Cheap DIY Gaming TV Table THAT'S PORTABLE!

Ever want to build a table with a TV or projector in it to play Dungeons and Dragons? Here is how you can build your own Ultimate D&D Gaming Table AND have it be portable! Bring on the Gaming Table!
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Stuff I talked about in the video:
Neoprene Mat: bit.ly/2W9lvRp
Kreg Jig: amzn.to/2AYyexk
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Ikea $4 legs: www.ikea.com/u...
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[@Taking20]

Check out Elderwood! Everything - bit.ly/ElderwoodBoxes Hex Chests - bit.ly/ElderwoodHexChests Spell Scroll Dice Towers - bit.ly/ElderwoodDiceTower Spellbooks - bit.ly/ElderwoodSpellbook Deck Boxes - bit.ly/ElderwoodDeckBox Stuff I talked about in the video: Neoprene Mat: bit.ly/2W9lvRp Kreg Jig: amzn.to/2AYyexk Vesa Mount: amzn.to/2RWmzJ7 Wireless HDMI: amzn.to/2RZIdvL Ikea $4 legs: www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70217973/

[@joshuaehl1481]

Does it have to be a PC?

[@LandonTheDM]

Hey, do you remember the exact neoprene mat you got (and how much)? You may have said it in the video, but the link seems to go to a general neoprene page.

[@ethanh9275]

I understand it may be difficult to find, but why not get a thin plastic sheet to protect the screen? It would be flexible and partially shield the screen from scratches.

[@innezka]

did you build the table around the tv or was it a bought table that had space? also how big of a tv did you use. if you said it i probably missed it but i will watch again when i get to building. love your videos, keep up the great content. (p.s i love your dogs.)

[@loganjamesonhatch5050]

Not as good as kittens

[@liamg5762]

Pleeeease turn this into a series! Name suggestion: D&DIY

[@Taking20]

Hmmmmmmmmmm ok seriously.... hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@bwaresunlight]

I concur.

[@Gonzah]

I concur X2

[@xDFinalLeoJx]

I concur x3

[@IzraelGraves]

For real, this is a fantastic idea. Help us make our games better.

[@Faracon]

After putting a screen in my table, I also put a small monitor in front of me that faces the players. This screen is what I use to show off pictures of monsters, characters, places, etc. It helps set the mood. Its also useful for a showing off a massive scary timer that puts the players butts in gear during tense moments. Other useful things - initiative tracker, voice modulation when voicing certain characters or monsters (so the sound comes from me and not in the middle of the table as this gets kinda confusing). It has quite a few uses that would take up space on the map screen.

[@EverflameArt]

How would you set that up?

[@crownlexicon5225]

@@EverflameArt same as any other monitor you set up. Idt I could do it with my laptop since I only have 1 hdmi port, but it would be the same as connecting to the TV, unless it's an older monitor

[@Lorentari]

For all you DIYs out there, the cheaper and easier alternative to the neoprene mat is using a felt mat (which you can glue to each of the two extensions)

[@TheMento98]

love this idea so much more especially the gluing part, I couldn't help but keep looking past him during the video to look at how wavy the neoprene mat was and where it was sticking up in spots. Not gluing the mat down makes it looks tacky and cheap and it adds an additional to setup which kinda goes against the idea of being portable because its one more thing to lug around whereas if he had just glued it down it would look cleaner and be even more portable.

[@KH-tl3iw]

Put some glad press n seal wrap on the tv screen. It will stick and when it looks really bad it’s easy to replace and shouldn’t give you that floating pieces illusion

[@Taking20]

Interesting

[@rpeterson9182]

Do they sell a clear one? I’ve only seen semi-opaque press n’ seal. Does it leave a residue on the LCD screen if it’s on there for an extended period?

[@KH-tl3iw]

Rosalie Peterson hey Rosa, there isn’t a clear one, but from what I understand there isn’t any ACTUALadhesive to it and when it’s pressed against the screen you should reall notice the opaqueness and it might even kill glare if that’s an issue. I’ll do some googling for you.

[@KH-tl3iw]

Rosalie Peterson welp! Good ole askscience reddit had me covered: there is a chemical, but I’d assume it’s safe since it’s fda approved( that’s a fallacy I know) here’s the source with links to THEIR sources. Lmk if you tried it and how it worked. www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/k9ocg/how_the_hell_does_press_seal_wrap_work/#ampf=undefined

[@kylebeatty7643]

@@KH-tl3iw don't blame the FDA for greedy food factories poisoning the food supply

[@akbroste309]

Thank you SO VERY MUCH! Using your video I constructed a similar table that my players LOVED! I ended up “upholstering” the extensions with marine vinyl from a fabric store instead of the neoprene mat and it worked well. This took our gaming to the next level, and the portability means we can set up in our living room, but still return it to normal afterwards. Thanks again!

