Gathering Your Supplies
Decide how large your table will be. Different wargames call for different sized tables. Warhammer 40K’s standard table size is 6’x4’, but your game of choice may call for a different sized table. Do research, read the game’s manual, and ask others who play your game about the standard table size.
Get the tabletop. At your local hardware store, look for plywood or MDF sheets of 1” thickness. MDF, or medium-density fiberboard, is a durable alternative to plywood made by compressing and sealing small wood particles together with an adhesive. You may have to ask an attendant to cut your sheet down to size. Most stores provide this as a free service, and it will save you the hassle of having to do it yourself. Always make sure an attendant cuts any MDF, as the glue that holds the board together can be toxic. Plywood is lighter than MDF, but may be more expensive. Choosing between the two materials will come down to the amount of money you want to spend and whether or not you want the board to be portable.
Buy your baseboards. The baseboards are the four pieces of wood that will form the legs, or frame of your table. Buying baseboards will require a little calculation, so make sure to sketch out your table. Choose boards or MDF pieces with a thickness of 1”, and a width of 8”, 10” or 12”, which are all standard sizes and easy to find. The length of the boards will be a bit trickier to calculate. You want the tabletop to be the exact same size as the frame, so you’ll need to subtract the 2 inch of length from the shorter sides. For example, if you wanted to make a 6’x4’ game board (72”x48”), you’d buy two 1”x12s” of 72” length, and two 1”x12”s of 46” length. For a smaller example, let’s try a 4’x4’ board (48”x48”). For a 4’x4’ frame, you’d buy two 1”x12”s of 48” in length and two 1”x12”s of 46” in length. As with the tabletop, ask an attendant to cut the wood or MDF down to size for you. They may use a jigsaw or table saw to cut it.
Decide on a tabletop surface. Felt and sand are used to make surfaces for the majority of gaming tabletops. Choosing a covering depends on type of game you want to play. Felt makes a good surface because it is cheap and easy to apply. Sand is another choice: while it’s harder to apply, it helps keep your figures from sliding around on the tabletop. There may be other options available, but felt and sand are the most common. Look for sand at your local hardware store. There are many types of bagged sand available: road sand, play sand or colored sand from craft stores. Choose the type that best fits into your budget and one that fits the aesthetic of your game. Buy felt at a fabric store. Most stores have attendants to cut the fabric for you: all you have to do is bring them the bolt that you’ve chosen and tell them the size. Buy a piece slightly larger than your tabletop so you have extra length to stretch it around the edges. Felt comes in a wide variety of colors, so choose the one that fits your game the best.
Gather miscellaneous supplies. After you have your wood and your table surface, there are a few more things you’ll need. You may already have them at home, or you may have to buy extra. Find some white glue, a bucket, a wide paintbrush, a power drill, a pack of 2” wood screws, and some coarse sandpaper. A measuring tape and a carpenter's square may also be helpful.
Building the Table
Make the frame. The frame is the base for your table, so you want to make sure it’s extra sturdy. For this step, you’ll need your wood screws, the drill, and your long baseboards. Ask a friend to help with this step if you can’t hold the boards and drill at the same time. Hold one longer board and a shorter board together to make an “L” shape. Make sure that the angle is as close to 90 degrees as you can make it, with the longer board on the outside of the “L.” Drive three screws through the long board and into the short board so that they fasten together: one screw in the middle and one screw at each end. Hold the remaining long board against the “L” you’ve made to make another “L”. This will form another L shape, with the shorter board sandwiched between the two longer ones. Drill in three screws in exactly the same way as the first “L”: one in the middle and one at each end, through the long board and into the short. Screw in the remaining short board. At this point, you’ll have a “U” shape, with two long boards screwed directly into the short board. The remaining short board will close the shape into a rectangle. Place it in the gap between the long boards to form 90 degree angles with each, then screw through the long boards and into the short board just as before. Make sure the frame is sturdy. There should be no gaps between the boards, and all should be flush with one another. If you find that there are gaps or spots in which the boards aren’t secure, tightening the screw in that area.
Screw in your tabletop. Place the flat tabletop onto the frame. It should be the exact same size as your frame, give or take a few millimeters. Mark three points on each side of the table where you’ll screw into the frame, making sure that all the screws will go in at even intervals. Then, drill in a screw for each spot you marked.
Apply your sand or felt. Depending on which tabletop covering you chose, you’ll have a slightly different step at this point. Both surfaces need to be glued to the table, and both require some attention to make sure that the application is even. Ask a friend for help, especially if your table is large. To apply sand, use your large paintbrush to apply the white glue first. Make sure that the application is even, with no areas over-glued or under-glued. Apply sand with even consistency over the board, then begin to spread it around with your hands or the brush. Apply more or take some off as necessary until you’ve achieved the right look. To apply felt, first apply the glue to the top of the tabletop and the edges with the wide paintbrush. Lay the felt carefully over the tabletop, then use a flat object, like the edge of a book, to smooth out any raised areas or bubbles in the felt. Press the felt down over the edges, folding the corners for a neater appearance. A stapler or small nails may help affix the felt to the edges of the table.
Let the glue dry. Now that you’ve added your sand or felt, the glue will need time to dry. Leave the board for 24 hours, then check to make sure it’s dry enough. If the glue still feels tacky or wet, leave it for a few more hours before using it.
Sand the edges. Plywood and lumber tend to have uneven and coarse edges that can cause splinters or cuts. Use medium grit sandpaper to shape the edges and joints of your table, softening up any abrasive surfaces. Make sure to run your hands around any edges to double check for splinters or spots you missed.
Customize Your Board
Paint the tabletop. If you used sand to cover your table, you may want to paint it. Depending on the game you play, a layer of brown or red paint may give your board a more realistic feel. Wait until the glue has dried fully, then apply paint to the dry tabletop surface.
Decorate the base. The board is your own creation, and you’ll be using it for a long time. Get creative and decorate your board, personalizing it further. Paint the base your favorite color, then design symbols or add stickers. Take your imagination as far as you want to go to create a board that’s truly your own, or look online for ideas
Start researching terrain ideas for your board. Now that you’ve built it, it will need to be decked out for your game. Different games require different kinds of terrain, and players spend a great deal of time building and rebuilding battle arenas. Look online, in your game manual, or at wargaming shops for different ideas on how to proceed further.
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