Sorry, I'm not following? Also, I don't have any woodworking tools or a shop to work in (or the skills), so part of my goal is to have a build that doesn't require much more than a screwdriver and a wrench.
Easy DIY Gaming Table (no woodworking)
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The Soloist
Hero
The Soloist
Hero
When I was a student, I build my table with a regular hand saw and a screw driver.
The Soloist
Hero
A miter box is an essential tool for the low tech builds: How To Use A Miter Box (Cut Wood Without Power Saws) - Anika's DIY Life
Maybe you could share instructions for your build in another thread? I'd like to keep this one focused on the table I'm building.
The Soloist
Hero
Okay, I'll leave to your Soliloquy.
I welcome your thoughts and advice on the table I'm actually building! I made a deliberate choice to build it out of t-slot extruded aluminum (so I can hang accessories from the sides), to a 4'x6' size, with legs, with a built-in gaming mat, and without woodworking. Your table is wooden, a different size, doesn't have legs, doesn't have accessory rails, appears to be painted (no mat), and involves woodworking. It's a completely different approach that deserves a thread of its own.
The Soloist
Hero
That is not my table. It’s a picture to show the internal structure. Carry on.
LordEntrails
Legend
I love AL extrusions, great stuff and very adaptable like you've figured out. I suspect your design will come with some cross members. And with have taller than wide members. Without any calculations I would start with 1x2" extrusions around the outside. Then 1/2x1" cross members. But you will have to make sure the recess depth is what you want. are you hoping for a flush top or a sunken one?
I will say, if someone is actually going to be standing on it, you will need fairly stout legs so they don't buckle, and you will need to brace them since climbing up, moving, etc will put a lot of lateral load on them. So corner braces or similar types of supports. (Take a look at how your kitchen table legs are attached to the top).
I will say, if someone is actually going to be standing on it, you will need fairly stout legs so they don't buckle, and you will need to brace them since climbing up, moving, etc will put a lot of lateral load on them. So corner braces or similar types of supports. (Take a look at how your kitchen table legs are attached to the top).
Thanks, this is the sort of feedback I was hoping for when I started this thread.
My drawings on the first page are a bit outdated, but mostly correct (the second set overrides and builds on the first set). I'm using 80/20's 1530-S-Black extrusions, which are 3" wide by 1.5" deep. So the tabletop will be sunk 1.5" and the outer rail will be 3" wide on all sides. The corners will be joined with a 45° mitered edge. The top will be clamped to the outer rail from the bottom by two 1530-S cross members that are also 3" wide by 1.5" deep, along with 4365-Black plates on the sides that are 3" wide by 6" long. (See the second drawing.)
This is my biggest concern. I'm currently using 3015-S-Black extrusions for the legs, with 3" corner braces (80/20's 4336-Black 4-Hole Inside Corner Gusset). I'm not 100% sure how to calculate the load, but I'm treating it like a cantilever, where the floor is the attachment point. The leg is 27.5" long, but with the corner brace I'm treating it like a 24.5" long cantilever. With those assumptions, I get 1" of deflection at 1,011 pounds of lateral force perpendicular to the 3" side of the leg and 1" of deflection at 3,698 pounds of lateral force perpendicular to the 1.5" side.
The yield strength of 80/20's extrusions is 35,000 psi so I'm assuming I'm okay. But I don't really know. Would love a cross-check if you know better.
(The elasticity of 80/20 extrusions is 10,000,000. The moment of intertia for the 3015-S is 0.4957 on the 3" side and 1.8127 on the 1.5" side.)
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