[@madzapple]

I think what I realise I need is to build a frame for my TV screen. That way I can take the legs off it and use it for live sessions but then stand it up straight for online sessions. This vid inspired me to get my C grade Year 8 wood working skills back on scratch.

[@SamIAm-kz4hg]

Do what I did. Buy a refurbished 4K 50" TV for about $360 CAN and then you can build a permanent table.

[@adidas2684]

In the off chance you ever see this comment 4 years later...would you maybe be able to do a quick video showing if/how your table has held up over these last 4 years? Anything you would do differently after having used it for the last 4 years? Something you wish you had added or done differently? Any problems or difficulties with it 4 years later? I'd like to build a portable table as well and I'm curious what lessons have been learned over the last 4 years that you might apply today if you were to build a new one?

[@SquidgySapphic]

I bought an Elderwood Spellbook box a while back and, I have to say, it is one of the most beautifully crafted things I own, let alone one of the coolest D&D accessories - definitely recommend 👌

[@TheDungineer]

Thanks for the info! I'll have to check them out!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Great video. Amazing how the pets always steal the show!

[@Exilesandninja]

Are you high?

[@gettingpolitical]

Trade tips: 1. You need plexiglass to protect your tv screen, you can add Optix clear non-glare acrylic sheets on the inside of the plexiglass (this eliminates glare from the TV and gives minor magnification (which depending on the space between the TV and glass will eliminate the visual space between the glass and your tv). 2. You can buy double rubber seal n' peal (25.00 for 25ft roll) (get the roll that doesn't have the aluminium side) to use as table top material, you can paint it or put felt over it, etc. Peal n seal already comes with one side with adhesive so glue not required. 3. Use MDF board, it's much lighter than all other woods used in table making and it's cheap. (It being lighter also means it's weaker so don't stand on the table or let your kids do it). 4. If you install a tv have either A) upper passive air vents built into table or B) install fans into the frame the tv is mounted blowing air into the bottom of the tv vents or side (never the top vents of tv). The reason for this is, TV's produce heat and radiation like any other entertainment device, the tv is not designed to lay on its side so the heat produced from the internal components will come up on the back of the tv screen. Yes some heat will escape through vents but not until the inner components heat up. If you live in a cold environment like Maine or Canada you really have nothing to worry about until summer (humidity) and if you live in hotter climates like Texas or CA. You want fans blowing in because the summer heat can kill you tv. So taking two computer fans and rigging them in to blow air through dramatically decreases odds of damage.

[@falonsherrard6004]

My husband and I converted the leaf of our kitchen table to be able to drop an extra 32 inch tv we had from upgrading out VG set up. Boom, cheap DND tv table and, on the rare occasions we've had to use it when non DND people are over, it's made for an awesome center peice (we used it for our family Christmas and I put a slideshow of snowmen, Santa's, and other stuff on it. It was great)

[@Metalpanzerwolf]

For cutting projects like that neoprene I suggest using a rotary cutter from Fiskars or Olfa in conjunction with a metal yard stick for long straight cuts. I use them to cut all kinds of stuff including leather and other fabrics. They work on all kinds of stuff. No crafting kit should be without one. Thanks for sharing Cody!

[@absolutlush]

That's the first thing I thought of when he said he was using a razor/ scissors. My wife's a quilter and we have the rotary cutters all over the place.

[@sokesamurai]

This was a great and informative video. And in my head I can still hear "Elderwood, get your wood on."

[@atxdelite]

Being a visual learner and a writer, showing me rather than telling me would have made your video much better. That being said this is a great idea. Thank you for sharing it.

[@Arynemily]

Amazing table, if possible could you provide a full design blueprint you used to make it? Kinda mostly confused on how the TV holder was made. You're the best, I was always way to detached from the other tables as they were in the thousands of dollars

[@4ofSix]

You could use a Chromecast as a wireless solution to get maps to the tv. You can set your computer to think the Chromecast is a second display, so you still can do other things on your main laptop display.

[@Jorphdan]

That B-Roll Though 😎

[@TheDungineer]

I know! what a cute little family.

