WORKSHOP
A removable top transforms a kitchen table for
Game On
Game night is a big deal
in many households. A kitchen table
often serves as the site for these
friendly matches, but it’s even more
fun to play on a proper game table.
Whether your choice is hearts, poker,
Monopoly or Scrabble, this table will
make every game night feel more like
a special event.
Recognizing that not everyone has
room for another table, we’ve
designed a game tabletop that you
simply place on your existing table;
when game time is over, you can eas-
ily stow it in a closet or under a bed.
(You can also attach a manufactured
set of folding legs, or you can even
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CARY AND PHIL LEISENHEIMER
friendly competitions BY DAN CARY AND VERN GRASSEL
build legs to create a permanent table
if you have the space.)
This is a relatively simple design.
The wood perimeter that surrounds
the game surface is made of two lay-
ers of 3/4-in.-thick stock: a wide top
layer and a narrow buildup layer that
adds thickness and conceals the edge
of the game surface. We chose rift-
sawn red oak for the perimeter, but
you could use any wood or even Place this tabletop on your kitchen
make it out of medium-density fiber- or dining room table for game time
board (MDF) and paint it. The play- and then store it in a closet or under
ing surface is made from a piece of a bed when it’s not in use.
plywood that is covered with a layer
of thin padding and a layer of fabric
called Ultrasuede. This tough, stain-
HandymanClub.com DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010 13
 GAME TABLE
A A
19-3/4"
16-3/8"
21-7/16"
Pocket 7-1/2"
4-1/4" 8-5/8" screws
A A
3-1/4" dia.
x 1/2" deep 9-1/4" 42-7/8" 24-3/8"
cup-holder
recess END-BLANK ASSEMBLY 39-3/8"

4-1/4" 13-7/8" 9-3/4"

7-1/2"

28"
9-3/4"
C A
16-38"
Pocket
3" 61-1/4" screws
22-1/2° 13-15/16" B
41-5/8" E
D
44-5/16"
33-3/8"
3"

41-13/16" Foot

DETAIL ASSEMBLY
1/4" roundover A,B Fabric Pad PART E (Bottom View)
E

Foot 67-1/2"

C,D Drill and counterbore for

Brads 1" washer-head screws
and glue (offset from cup holders)

B
4-1/4" (typical)

Cup D
holders
A B

D Brad

Fabric and pad, 1" washer-

E staple to plywood Foot head screw

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIEL GRAPHICS

14 HANDY DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010

 Top ends

resistant material has just enough texture to keep cards Hole template
from sliding around. It’s also readily available in a variety
of colors at most fabric stores.

Make the top layer Cup-holder insert

Begin by making the eight end blanks that create the half-
circle top ends of the table. The end blanks are 8-5/8 in.
wide. If you aren’t able to find full-width boards, you can
glue up boards to create the blanks. (Gluing up narrow
To bore cup-holder-insert holes in four of the end blanks, set
boards is typically less expensive than buying wide stock.) up your router with a top-bearing flush-cut bit. Bore the
Cut the blanks to length with 22-1/2-degree opposing holes in several passes, lowering the router depth roughly
miters at each end. 1/8 in. for each pass.
Next, rout the 1/2-in.-deep holes for the cup-holder
inserts (see SOURCES ONLINE) in four of the top end
blanks. Make a template to guide the router. The template
must be wide enough to support the router base plate. Find
the center of the template along its length and draw a line
across the width of the template. Then measure 4-1/4 in.
from the outside edge of the template and mark the inter-
section on the line. Use a hole saw to bore a 3-1/4-in.-dia.
hole through the template at this point. (You can also cut
this hole with a jigsaw.) Finally, attach a 1-1/2-in.-wide Pocket-
fence piece to the outside edge of the guide. hole jig
Draw a centerline across the face of four of the end
blanks. Clamp the template to the end blank, aligning the
centerlines. Rout the cup-holder holes (photo 1). Stepped drill bit
We joined the top ends and sides with pocket-hole
screws because they draw the mitered parts together well
and are concealed when the table is assembled. Drill three
evenly spaced pocket holes in the same end of the bottom Use a pocket-hole jig and stepped drill bit to bore three
of each end blank. Clamp the top and bottom faces flush pocket holes in each top end. A locking face clamp keeps the
and then drive the screws (photo 2). Repeat this process for top and bottom faces of each piece flush.
both end assemblies.
Make a jig to mark and cut the radius profiles on the end
assemblies. Attach a piece of stock to act as a fence to one

Cutting LiSt
KEY NO. DESCRIPTION DIMENSIONS
A 8 Top ends 3/4 x 8-5/8 x 16-3/8 in.
B 2 Top sides 3/4 x 7-1/2 x 28 in.
C 6 End buildups 3/4 x 3 x 16-3/8 in.
D 2 Side buildups 3/4 x 3 x 44-5/16 in.
E 1 Game surface 3/4 x 33-3/8 x 61-1/4 in. Trammel

Shopping LiSt
3/4 x 9-in. x 8-ft. boards or equivalent (4)
3/4-in. x 4x8-ft. birch plywood (1) Pivot point
1-1/4-in. pocket-hole screws (30)
1-in. washer-head screws (12)
Cup-holder inserts (6; see SOURCES ONLINE)
3 x 5-ft. piece of game-surface fabric
3 x 5-ft. piece of 1/8-in. padding
Wood glue Fence Radius jig
Rubber furniture feet (4)
Gel stain
Polyurethane Make a jig to lay out and cut the end assembly radii. The out-
side radius is 19-3/4 in., and the inside radius is 12-1/4 in.

