Thankyou folks. I’ve just purchased a secondgand A & A Europe.
Tristy
Folding Game Table
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Here is the original map
http://www.mediafire.com/?vtn2k3hjjh8
There are a few typos that needed to be fixed, but this is as I found it.
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That is an amazing setup, I’m envious. The sheer work alone, 100 hrs of your time is a very impressive feat. You should market these to the hardcore A&A players, you’d probably make some good coin. I love the map that you put on there, along with the leaders of each nation, it makes the board look very imposing and adds a deeper historical aspect to the game.
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AK_Satchel:
You are my new best friend. I will begin on working on my own table.
I can only stress that you publish the exact idea on this site and ill make sure it goes to the front page.
I think its the best picture of anything i have seen so far sake my own AARHE 1939 map.
If you can benefit the collective membership with a small diagram, i will redraw it in Illustrator and make it like a proper instruction sheet for everybody to make their own table. Everybody must make this as it is our most important task so help me god.
I also need to know how you made those amazing flag tokens, where do you buy the piece to place the decal flag on?
I will make a sheet of decals unless you also have this file.
Also, need the production sheet, because its slamming good>
This table is like more than amazing and their is not word that can express how envious i am of you right now. Its like I wont be able to even sleep at nights knowing somebody made that table and its not me…. :-( :x :oops: :cry:
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:-D
Wow, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!
Great job! -
What are the dimensions of the map? Is it possible to get a double set of chess boards on the back without too much spill over? Might have to do that. (Or Chess/Chinese Checkers would work too, I think.)
Hmm, man, you really kicked up a fire storm Satchel!
Anyway, I probably won’t have the time to put together a table. Though, I do have the materials on hand to do it. Just too lazy. :) I’d rather be the first member to break 50,000 posts I think. grin
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Jenn: Get your significant other to get off the couch and start getting to work.
Thats what men are for and that table is more than something special, having painted pieces and a custom table is the ultimate thing to have bar none. Think of the intimidation factor when people come over to play, plus having it will no doubt add to the fun of playing.
If you ever get tired of it it will sell for twice what you paid.
You can even get an old folding table and modify it with a inlaid border so you can drop the map and plexiglass into the recess. I am searching the internet for folding tables that would be suitable. Ill post what i do find.
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If I do it, it will be a table made from teak or mahogany and rubbed to a brilliant shine. Then I’ll have the national crests emblazoned in gold leaf.
As far as pieces go, I already have pewter pieces that are custom painted. I’d just break them out of storage for actual game play. :) Right now they are in a sealed display case.
Of course, I may want to hire an artist to paint up the map instead of using a game board or something. Just to make it fancier. And I’ll have to put a Plexiglas shield over it to protect it from coffee spills. (Or beer for those less refined players.)
That’s the problem. It isn’t lack of money or materials, it’s that the more I get into the spirit of it, the more fancy it gets and that means more time I have to spend working on it.
Hence, I think it would be easier to make sure I post every 15 seconds for the next 3 years without break then to actually get around to starting and finishing this project!
Hell, it took me 3 months to put the family crest on my bathroom floor in tile! It’s not even that extravagant a crest!!! (And it did annoy my husband having to walk on an unfinished floor, but it is HIS bathroom, so it’s no skin off my nose if he is uncomfortable. After all, I birthed two children for him, you think THAT’s comfortable!?!)
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Imperious, email me at Wickedguild@hotmail.com and we can discuss it.
I am willing to build a limited edition run of these if I can get at least 4 buyers. I am working on itemizing costs and I can discuss figures with you via email.
My labor for the original is high because it was an original concept. Now that I have working plans for it and the assembly knowledge, I can build a line of them much, much faster.
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But if you had it finished, people would want to play and the table would put fear in their heart and cause them to lose because anybody with an official AA table has GOT to mean business. Its sooo…. intimidation now isn’t it?
Anyway Antholin, i need the version of the map that has the generals embossed in the map.
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I think the table in a good solid Oak, with a medium stain and high gloss Poly finish…
Plexiglass to protect the map (and can be drawn on at need and able to be erased)Drink holders and a box at each end of the table to roll dice in…
And spend a boat load of cash and buy Minis for the units…
OK, now we are cooking with gas!
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I have cup holders for the table actually. They hook onto the edge of the table and collapse to be stored inside the drawers. I don’t have 5 sets of them cut and painted yet so they aren’t included in the blog. But I will take pictures of them soon.