[@SirSimBa51]

DUDE uR lore is the Best FYI

[@dabeerdsgamer7763]

I built a semi-permanent (designed to be broken down and moved but not easily) gaming table for my friends and I for Christmas one year. The design was originally a 4x6ft folding tabletop, interlocking stand (sheets of wood with cutouts so they cross at 90 degree angles), a 28in TV, enough plexiglass to cover the TV, and trays that clipped to the side of the main table for players to put their stuff on. The first thing we realized was that the TV was too small - the table dwarfed the TV. And so we found a significantly larger TV, cheap. Making the space for the TV larger though weakened the tabletop to the point that we had to eliminate the folding/portability option. The table can still be broken down but it is a lot harder to do. The interlocking criss-cross stand was quite unstable, so we replaced it with heavy legs (4x4s) on casters. But someone mis-measured and the table was WAY too high. So we had to take off the legs, cut them down and remount (measure twice, cut once). The wheels are nice, but not really necessary. The clip-on trays worked out OK, but like your table, leaning on them is not an option. Also they are a little too small 12Dx18Wx1T in for a laptop (no one uses a paper character sheet anymore :)) and a place to roll dice. One nice thing about the trays is that we painted them with a dry/wet erase surface so players can write things down. Later we added a felt table surface around the TV, and a 1x6in wood border around the table, painted it the dry/wet erase surface as well, that serves a couple of purposes: 1) it fills in some of the gap between the clip-on trays and the table itself (dice and writing implements constantly falling in that gap) 2) provides a raised lip so that when we roll dice on the table there is a "backstop" Lastly we added several small power strips mounted under the table. People were tripping over all the cords, so now we have one power strip that powers four others; one cord off a corner that no one walks through. The Plexiglass over the TV, while I agree the "minis floating over the surface" is a thing, it does allow the DM to draw on the surface. Which by the way, we discovered the BEST markers are Crayola Washables. Plexi, vinyl, battlemat does not matter these markers are AMAZING; clear lines, myriad colors, and they wash off like magic (once left some doodles on a wet/dry erase painted tray for a month. Little bit of water and mild elbow grease and the doodles were gone). We are talking about a redesign/rebuild and if we do another, we will not have the clip-on trays; we'll simply make the base table surface bigger. They were a good idea for variable player seating, but the "weight limits" rule them out. We would also make it a dedicated/non-portable gaming table since it hasn't moved since we assembled it.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

OMG YES on the Crayola erasable markers. One of my gamers bought some on a back-to-school sale, and they have replaced our pricy and hard-to-find vis-a-vis washable markers permanently.

[@MastertheGamerpg]

I love it man. My wife and I have been talking about building a table for our new game room in the next few months. Since we both run games we have some common gripes that we want to fix with our own table. We aren't planning on having a tv in ours. We have considered a raised middle so we can see our minis and terrain over top of the DM screen. Another idea is a lowered space for the DM instead. Need enough space for a book and character sheet in all seated spots and still have room for the Paizo flip maps in the middle. We also want to fit up to 6 plays on 3 sides with the DM having one full side to themselves. Lastly we want a cover for the table to make it look like a non gaming table with the function not only of style but to cover up our set up between sessions. Great work on your table though. Looks extremely efficient and functional. I am sure it is going to help a lot of people. Kudos!

[@TheDungineer]

I love all your ideas for your own table!

[@jlinus7251]

Can I join your family. I wish my parents were cool enough to play dnd

[@KissMyConverseFool]

late, late to the party but a poker table might be good for you

[@nygaardn1]

Tips for future tables 1: tv is expensive, so is glass, acrylic is relatively cheap. I'm not worried about scratches as much as I am worried about somebody spilling their damn soda haha. Placing acrylic over the TV and then caulking the edges will help protect it from liquid spills 2: insetting hinges into wood or mdf isn't too difficult if you've got a decent set of chisels, and could help you break those two extensions down even further while still making them fairly easy to set up. 3: you can get faux leather for under $20/yd, that may be a bit cheaper than the neoprene, then you could use contact adhesive to glue it onto the table surface for a more finished look. This is such a fantastic idea! I'm 90% sure I'm going to do this this spring XD.

[@DJBubbleBoy]

This is honestly one of the best ideas I've come across. My brother in law is pretty handy with wood work, and loves his D&D, so I will definitely show him this!

