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I originally made it normal table height, but found long reaches while sitting were harder and it just felt cramped.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
Highlighting the map borders
-
Similar to others, we’re having a very hard time with many of the land borders in the 2e map, especially around the Russia/Germany areas. I would like to highlight all of the land borders on the map but wanted to ask you experts what you have used, or think would work best, as a highlight color, black or white? Obviously a black marker is easy to obtain but I believe there are white paint pens that would work for white lines, but I haven’t used them so it would be a stab in the dark.
Any suggestions for us old(er) folk with poor eyes? Yes, I’m already wearing new glasses. :-P
-
I tried a silver sharper but a black sharper pen looks just fine. I have done all my maps since anniversary and they look great. I’ll post some pics tomorrow. Do it, you’ll be glad you did.
-
hkytown1, I’d be grateful if you could post some pics too as I’ve been hearing a lot about this ‘sharpee’ or ‘sharpeeing’ and am curious to see what it’s all about, thank you. :-)
-
Just got home from work and hitting the showers, I’ll get them up soon.
-
Here is teh 1941 map marked and unmarked for comparison. I’ll post my other maps when I have more time.
-
Here is teh 1941 map marked and unmarked for comparison. I’ll post my other maps when I have more time.
Whoah!!! Your lines make a HUGE improvement to visual identification.
Can you tell us:
-
What marker make and model and color you used?
-
How you applied the lines?
-
How moch wider did you make the lines, if any?
-
Any other tips or things to avoid?
-
-
I use just a black sharpie, not like the normal autograph ones, it’s a little fatter. I am at work now but I can also post a pick of the pen tomorrow.
There isn’t much to it bro, all I do is trace the lines, going slow and trying to stay on the lines. The fatter sharpie works best for this. The map is great but once you get all those pieces in Europe, they all just run together. These dark borders solve the problem nicely.
Make sure your cat doesn’t jump on the table while tracing. They love to rub there faces on the cap. Haha.
Give it a try man. You’ll enjoy the game more.
I’ll post my other maps tomorrow.
-
Here are the rest of the maps.
-
Thanks. I need to do that: I have problems seeing lines. (!)
-
Here are the rest of the maps.
Nice. It looks like the lines in these pics are red, but you said you used a black marker. Color problem in pics?
-
They do look red but the pen I used is indeed black.
-
Automotive detailing tape, or the white-out rolls available at a stationary store will work well also.
-
The sharpie I use is a “Super Sharpie.” My wife is a school teacher and she had it lying around so I told her I needed to put this pen to good use instead of her writing “F” on everyone’s tests with it. :-D
-
I highlighted my 1942-2e map. My first pass I only highlighted the inner land borders. After some thought I decided to highlight the perimeter around every land territory (excluding islands that aren’t legal game territories) and I’m happy with the results. I can’t wait to play a game on it! 8-)
-
Now that looks outstanding! I may have to do all my country borders as well. Nice job P.
-
Very nice! A person really needs a steady hand to do something like this.
-
You mean I could do it after a couple of large drinks?
Excellent work. I should try as I am blind , but I have no hand skills! -
@wittmann:
You mean I could do it after a couple of large drinks?
Excellent work. I should try as I am blind , but I have no hand skills!Many years ago, in a magazine which included graphic novel style comic strips, there was one segment which told the fictitious story of a worthless and rather low-life World War One infantryman who could only shoot straight when he was drunk. The drunker he got, the more of a sharpshooter he became. So one day, his commanding officer gets him sloshed on several bottles of vintage Bordeaux wine, gives him a rifle, and positions him outdoors in an area of the front over which the Red Baron was known to fly every day. The guy whose wine had been confiscated for this purpose is furious, but the officer responds by indicating the drunk sharpshooter and saying “He needs to concentrate.” The sharpshooter, of course, manages to bring down the Red Baron with a single rifle shot…but in a twist of fate, it’s the pilot who was pursuing the Red Baron at the time who gets the credit, while the sharpshooter gets killed by a bomb shortly thereafter (in the middle of a second drinking binge).
-
Marc, did you not hear the Red Baron never died?
We discovered it on this forum. Maybe you missed the thread. -
They proved the red baron was hit by a rifle round from the ground…
Suggested Topics
