top of the aluminum. I have a lot of stuff figured out, but I found your video very informative. Cheers.
Is it possible to build an actual table rather than a topper? Using some legs that slot into the t-slots underneath? So that you can add or remove them as needed? That way you end up with a truly portable table.
A couple people have mentioned this and we are hoping to explore some possibilities in a future video.
@@The-Game-Garage That would be cool, I was trying to think how you might be able to use those roll in clips and some light weight legs and angled braces.
I think alternatively if you bought a cheap ikea or folding table, you could mount the aluminum rails directly to that instead of the laminate flooring.
I've been considering building a table. This is a totally wicked idea. Thank you for putting out the video.
You are welcome … it’s always fun to discover an idea that you can accomplish … we look forward to seeing a picture of your build!
Your welcome! We're pumped to see others enjoying @Sam Brock's idea
Nice video.
Thank you!
Thanks!
Very interesting
I don’t suppose you build and ship the tables? If so how much?
Ugggh … we have built a bunch of tables but they are all for camp. This really is one of those things that we do for fun as a hobby. We have no interest in trying to start a side gig (wait … a gig is on the side … right?). I believe that if someone was willing to build these there would be a market for those that rather just spend a few bucks and get a cheaper table than most out there. We would happily let others know if someone decides to make this one of their business products.
Sparkling Water > Pepsi.
Your right!! Living in the desert there is nothing better that ice cold water on a hot day … but I must admit I indulge in a Pepsi most everyday … but I don’t drink coffee. Bodie loves his coffee … and water :)
I'm going to have to disagree with you. Here's the Definitive List: Water>Coffee>Pepsi>Sparkling Water>Grapefruit Juice>Lima Beans
@@The-Game-Garage Lima Beans hahahahaah!
THIS! This is the diy game table I’ve been looking for but didn’t even know existed. I’m going 3x6 because I don’t think I own any games that are 4x4 (some war games but mine are only 3x3 mats). For starter I’ll use 2 of my 3x3 mats from FLG until I can cough up the nice big 3x6 from GameToppers. Then again… your idea of a whiteboard isn’t terrible as an insert for RPGs. I had a friend that had a glass top table that he mounted a white bedsheet below and drew on the glass as we advances the story. That later went to a high top table with a short throw projector below to throw the map onto the table from the underside and our minis on top. 🤔 All great ideas but I think I need to make this rails table first. Maybe then I’ll make a dedicated folding leg structure. Time will tell. Table first. GREAT Video! 👍👍🤙
Can’t wait to see your creation. Send us a pic and snail mail addy and we will send you a Game Garage sticker. Home Depot has a white board that is 1/8 inch thick and 4x8 in size and under $20. It is not perfect white board material but it would easily work for a grid and a bit of writing and erasing. A piece of plexiglass as the floor of the vault would be more expensive but that would allow you to set the table on any surface even like a painters drop cloth could have a grid drawn up on it … ohhhh the possibilities are endless.
If you come up with something for the legs send the idea our way! Glad to hear the table fits what your looking for.
@@DeadGoldfishProd you said “plexiglass floor”no “set on any surface”… like a map? 😋 Ok, structurally speaking, plexiglass sags the wider the sheet and we couldn’t have braces go across and then still be usable as clear buuuuuuuuuut… we could keep the opaque bottom with supports and then put a map/prints on the table and then cover with that with a smaller sheet pf plexy (2x2ish) for dry erase doodles. Maybe even on with a grid on one side to help with free form movements? The possibilities are endless. 😉
I worked at 80/20 15 years ago in the shipping department. Great company, excellent product.
I wish I had a sample of everything they make. So many options and so many things I want to build!!
This is the best gaming table DIY video I have ever seen!! THANK YOU so much for doing this...I am definitely building mine this month....THANK YOU!!!!
You are very welcome! Send us a picture and your snail mail addy when you are done and we will send a Game Garage Sticker. I know its not much but it is fun for us to hear of other people building one. Enjoy!!
Glad you enjoyed! We are looking forward to seeing it and like dad said, email us a picture and your address and we will send you a game garage sticker!