[@JurisTruedge]

I built a virtual tabletop table for my game and MAN I have seen so many better tables since then. Mine is about the same size as yours made out of a 2"x4"base table that the tv sets in and 1"x1" for the perimeter of the table. the base was 1/2" plywood and it is all attached together with a few hinges and a large piano hinge. the thing is BULKY and will be definitely be making my next one a bit differently. yours has given me inspiration to remake mine

[@ghettotrout2011]

I just built a small stand for my flatscreen tv, sits a little proud but can be easily packed with my minis and laptop to anyone elses dinner table. Also I use "Dungeon painter studio" to create my maps ahead of time, and use "Ultramon" to mirror only a portion of the laptop screen so the players don't have to see anything but the map. Protip for Dungeon painter studio : create black floor tile layers that you can select over every room/hallway so the map becomes visible in pieces when the players enter the area by just clicking and deleting the layer.

[@AxidentalDM]

Cody, great job on building the gaming table! As a gaming table that can be packed out of the way when necessary, there is a lot going for. As a woodworker myself, I do have a suggestion to help with longevity of the table. You said you didn't round over the corners as an inducement for people not to lean on the table. Round overs also helps prevent splinter from breaking off the edge, so you might want to reconsider. But also I'm guessing that has a little to do with a concern for lateral movement. You have a lot of weight at the top and even with six legs my guess there is a little wobble, and the more you take the legs on and off the worse it will get over time. To minimize it, you need some stretchers to stiffen up the legs, having them work together instead of as a seperate pieces. It wouldn't be too difficult to add after the fact. Cut holes the diameter of the legs, properly spaced in a piece of wood and secure them to the legs with some type of peg since you want it to be portable. You might need to place them a two different levels depending on the stability your looking for. If I were doing two I'd have one set that is closer to the table top and a little above where people's thighs fit (this location could also double as a shelf) and the other a few inches off the floor. I hope you and your players get a lot of enjoyment out of the table.

[@CrazedGM]

I haven't gone all in for a table, but I did set a tv into a 2x4ft folding table. I just took the top off, got a cheap tv that was the right height to fit inside the medal frame, and cut the legs down so the tv had some clearance. Now we set it up in the middle of the dining room table we play on.

[@KianaShalix]

So not going to lie I am that guy the guy who will not spend moneys on a lot of things and I usually do things at home DIY style and have saved a ton of money mainly on Vehicles and small engine repairs but we started a campaign and now I need a better table then the kitchen table to play on. My thoughts were a coffee table because we don't actually have one and then having the sides on hinges so they can pop up and down. Reason I was going this route is I can have support under there because we all know the leaners in the group =) I had to put a 2x4 under the table for one of then because he kept putting so much weight on the table it was bending it up in the middle! =) I look forward to building it I have the 2x4 frame for the TV and I used the router to properly fit it. I am not going to lie I know its just a box but I am proud of it =).

[@SecretRedBeard]

Tapping 10 seconds ahead to the build, suddenly being told to tip my waitress in a diy video. Clearly I missed something.

[@GhostGK21]

I still don’t understand how paying your employees below minimum wage, and making the consumers pay the rest is ok. One of the crazy “American” things I’ll never make sense of.

[@joem1950]

@@GhostGK21 It is odd..however the people payed below minimum wage usually make 20+ a hour in just tips, minimum wage is 11 a hour btw. About 1 day a month the server will make less than minimum wage in tips on a slow monday. HOWEVER the business must make up for the money they didn't make by paying enough to equal them making minimum wage. Dont be surprised you dont know this...even some servers dont know this.

[@tech3241]

Joe Merica In the US minimum wage is 7.25 but I do agree.

[@joem1950]

@@tech3241 Yeah I had no idea it was done by state until recently. It is really depressing its 7.25 only 1 state over from me. I figured it was determined for the whole country.

[@robertfrench3441]

@@joem1950 This doesn't happen often BTW- Most restaurants just say fuck it, what is that busser gonna do? Go to the labor board and lose all his shifts? Its just not that hard to understand. Tip your waitstaff, or going out WILL get 20% more expensive as restaurants and bars have to raise their prices to compensate staff fairly. Most restaurants run on razor thin margins. Source: I was in hospitality for 20 years, from the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas to greasy seafood shacks in the Florida Keys.

[@Elpeligrito]

See, what I did was took the TV, turned it vertical, and subscribed to Roll20. Cheap, and fit my level of woodworking skills.

[@Jetmech1781]

FYI, a Kreg pocket hole big is a great buy. You'll find yourself using it for all kinds of things.

