Board Gaming Table: Step 1

Since we're experiencing one of the most severe winters in recent memory (complete with a state of emergency in a county we routinely drive through), we've been spending a lot of time in the city. It's okay though; we've been using the time to recharge and just take it easy which is something neither of us realized we needed as much as we did.

It's also given me a chance to think more about what steps I need to take to achieve the goals I set out at the beginning of the year. There's a garden to plan and a table to design, after all! This week I finally managed to set aside a few hours and get to work on the latter. Here's what I came up with:

I've had this ruler since grade 4 when a classmate left and gave it to me as a parting gift (I know that's a fact that's only interesting to me, but there you have it.)

There will be 10 tongue and groove slats that will fit on the top of the table to turn it into a typical dining table. Unlike a lot of gaming tables that are on the market, I've decided to run the slats across the short edge. This allows the slats to be stored under the table on the support that joins the pedestals. No need to worry about trying to store 7" boards while the table is in use. As well, I think this orientation is much better for two players -- when you're playing a two player game I think you're much more likely to sit across from each other on the short edge. When that's the case, you can just leave some of the slats in place and only remove a few to reveal enough room for your game.

Depending on the cost of wood, I'd ideally like to make the table out of walnut with a maple inlay for the sunken playing surface. If it's too expensive I figure I'll just reverse the wood: maple table with a walnut inlay. Either way, I think hard wood is the way to go.

With any luck we can start work on this puppy in March!