I have been playing around with different configurations for a custom table and wanted to note some things I’ve landed on that I really like. A main one thing is having the map mounted so that it can slide around as needed on top of a bigger playing area. My table is 65” x 95” in total with a 5.5” arm rest around the outside and the middle is a recessed neoprene surface. I have the OOB Global map mounted on 1/2” rigid foam with a 1/2” aluminum frame around it. This allows the map to slide up close to whoever’s turn it is, but then be in the middle so both players can roll dice In front of them without disturbing the map and in easy view of the other player. (Plus we like lots of room to roll the bones). This ability to adjust the surface along with a standing height, makes it comfortable for long uses because you can move around more and don’t feel as tied down.
Things I’ve learned and changed from original design - I originally used too big of a frame for the map and mounted it on too high of a foam block (you can see these pictures at the bottom) - it made it hard to see the other player’s dice and the big frame took up too much real estate. My global map is mounted on much thinner foam (the framing is bad, you can see if you look closely) but I also used much thinner aluminum angle for the frame. This gives just enough grip when needing to move the map around (I use furniture slides on the bottom, which glide very nicely on the neoprene) but doesn’t make the whole thing too bulky. Having it an inch or so off the surface keeps the dice off, but isn’t so heigh that you can’t see the other player’s dice rolls. When playing other versions (such as Zombies) the board is much smaller, but it can easily swap in and out on the same table since it can move around where ever it is needed or be pushed aside.
I originally made it normal table height, but found long reaches while sitting were harder and it just felt cramped. Standing height with a bar stool is a great way to have the best of both worlds.
The 5.5” rim around the table itself gives you a nice arm rest that doesn’t interfere with the gaming surface. I’m playing with how to best add some cushion to this part - open to suggestions. Sometimes I just lay a piece of leftover neoprene on it.
Dice bounce nice on the neoprene and stay off the floor. It also feels nice and has enough give to allow things to slide but be picked up easily. Wouldn’t definitely go with neoprene again as a surface covering.
I made the drawers open to the inside of the table so you can stay hunched over the action while accessing and stowing stuff away. 50/50 on whether I would keep this if I were to do it again. If I were doing it again, I might try to build customer drawers form scratch using actual drawer glides, but that was beyond my ability when I first did this, so I just used clear plexiglass boxes with aluminum pulls mounted on them. It’s nice having them clear, and I was happy with how the pulls came out, but without glides they can be a little fussy sliding in and out of their slots.
I originally designed the table so that I could put a cover surface back on top when not in use, but find I don’t really ever do that, so if I were to do it again, I might not mess with that part (I never even finished staining those as you can see in the pictures).
CF362D52-269F-4480-8CBB-08139099138F.jpeg A9E12EA1-66EB-4671-86AC-68C62FD30AD5.jpeg 858DE1F2-030A-4D5A-93E4-70A7D1180ADB.jpeg 8F513EE0-DA37-4BA9-880E-4D5EF7BF431F.jpeg F0188165-757B-4CC1-BF67-5045832283C9.jpeg 2E3CD627-0D31-4121-ACF8-682F9F58A40B.jpeg
AA50 3-D Terrain Gaming Table (COMPLETED July 20, 2010)
-
Except for putting on some legs (Currently sitting on top of my poker table), this is now COMPLETE! Very difficult to get good photos with the plexiglass top on. :(
AA50 1942 Setup
The Mediterranean and Africa 1942
Europe 1942
Japan vs China 1942
-
WOW! I will be there TOMORROW!
-
:-o Holy crap! That is wicked! Great Job!
-
WOW Just WOW,
this table is crying out for some painted minatures and it could win awards!
-
Holy Sh!* (censored by a man in a black suit.) Anyways what does it say under Mongolia?
-
@Dylan:
Holy Sh!* (censored by a man in a black suit.) Anyways what does it say under Mongolia?
Impassible
-
WOW Just WOW,
this table is crying out for some painted minatures and it could win awards!
Those are coming next. ;)
-
Rorschach -
That i one beautiful labor of love! sure wish i lived close enough to come play on it.
Thoes426 :evil: -
Yes thats very nice artwork. You should post that at harrisgamedesign. Larry might get some ideas from it.
-
You just need to get allworkandnoclay’s painted Minitures
-
no kidding. WOW! ……lets all take a moment to apreacheat what he has done for the AaA comunity
what the hell are you talking about
-
We have been playing on this board for about 2 months now… AWESOME!!!
Rorschach: Allies
Jeremy: Axis
Turn 15 and still no clear winner or advantage! (we play one hour a week)
The board is even more impressive in person… where you can see the 3D terrain.
-
Nice job. It seems from the pictures you have a sheet of glass over the board to keep the units from tipping, rigth?
You could have painted at the borders, IPC values, territory names etc. on the glass. That way you could easily use the 3D map for different games by changing the glass overlay :)
-
You could have painted at the borders, IPC values, territory names etc. on the glass. That way you could easily use the 3D map for different games by changing the glass overlay :)
I think that having different sheets of painted glass for different games would be an expensive proposition. I don’t know how much Rorschach’s setup cost him, but the acrylic sheet which covers my own AA50 table set me back over a hundred bucks.
-
@CWO:
You could have painted at the borders, IPC values, territory names etc. on the glass. That way you could easily use the 3D map for different games by changing the glass overlay :)
I think that having different sheets of painted glass for different games would be an expensive proposition. I don’t know how much Rorschach’s setup cost him, but the acrylic sheet which covers my own AA50 table set me back over a hundred bucks.
Yeah, I originally was going to etch all the borders onto the acrylic, but when you’re looking at $50 (give or take) per sheet for this size it would be far too expensive. But, to be honest, the sheet is so close to the table anyway there is absolutely no mistaking the territories, so it’s all good.
And this way, if we want to play a different game, we just pop in a flat MDF panel underneath instead of the AA50 board and you’re good to go!
The entire table (not counting countless hours of time) cost me about $150 … still no legs on it though.
And, Jeremy and I finally finished our game. 17 rounds, 9 weeks (about an hour and a quarter, hour and a half a week) … Allied Victory when the Brits waltzed into a sparsely defended Berlin.
Suggested Topics