[@Durrutitv]

Pretty cool project, just want to say that the main reason you'd want glass over the TV isn't to avoid scratches on the TV but to avoid cracking the fragile liquid crystal layer, which can absolutely happen if a die has a little too much velocity, or if you accidentally drop a miniature on it when setting up. Most consumer tvs don't have a glass layer like cellphones have, instead have a flexible plastic layer that doesn't offer much protection against an impact.

[@sirchancellor4235]

Well now I found my summer project, this will be great for a portable thing you could bring to college for D&D.

[@iX1NS0MN14CXi]

I've been looking at videos like this for about a week now. What a coincidence!

[@munin81]

Why not use a clear vinyl sheet for the TV? It'll likely act as a large screen protector and allow you to use wet erase markers if you needed to do something quick and dirty.

[@feudaltrinity7831]

Genius

[@OldDungeonMaster]

I thought about a screen glass or plastic thin or thick I think I don’t like the idea because of parallax and will just glue felt to the bottoming the miniatures. Just my idea about a protection screen.

[@LifeEnemy]

I've been thinking it'd be nice to put the grid directly on the glass/screen. Then you could use pretty much any image you wanted and it'd automatically be at the right scale

[@joshuarogue9345]

I know this video is a bit older, but I still appreciate that someone made a table video for the budget/frugal minded ppl out here lol.

[@JonEOGara]

For a permanent table, screw 2×4 boards onto the legs as foot-rests (running from leg to leg, eight inches from the bottom, parallel to the floor). Just sand the edges a little, and you're good to go. My GM did it, and we all love it.

[@jameswilliam3549]

Any blue prints? Table is awesome. Currently we play at a friend's on his kitchen table. The fact I could use the TV part and sit ot top of his table is awesome and then turn into a table when we decide to move to a location that can allow a table. I'd love to build one but hard to follow some of your explanations and diagrams you used.

[@MA_3655]

Ensure you use a respirator when cutting MDF. the glue has formaldehyde in it and that getting into your lungs is not good

[@Jurjen_Warrel_Ottenhoff]

Even tho formaldehyde is something your body produces and does nothing in those amounts, unless you work with it on a regular basis and get chronic/long term exposure. But as always, Safety First.

[@brianbays867]

You have a d&d dedicated channel with a huge following and the wife won't let you keep a permanent d&d table... I understand

[@mrcatchingup]

I really like how this table allows a foot of space for people to have their books on the table between them and the screen.

[@kielmcgettigan5192]

We made ours with power ports based on the $250 table on youtube. That Part is the most used as it is also our dining room table and we can plug the crockpot into cook cause we have a small kitchen. I would recommend getting a hardwood for any surface the players write on. Also, make sure you have enough space to put books or character sheets on also find the straightest boards you can find if you are new to woodworking and use all tools possible to make sure cuts are straight and exact.

[@atomicjess76]

Hello. I love you! I started my own table and was frustrated with this designs. Now THIS could work! Thank you!

[@baddiemcbadbad9231]

Would kill for exact plans

[@OhHeyMarc]

I live and die by pocket hole screws and that Kraig jig is a godsend. If those holes left behind are a bother, Kraig also makes plugs for the holes left behind. They come in wood or plastic.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

Really great job - and wonderful b-roll, Cody! I'm a traveling DM, so this sorta thing is right up my alley. Like my 3D terrain and boards too much to switch to digital TV mat, but really great idea.

[@LogisticalHurdles]

If you want perfect cuts on your neoprene mat, you should draw the shape of your table on it with a permanent marker before making your cuts. I'd just measure out the size of it with a tape measure. You can do this with: - a 3ft level - a tape measure - a speed square (to mark off your corners). You could probably also minimize scratching on your TV if you use a screen protector. They make them out of plastic and glass. If you glued a thin glass one in it would probably look pretty nice and level out the table (where the TV drops off from the rest of the table).

[@grault101]

I built my own table with a 32" tv that I had just gotten a replacement for. (the replacement was free from friends) My table is big and heavy. the legs (4 4x4s) are detachable but I don't because the top (4'x5') is too big to store anywhere anyway. I love your detachable extensions and legs. the top of my table is cut from a 6x6 mat of green felt on top of another layer of green felt that was pieced together. I hated the seams so I got the 6x6 blanket to go on top Spray adhesive down. I used 1/4" plywood for the top. 4x4s for the legs as mentioned earlier. Man it is heavy .I may redo it sometime. And I may look for your screw in legs. thanks for the vid!