The tray insets come out of course, but there is adequate room to roll dice inside the drawers and some of us even close the lid and roll on top of it, so much so that I am considering a felt top for the lids (the lid is inset so there is a slight edge to deter dice rolling off of it). I prefer to bank my rolls against the corners of the drawer itself though… everyone has their own practices.
Oak and plexi add a lot of weight. An oak version can be done though and a 1/8" plexi insert as well, if one doesn’t mind the weight and cost. I did design casters into one version and they can be added.
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@ncscswitch:
And spend a boat load of cash and buy Minis for the units…
OK, now we are cooking with gas!
I got to play almost that game at Spring Gathering. Not quite as fancy but an Enterprise as your US AC is still pretty cool. 8-)
http://www.geocities.com/headlesshorseman2/bigmap2.jpg
Thing is with plexi that slides in and out or lays down you are free to make maps for any games. With the drawers and the space it looked like they had you would be able to store all the versions in the table.
I know a carpenter always looking for projects. Hmmmm….
I can always tell good work by how long I keep thinking about it after seeing it. Again, nice job.
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Agreed.
I love the design, and of course the classic WWII color of the unit is very fitting for the project.
I also really like the raised stands for the aircraft… and that magnet idea to solve the Carrier Based FIGs issue is wonderful.
Size sounds to be just about perfect (approx 3X the standard game board).
And the flexibility (add pre-printed felts with Texas Holdem and Blackjack) makes it so that you even have a chance of getting your better half to agree to cough up the cash :-)
May I recommend that the alternate felts be placed on 1/8" Luan ply as a light weight and thin option? And the plexi covers solves any laminated map curl issues that may arise from other folks with portable laminated maps for other games that roll up for transport…
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Holy crap Switch, those units are huge!
A plexi “screen” that slides over is a good idea. Since our maps are double laminated they are bullet proof, but you can’t expect everyone to have similar grade. The laminated map slides inside the edging and overlaps in the center so that the seam is consistent, thus reducing the risk of curling.
Here is the thing, I can print any map to the size required for the table that slips inside edging track.
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God. I wish we were all together going to the lumber yard with the mission to pull an all nighter and just cut and hammer this thing together by tomorrow morning. It would be fun to make like 5-6 of these suckers all at once like a production line.
Man thats would be fun… Spaten Octoberfest, Grilled steaks, and making Axis and Allies game tables… :-D :roll:
Then we can make some dice towers and custom chairs with the icons on the backs.
Oh i suggest you make decals for the top of each drawer, so the player has the national icon on top, plus i would add the unit cost table on top of this also, or inside the top of the drawer.
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Icons can be added to the top of each drawer, if you prefer to have them fixed. 4 of the drawers are interchangeable, and the other 2 are between them, if that makes any sense. There are two types of drawers, 2 of one, and 4 of the other.
As far as the unit production, because the initial placement is keyed on the map per territory, and because I added Cost/Movement/Attack/Defense keys to each corner of the map, referencing the cards becomes obsolete. The cards do fit nicely within the boards however, and the card info can be added to the tops of the drawers if requested.
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Imperious, it is the map that Satchel has on his board. He has the leader of each super power embossed on the map with the country’s capital. I am sure that Satchel can send you a link or send you a file with his map attached to it.
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AK_Satchel;
can we get the version of the map that has the “leaders” embossed on the different nations?
plus the tech and NA chart?
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But laminated is not as protected as plexi. Sure, it’s protected, but if I’m going to invest the time, I’m going for heavy duty.
As far as weight goes, it’s not a big deal. I’m not exactly planning to bring in anywhere on a daily basis, so a 200 pound table sitting on a concrete foundation slab isn’t a huge deal for me. The idea is to have a large map with those sticks generals used to move units around the globe in World War II. (Sorry, just feels more authentic to me if everyone had their own swagger stick or pointer to move their units from territory to territory. Also means the map has to be bigger so you can navigate the units around!)
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Plexi has the added problem of the items “floating” over the board and glare from lights. It becomes harder to read smaller text due to the thickness.
I didnt find any tables already made, but looking into how to build one today. I spent some time in a lumber yard getting ideas.
I did find out how he made the flags, by buying " furniture plugs" that go into holes that cover up the screws. You just drill a hole in the middle and insert a strip of round thin wood in hole. Then glue and paint it black. easy. Lastly, you print flags in quantity on sheets of paper with both sides facing each other and stick on the thing.
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