HandymanClub.com DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010 15

 End buildup

Top
Circle-cutting jig

Side
buildup

Clamp the buildup pieces on the top assembly. Trace the out-
side radius onto the buildup pieces. Then unclamp the
buildup pieces and rough cut the waste from each piece.

long edge of a 2 x 4-ft. piece of 3/4-in.-thick particleboard

After rough-cutting the radius, use a router and circle-cutting
jig to make the final radius cut. You can use a manufactured
jig or make a long router base out of 1/4-in. hardboard to act
as a compass jig.
Top
Bottom-bearing
flush-cut bit Buildup
Attach the buildup pieces to the top assembly, making sure
that they all are flush or slightly overhang the outside edge
of the top assembly. Use a router to trim the buildup flush.
or similar flat sheet stock. The fence must extend above the
plywood by 3/4 in. (so that it’s flush with the top of the end
assembly). Then attach a 3/4 x 3/4 x 6-in. piece to the inside
face and center of the fence. Draw a centerline perpendicu-
lar with the edge board across the face of the jig. The inter-
section of the centerline and the seam between the edge
boards is the pivot point for the trammel. Center one of the
end assemblies on the jig and draw the inside and outside
radius lines on the assembly (photo 3).
Use a band saw or jigsaw to remove most of the waste
outside the end radius lines. Make the cuts roughly 1/8 in.
toward the waste side of the radius lines. Next, use a router
and circle-cutting jig to make the final cuts along the
radius lines (photo 4).
Measure the widths (the distance between the radius
edges) of the end assemblies. This measurement should be
7-1/2 in., but don’t worry if your measurement is slightly
different. All that really counts is that the width of the top
side boards matches the width of the end assembly. Cut the
top side boards to width and length. Then use the cup-
holder-hole jig to rout a hole in the center of each side
board. Finally, attach the top side boards to the end assem-
blies with pocket screws.
Add the buildups
The end buildup pieces are centered over the seams of the
end pieces. Therefore only three buildup pieces are neces-
sary for each end. Rip all of the buildup pieces to width and
then miter the ends of each piece (including the side
buildups) to 22-1/2 degrees.
Flip the top assembly upside down and clamp the
buildup pieces in place over the top assembly. Each end
buildup piece is centered over one of the top end-piece
seams. The outside edges of the buildup pieces must be
flush or extend slightly beyond the outside edge of the top
assembly. After all of the buildup pieces are clamped in
place, trace the top-assembly outside radius on the face of
the buildups (photo 5).

16 HANDY DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010


Top assembly 3/8-in. Forstner bit
3/16-in.-dia. bit
7
Use a 3/8-in.-dia. Forstner bit to drill a 1/4-in.-deep counter-
sink hole at each screw location. Then drill a 3/16-in.-dia.
pilot hole through the center of each countersink.
Next, unclamp the buildup pieces and rough cut the
radius line on each piece, cutting just outside the radius line
with a band saw or jigsaw. Attach the buildups to the top
assembly with glue and clamps or glue and a couple of brad
nails. The outside edge of the buildup pieces should extend
slightly beyond the outside edge of the top assembly. After
the glue has cured, trim the buildup with a bottom-bearing
flush-cut router bit (photo 6).
Sand the edges flush and then round over both of the
top edges and the bottom outside edge with a router and
1/4-in.-radius roundover bit. Complete the top by sand-
ing and applying finish. We applied one coat of gel stain
followed by four coats of wipe-on polyurethane.
Make the game surface
Cut the plywood using the illustration on p. 14 as a layout
guide. Test the fit of the plywood inside the buildups. Trim
the plywood as necessary to allow at least a 1/8-in. space all
the way around.
The plywood is attached to the top assembly with
12 1-in.-long washer-head screws. The screws are recessed
in the plywood to prevent the heads from scratching any
surface that the game table is placed on. Drill a counter-
sink and pilot hole in the plywood at each screw location
(photo 7).
The padding we chose is often used as head liner inside
Ultrasuede
Foam padding
Attach the long edges of the fabric first, starting at the mid-
dle and working toward the ends, gently stretching the fabric
as you go to remove wrinkles.
Attach four furniture feet to the plywood. Space the feet
roughly 30 in. apart in the center of the plywood. Modify the
foot spacing to suit the size of your table.
the roof of cars. Attach the padding to the plywood with
spray adhesive. Then attach the fabric with a staple gun
(photo 8) starting at the centers of the two long sides. Be
careful to keep the staples within the area that will be cov-
ered by the top. Attach the end edges of fabric and then
trim any excess fabric and padding.
Flip the top assembly upside down and then place the
game surface (also upside down) on the top assembly.
Attach the game surface to the tabletop with 1-in. washer-
head screws. Drill 1/16-in.-dia. x 1/2-in.-deep pilot holes in
the bottom of the top assembly (Be very careful not to drill
through the 3/4-in.-thick tabletop.) Finally, attach rubber
furniture feet to the plywood (photo 9) and secure the cup
holders with adhesive caulk or hook-and-loop tape.
Let the games begin! u
SOURCES ONLINE
For online information, go to www.HandymanClub.com
and click on WEB EXTRAS.
Casino Supply
(black shallow plastic cup holder, No. 70-2015) 800-789-2101
HandymanClub.com OCtOBER/NOvEMBER 2009 17