[@shivamutreja6427]

That thumbnail felt like Christmas in my KZbin feed!

[@shaynecarter-murray3127]

Great video! Alternate ideas: 1. Walmart carries a serviceable projector for less than $100. Its not super high def but does work. 2. Instead of neoprene, felt from a fabric store 3. Clear adhesive plastic for a screen protector

[@scify6278]

Only just picked this up, It's AWESOME DUDE!. You could get some cheap clear PVC roll 'cut it too size' voila; scratch resistant, only 8:25 in lol before making comment, but ,yeah, that would protect your screen dude! Just go for something thin. as screens do give off heat. You don't want your TV overheating and/or screen failing.

[@outlawmxz]

I made a table with a similar premise in mind. My table is modular and can be torn down in the course of about an hour. It has 6 outlets for phones and such and two LED strips. One waiting up the recessed cavity which currently houses a vinyl grid map And one underneath for ambiance. It has an oak base made from a regular table And the rest is built up with pine that has a partial torch finish to make the would look rustic. I have about $400 in my table To buy something similar would cost you 1500 to $2000.

[@bryce4486]

How many 2x8s, 2x4 did you use? What are the measurements for each piece? Did you keep the plywood the original size or did you cut that down as well? If anybody could help me with it would be greatly appreciated! New to woodworking in general and would like to try and tackle this but dont really know where to start. Thanks in advance!

[@InevitableOuch]

Been watching your stuff for a little while now. Liked and subscribed pretty quickly but just wanted to drop u a thank you. Love the content, the pace and tone of ur videos, but most of all just love how genuine and accepting u seem to be. Litterally my first ever KZbin comment.

[@Kaaxe]

honestly our living room table pulls apart in the middle as that's where you insert the extension boards, and the TV on the wall fits PERFECTLY in that area, the TV is as long as the table is broad

[@HiroZeroVirus]

I'm actually working on one right now that uses NFC on the minis to track characters and enemies. i was fortunate enough to stumble upon a Bluetooth enabled device that has 5 separate NFC readers in it for really cheap, and comes with 60 or so NFC chips. i have also looked in to touchscreen and AR options, which will be an expensive option, but incorporating all three might give it more use than paper and pencil tabletops. i love seeing what you have done, and will probably incorporate a lot of the design principles into my setup as well!

[@Vinylrebel72]

What are the dimensions?? what locks did you use for the bottom to attach each other. What did you clamp them down with and how?

[@nyrdexperience]

Really like it! I have a similar portable table that can fit 7 players and a DM. I also added usb plugs underneath that are removable for storage. We have a video up on our channel showing the table off and we actually are designing a newer version

[@thefossman8829]

I like your idea so much I was sitting here thinking about how I could make it better lol. Now Im going to make my own.

[@cameraconnie]

Thank you for sharing this! My husband was just talking about wanting to build a table to hold the TV we play on! This is such a great jumping off point.

[@gameofraging]

Dose it still hold up 4 years later?

[@MattBeasley1968]

Great Video! I built a gaming table a couple of years ago - it was my first attempt at woodworking so I had a lot of tools and materials to buy. I used Cherry and Hard Maple and had the legs custom milled to 3" x 3" square. Overall, I think the wood cost me around $700 (ouch! - I had no idea when I started the project how much hardwood cost). I don't have many complaints except that I made the primary playing surface (the playing surface is 3' x 5', by the way) out of 3/4" mdf. That surface can be lifted out to reveal a 42" TV. But the 3' x 5' x 3/4" mdf surface is really heavy and pretty awkward to remove. Also, I should have either made the playing surface bigger or used a smaller TV. The 42" TV takes up a lot of space and doesn't leave much room for rolling dice. I captured most of the build on video and planned to start a hobby themed You Tube channel with that footage, but haven't gotten around to editing it yet.

[@MattBeasley1968]

I forgot to mention that I put my table together with pocket holes. You are right...they are great. If you follow some of the woodworking groups, they don't consider pockets hole joinery to be "real woodworking", but, they worked great for me. The table is still solid after 2 years. If they end up in a visible location (some of mine did), you can fill the holes with plugs that, after sanding, make the pocket hole barely visible. Kreg makes plugs in a bunch of wood types so you can match the wood you are using.

[@jeremytarr6602]

This is a great idea! I might switch out the TV for a large dry erase board, just to cut down on cost and weight, but the build seems really solid! It also might be cheaper to do felt or maybe thick craft foam, instead of neoprene, for the table surface, in case you're a broke college kid like me XD. Thanks for the awesome videos!

