I am thinking about making my own Ping Pong Table. I want it to be a good one, like some of the professional tables, so I need 1 inch of
25mm MDF. The two table tops would be 5 x 4 1/2 each, which is not an easy size to find. Any idea if that can be dound? Looking on the internet, I did see some wholesalers that have something like 2600mm x 2260mm or close to that, Some may be moisture resistant.
Do any of you have blueprints for making a table that folds up and has casters?
I was thinking of using PVC piping instead of square metal tubes for the legs. How does that sound? They key will be to make it so that the table tops meet or come within 5/16 to a half inch of each other. I would think, if I don't use the PVC, making a metal base might mae the project out of the question.
A good table, made out of 25mm MDF sells for from $500 to $1,000.
If you do a Google Groups search, you can find all the responses you received the first time you posted this here. :-)
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com You must use your REAL email address to get a response.
Online I found assembly instructions for some tables and you can ideas from that. Stiga uses 25mm MDF (they call it just plain Fiberboard on their outdoor tables and from 10 to 25 mm Melamin Resin board for their all weather tables, which I assume shouldn't be left out in the rain. I don't see why this can't be done and end up with a great table for under $200. And if something happens to the surface, I'll be able to replace it.
It seems that getting the wood is possible. My friend's father makes furniture and I bet he can get me the wood. I'll have to handle the wood without damaging it.
Actually, once I have the wood and paint it, I can put the two pieces on some kind of pre-formed legs, especially if the table will be somewhat stationary. However, I'd rather have it fold up into itself. I'm not sure if the playback is really practical; what do think? I think I could get away with making the base out of the pvc pipes. They're easy to cut and connect and there is no welding, which I couldn't do anyway.
From the base, I can have the pipe go up to the table top and I think, by putting two brackets into the wood and two holes through the PVC tube I can connect the legs from the base with a bolt threaded on two sides for some kind of nut. I think I can buy the legs for the back of each top. Of course, I have to put everything in the right place or else the table will either have a big gap or an overlap preventing it to open properly.
The base can be made out of 2 or even 3 inch pipe. It needs to be very sturdy for that mass of wood. I can put casters on them. But the legs coming up from the base will be smaller so that the connection to each table top will be easier. The base has to have some strength because of all that wood and I'd like it to be stable.
Most of the premium tables have a big wood apron around all the edges except the two edges that come together but even there you can recess a brace. Are the edges enough to prevent warping They are probably connected with buscuits and glue.
I wanted the plans was because all this has to fit together without too many mistakes and planning the sizes and positions have to be very precise. Could be scary!
Thanks for the invitation to play but I'm in NY. I actually joined the USTTA about 10 years ago. I went to the US Open when it was in the Nassau Colliseum and that was quite a thrill.
I know I should probably just by a Stiga table but the idea of doing this myself is a real kick!
Original from dlcpa
--------------------------------------
I am thinking about making my own Ping Pong Table. I want it to be a good one, like some of the professional tables, so I need 1 inch of
25mm MDF. The two table tops would be 5 x 4 1/2 each, which is not an easy size to find. Any idea if that can be dound? Looking on the internet, I did see some wholesalers that have something like 2600mm x 2260mm or close to that, Some may be moisture resistant.
Do any of you have blueprints for making a table that folds up and has casters?
I was thinking of using PVC piping instead of square metal tubes for the legs. How does that sound? They key will be to make it so that the table tops meet or come within 5/16 to a half inch of each other. I would think, if I don't use the PVC, making a metal base might mae the project out of the question.
A good table, made out of 25mm MDF sells for from $500 to $1,000.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Fly-by-Night CC ( snipped-for-privacy@easystreet.com)
You might also consider birch cabinet plywood (of the Baltic or Russian Birch variety) - not your standard Borg plywood - visit a hardwood dealer supplying cabinet shops. These sheets come in 5'x5' dimensions and have smooth surfaces with no divots or nasty voids.
From: Doug Miller ( snipped-for-privacy@milmac.com) PS -- if you live in or near Indianapolis, email me offline (see my sig for the real email address). We oughta get together and play a few games sometime. And I can tell you where to buy the MDF if you're still set on making your own table.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Doug Miller ( snipped-for-privacy@milmac.com)
The home center stores don't carry MDF any wider than 49", but dealers that supply cabinetmaking shops do. It's typically available in 5x9,
5x10, and 5x12 sheets. These are all 1" oversize, so a nominal 5x9 is actually 61"x145", which is long enough to give you two 60"x54" pieces even after allowing for the saw kerf across the middle.
Can't help there. But I suspect that you're getting into the territory where it might be more practical to buy one.
Better go with _at_least_ 1" Schedule 80 pipe for stiffness. How will you attach it?
half inch of each other.
out of the question.
You'll need some sort of frame for it anyway, to prevent it from sagging under its own weight. Aluminum angle might work.
Any table made of 25mm MDF would fall into the "premium" category, not "good". Likewise, anything in that price range (assuming you mean US dollars) falls into the "premium" category. You can get a perfectly fine table, with a 3/4" MDF top, for US $300 to $400. Here's one example:
formatting link
you're sufficiently serious about the sport that you truly need, and can benefit from, a premium table -- and you may well be, for all I know -- then you're also serious enough about it that, before making one, you'll want to visit the USATT's web site and have a look at the specifications for tables. In particular, I'd think that, before going to the expense and effort of buying and transporting a 5x9' sheet of 1" MDF (it's heavy, and you can't lay it down flat in a pickup truck), you'd want to make sure that it actually meets the bounce height specifications -- especially making sure that the ball doesn't bounce too _high_. It probably does meet spec, but I'd check first if it were me.
And if you're *not* that serious about the sport, then you should be looking at something *much* less expensive, for example
formatting link
can buy that, or something like it, cheaper than you can make one.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check with some local cabinet shops. They can (if they will) get you a 5' X 10' sheet that actually measures 61" X 121" so you can get your desired sizes without losing anything to saw kerfs.
I'm making a very wild guess that in 1" thickness this will cost you about $80 per sheet.
I built a ping pong table with legs made from 2x2 poplar, rails made of
1x4s, and apron made of 1x3s. They're assembled with pocket screws, with glue on selected joints only so that the whole system can be broken down into three subassemblies of two legs and rails each for storage or transportation. The apron is attached to the top via three pieces of
1x1x.125" angle iron and some screws. The angle iron also serves to stiffen the top somewhat (3/4" baltic birch laminated to 1/4" oak veneer ply). The whole thing is VERY solid. Much more so than any ping pong table I've ever seen. Though admittedly I've never played on a $1000 ping pong table before. It is actually a good looking table. The top is banded with solid oak stained white with the oak veneer ply stained dark blue. A solid oak center stripe (also stained white) is inlaid in the plywood top. Can post pictures if you're interested. Good luck with your project.
Your table sounds great. I'd love to see pictures to see how everything is attached. The way I am visualizing what you did, the legs and the rails can stand alone and the two table tops are screwed into them, with glue. You say there is glue on selected joints, do you mean where the legs are attached? Are there two tables that you bring together or are those rails part of a base that allows the table sides to fold up.
I'm not real used to woodworking names so maybe I am not linking up things correctly.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.