Making A Custom Gaming Table

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hollowheel

First Post

• Jun 10, 2015

• #11

I tote a cheap 43" LED flatscreen (base removed) to games. I slide it onto the table and run maps on Photoshop from my laptop via an HDMI cable. Easy peasy. Since its not a Plasma, heat is not a problem. I've considered getting a piece of thick clear plastic to protect the screen, but honestly, its pretty durable, and we use plastic miniatures.

Highly recommended if you have about $300 to spare.

 

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Nebulous

Legend

• Jun 10, 2015

• #12

hollowheel said:

I tote a cheap 43" LED flatscreen (base removed) to games. I slide it onto the table and run maps on Photoshop from my laptop via an HDMI cable. Easy peasy. Since its not a Plasma, heat is not a problem. I've considered getting a piece of thick clear plastic to protect the screen, but honestly, its pretty durable, and we use plastic miniatures.

Highly recommended if you have about $300 to spare.

Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I'm tired of printing maps, it's too time intensive.

 

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tomBitonti

Adventurer

• Jun 10, 2015

• #13

LED's can get pretty warm, too, although, I don't have a comparison with plasmas. I use an LED monitor at home for my home computer setup, and it seems to have quite a bit of warm air rolling off it most of the time.

Thx!

TomB

 

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tomBitonti

Adventurer

• Jun 10, 2015

• #14

Hi,

Any details on the exact material for the surface, and on how the lets and monitor are mounted? Also, how are the wood pieces joined?

I can make the wood cuts pretty easy, and drill holes for mounting, say, the legs, but the hardware and mounting details would be very useful.

Edit: I can see the 2 by 4's, which seem to be used to make a frame for the top pieces and as mount points for the legs. Any chance of an underside photo for all of that?

Thx!

TomB

 

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machineelf

Explorer

• Jun 10, 2015

• #15

I think I'd still go with a home theater projector mounted above the table.

 

H

hollowheel

First Post

• Jun 10, 2015

• #16

tomBitonti said:

LED's can get pretty warm, too, although, I don't have a comparison with plasmas. I use an LED monitor at home for my home computer setup, and it seems to have quite a bit of warm air rolling off it most of the time.

Thx!

TomB

Click to expand...

Just so people aren't put off of this solution-- I use the same size Plasma (actually it's 42") for TV viewing, and the heat it puts off is in an entire different league than my gaming LED. We play in a fairly small place (1 DM/6 players) and no one has noticed any heat issues. YMMV.

 

Maul

Explorer

• Jun 11, 2015

• #17

I built mine about 4 years ago seen here: http://img00.deviantart.net/0e75/i/2012/359/d/a/game_table_2_0_finished_by_cyderak-d5p60vd.jpg


It looks like Jan-Oliver Ohloff built his table for affordability. Mine was built to last.

Setting the TV an Inch or two below the level of the table distorts the actual location of the minis depending on where you are positioned at the table, thats why I just placed a plexi-glass sheet right onto the TV screen. No distortion.

I also raised the screen 1 inch up off of the table surface to avoid stray dice from making their way onto the TV.

And lastly, those drinks being that close to the monitor would make me really nervous. Thats why I installed cup holders to keep drinks away from the screen.

I know alot of this seems like I am poo poo-ing Jan-Oliver Ohloff's table but I'm not, I'm just observing what he built and pointing out how I would have done it differently.

 

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tomBitonti

Adventurer

• Jun 11, 2015

• #18

Nice table. Do you ever find that you need a space for a mat, or, is there a different table for that?

Thx!

TomB

 

Olaf the Stout

Hero

• Jun 11, 2015

• #19

Jester Canuck said:

Nope. Sandpoint from Rise of the Runelords.

Click to expand...

Ah, I probably should have guessed that from the Pathfinder books on the table.

 

delericho

Legend

• Jun 11, 2015

• #20

secondhander said:

I think I'd still go with a home theater projector mounted above the table.

Click to expand...

Yeah. There's a guy in my group who has metal dice. Even just thinking about using those on this table is... uncomfortable.