[@misterikkit]

Your design is elegant in its simplicity

[@goaftertheway]

Cody, I saw this when you put it out but looked it up today to order a neoprene top for my dining room table. Thanks for the great neoprene source!!

[@martinjohnston1907]

To reduce the outlay for the table make the center section so you can hang it on the wall between games and use the screen as a TV the rest of the time.

[@itshunni8346]

I built one similair, it uses leather with billiards cloth on top directly attached to the wood. I did so since i have the tools to measure everything very precisly. I also had a larger base table as the sections have little metal struts to support people leaning on them that attach to the base.

[@vapedontsmoke2997]

Cheap plastic pool table pockets would work well for cupholders and fit most size cups commonly used.

[@stevenporter7065]

I've got a tv currently, but I don't have very many tools or anyone with any tools so honestly I'm probably going the cheapest route possible over the summer, a small case to hold my tv and an HDMI to connect to my laptop. This is so I can run DnD more effectively as it's a big part of my life. I am currently prepping over the summer for a long term campaign for my college friends. So having a few ways to make my budget needed smaller is great as this is a luxury not necessity.

[@crisrody852]

The TV is the expensive part (at least on Brazil), a crappy 720p 40" will cost 350$, without wifi and bluetooth conections. Do not spend more than 200$ making your first gaming table, go cheap, add some varnish and see how things go from there. For my first table, I just picked up an old table, cut the top and made space for a TV. Was a bit of work with the supports, but my cost was under 20$ in the table. I was going to buy cup holders and some snack holder to add at the side of each player, but even there I could save a lot of money 3d printing a few pieces. If you make your measurements right, with a few 1" pieces of wood, you can make dice trays that are glued in the table top and every player will have their own area.

[@SamundraDarion]

Oval window in the Front door - this house is a CLASSIC! Our entire Gaming group is REVVED UP NOW!

[@sadnessinside123]

I do not know why I did not see your channel before today. Great video. Subbed. Thank you

[@Taking20]

Thanks!

[@diojiabunai]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it but a quick fix to prevent scratches would be to use felt pads on the bottom of your figures. As long as you're using plastic dice, there shouldn't be too much of a scratch risk. Of course you could always roll with a cup Yatzee style.

[@hikikomicklori9290]

for a screen protector I use the plastic from a cheap dorm room frame from Walmart. The frame is less than $20 and is thin enough not to give the floating miniature feeling.

[@makhnolelong177]

Now i'm disapointed that the video is not sponsored by kittens. I want kittens.

[@bitzbox]

Absolutely gorgeous table. I've been thinking about making one myself. If I do half as good a job as you I'll be happy!

[@dhostetter]

Just had our first session with a table based on this build. Thanks for the inspiration. We had wanted to build one for a while but seeing this gave me the ideas I needed to complete the design and build it.

[@badpoulet]

Unpopular opinion: i'm not a fan of the TV as a battlefield map for D&D. I prefer the hand-drawn, wet-erase map, or hand-crafted modular maps. Feels more authentic to me, more accessible, easier to tweak or modify on the spot. Great video though, as always :)

[@TheDungineer]

where do you stand as far as modeled terrain

[@atlasdm]

I like the idea of a tv-table since my current group uses fantasy grounds, and I like using my roll up battle map too. Maybe building a cover for the tv slot that could support a battle map is a good idea.

[@Uberdemon0666]

Finally! Someone that understands my gaming plight!

[@jn3storyteller715]

I'm building a table later this year. It will be a large, permanent table with a glass top covering the entire surface, so we can just throw a tablecloth over it and use it as a dining table.

[@wolflordshaitan]

As a waiter, I just want to say thank you XD

[@ryang6865]

I have been wanting a table for tabletop gaming for so long and this was just the kind of inspiration I needed, though I don’t have lots of money so I might opt for a dry erase board or something similar but it’s still a pretty great idea

[@Awesome_Force]

