Card table top

[crispy70]

Hi guys,
Google has let me down for ideas this time but I am sure someone here will be able to help.
I play cards when I get the chance with my dad. When we do , we use this silly 2ft square table that he has and it’s just a little too small.
I thought for Xmas I would build him a slightly bigger top to sit ove the current table , 3 ft sq should do it.
I could just cover a piece of 12mm mdf and glue the some felt down underneath but I would like it to look better than that.
Ideally I would like a nice border of some kind with the felt sitting inside.
The issue I have is that my beginners skills and imagination are some what limited.
I have a tracksaw and a router table but I am in the early staging of learning how to use them.
Does anybody have any starting suggestions?
Kind regards
Chris

Ps, it has to be easy and I also own a pocket hole jig

 

[baldkev]

Can you do mitres? If so, cut your ply / mdf top, cover it and then you could edge it with mitred oak, maybe 45mm x 20mm so it appears thick... or router a groove on the back of the oak before you mitre it, to slot the board into?
Or set the board 15mm down from the top and infil the oak boarder with palletwood... you could paint some slats grey, some white, some leave raw, then sand the top to smooth it, which gives you a weathered kinda look as it leaves paint on the boards and the raised fibres etc, come out as wood

 

[baldkev]

Like that

 

[crispy70]

Can you do mitres? If so, cut your ply / mdf top, cover it and then you could edge it with mitred oak, maybe 45mm x 20mm so it appears thick... or router a groove on the back of the oak before you mitre it, to slot the board into?
Or set the board 15mm down from the top and infil the oak boarder with palletwood... you could paint some slats grey, some white, some leave raw, then sand the top to smooth it, which gives you a weathered kinda look as it leaves paint on the boards and the raised fibres etc, come out as wood

Thanks for the reply mate.
I like the oak idea because that would match their furniture. Oak and black felt would look nice I think.
I do have a mitre saw but I don’t really know how good it is.
How could I get the oak boarder to be flush with the playing surface , is that what you meant by the groove?

 

[baldkev]

If you want it flush, you make a rebate at the top of the oak trim. The rebate needs to be the thickness of the mdf or ply top, with felt attached....

Or you could skip the rebate and simply fix it to the ply, making sure you line it up flush, but I'd strongly recommend trying the rebate as it'll be more consistent and a better glue line.

Its easiest to get your oak, cut the rebate, then round over edges etc. You want as much width for your router to run on as possible for stability. You can put other pieces of timber the same thickness next to it to give you a wider base if you need to.
if you are buying 0ak wider than needed ( like floorboard ) make sure one edge is straight and good, plane it, cut the rebate then straighten the opposite edge, plane and rebate, then cut the 45mm wide pieces out of the floorboard ( i.e getting 2 lengths from one width )

 

[Tris]

Sounds like you need a hockey stick moulding to edge the table, it'll stand a bit proud of the top but will cover any wrinkles in the felt as it turns the corners

 

[Tris]

These might be worth a punt to help cut the mitres, you can shim one piece of moulding so it overlaps the other then you get a matched pair with one cut, that's the idea at least

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fippy-Degr...2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

 

[Simon89]

I would make a picture frame from oak, cut a rebate in it for your mdf. The benefits of this are:

You don’t have to get the mdf cut perfectly square and to size

You don’t have to get your mitres perfect either

Glue-up will be dead simple aa everything is self jigging

The glue joints will be really strong so it doesn’t matter how well your corners meet

Get your felt first and test the thickness before making, you will want a perfect transition from the felt to oak. Perhaps have the felt slightly higher than the oak.

 

[crispy70]

If you want it flush, you make a rebate at the top of the oak trim. The rebate needs to be the thickness of the mdf or ply top, with felt attached....

Or you could skip the rebate and simply fix it to the ply, making sure you line it up flush, but I'd strongly recommend trying the rebate as it'll be more consistent and a better glue line.

Its easiest to get your oak, cut the rebate, then round over edges etc. You want as much width for your router to run on as possible for stability. You can put other pieces of timber the same thickness next to it to give you a wider base if you need to.
if you are buying 0ak wider than needed ( like floorboard ) make sure one edge is straight and good, plane it, cut the rebate then straighten the opposite edge, plane and rebate, then cut the 45mm wide pieces out of the floorboard ( i.e getting 2 lengths from one width )

Thanks for your help. I will have a think now I have some options., thanks again.

 

[crispy70]

I would make a picture frame from oak, cut a rebate in it for your mdf. The benefits of this are:

You don’t have to get the mdf cut perfectly square and to size

You don’t have to get your mitres perfect either

Glue-up will be dead simple aa everything is self jigging

The glue joints will be really strong so it doesn’t matter how well your corners meet

Get your felt first and test the thickness before making, you will want a perfect transition from the felt to oak. Perhaps have the felt slightly higher than the oak.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will have a think and I am sure I will be back. Thanks again.