I just use dry erase markers and roll out erasable grid paper. Then I use graph paper for my original copy for myself so I can draw the scene as the players can see things. It doesn't look as neat, but it saves space and costs very little. Really if you have one regular table (dining table or folding card table) that is good enough for the map/main space, and each player can just use a folding TV tray for their own character sheet and dice. I use the cheap/inexpensive option with stuff I mostly have already.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Good vid', Cody! AND great ideas going on... You don't need a thick layer of glass, though. On that I kind of agree, BUT with the caveat of a screen protector of SOME kind. There are lots of good products out there, and you'll be thankful when someone tips over a cup of dice and the metal ones go zinging across the screen... Figurines aren't so bad, and most of us are easily equipped to put a felt slab on the bases to protect other stuff anyway (and that god-awful sound made on stone countertop) AND those "non-rounded corners"... Okay, so don't round them. Thin some Polyurethane with mineral spirits or similar product, just enough to "coax the wood into soaking it up"... You want to get better penetration... AND this is for your littler trim and edging... SO you do NOT need much. THEN clear-coat the whole thing, not for a shiny finish... BUT for a nice smooth CLEANABLE finish and some protection. Wives like clean things, and frankly, so do I (a bit too much, really)... SO a good layer of clearcoat prolongs a table life expectancy exponentially... Getting plywood and trim to soak up Poly well, does WONDERS against splintering and chipping... AND for those "unfinished wood grain" enthusiasts out there, JUST look for the "Matte" finish. It will feel slick but look the same as before. A good "satin" however draws out the colors (in my experience) and makes everything underneath just a touch better. Obviously (for completion here) Gloss is just that... shiny. ;o)

[@MountianSnow]

I build an octagon table for a friend. It uses a projector (I had an extra one). The one thing I would change (and am changing now on my current build) is I want the mat area to be more rigid.

[@halfdicewilltravel7108]

This is awesome! Thanks so much for the tips. We have been talking about building a gaming table for a while. We are crafters, so we don't even need the TV, but maybe we could build in some type of slightly lowered box or something to place our terrain? Thanks so much for posting this.

[@TimGun87]

I know this is old, but if you want perfect neoprene cuts, take two leftover long pieces of 2x4 and then use some clamps to sandwich the neoprene between them right on the edge you want to cut, then just go to town with your knife or scissors. the wood clamped reinforcement prevents the material from shifting, just make sure the wood and clamps are on the "good" side and the cut off/out part is whats left out.

[@Crits-Crafts]

As a former pizza delivery guy, d&d gamer and cheep sod. I cam say you are a wonderful person

[@VirgilAllenMoore]

Please seal that table if you haven't already. One of the best ways I've used is to paint on done polyurethane in small areas and then use a random orbit sander to sand it in. This acts as a filler and makes the wood feel amazing to touch. Just a suggestion, but it helps to protect and feels nice

[@kenneththibodeaux9490]

You can use dowels to cover the holes that the pocket jig leaves

[@hellhammerCCCP]

Wireless HDMI is real?!

[@Theportraitdude]

I use a wireless video transmitter at my studio all the time to show people their pics straight from the camera as we go. Pretty affordable too

[@IzraelGraves]

Lol yes. Its been around for years.

[@TheKnifedog]

Wired is so much better

[@vitev009]

@@TheKnifedog but when you're only projecting still images, and consistent music that doesn't require perfect timing, then wireless is perfect

[@dragonhearthx8369]

Chromecast.

[@ElFaku]

+1 for using Starfinder books ❤

[@skokilla]

Before even going over the actual Table you got yourself a like at 1:50 (I'm a pizza delivery guy)

[@sigfreed19]

Hi Cody, I wanted to say your build is getting me inspired to build my own table hahaha, I've always had a hard time securing a play space for my friends and I and having the idea of a portable table is a godsend.

[@emilianovagnoni3397]

No, I haven't. Love your content. Thanks for everything!

[@dustinmyers8632]

I’d love to see a follow up video on thoughts and things you’d do differently after almost a year of use.

[@smegskull]

I don't use TV in table (just use tablets and laptops if you want screens) but I did build a gaming table. Mine is just and 8x4 sheet of half inch MDF with cut skirting board around the rim and surfaced with linoleum kitchen flooring in a 1inch type pattern.

[@LandonTheDM]

My wife may be down with this kind of gaming table. I will have to consider making it

[@MrMulligan84]

Any chance there is a place with plans for a table like this? It was a great video but seeing plans or a guide certainly would help.

[@atlasdm]

Great looking table. Any chance there are measurements available?

[@damienpeters6004]

For a cost that really isn't much higher you could make a version of this with panels to lay over the top. Due to the extra weight this may take away from it's portability as you might want a more stable base, but you save some wear and tear on both the mat and the screen, but most importantly with a little stain you can have something that functions as a dining room table that your wife won't hate, lol.