I haven’t determined the overall cost of the table and board. I had decided to stay fuzzy on the overall costs as I was building it because I didn’t want to think about it and just wanted to make it the way I wanted to. I would consider building more with enough demand.
The table is at my shop at the moment, I’ll post the exact dimensions later. The board itself has been laminated twice for rigidity and is 36" x 66" overall. I modified a map that was shared on this forum. I looked for the link for further info and reference for this post but can no longer find it. It’s the revised edition enlarged with unit placement keys in the corresponding territories. I had saved it as a PDF (this was probably 8 months ago). I added the keys in the corners and the overlays of the world leaders (historical pictures found on the web). I also added texture to the water but the detail did not show up through the printing process. I had wanted the Samurai Swords map to be laminated on the reverse side of the Axis and Allies map so all one had to do was turn the maps over to play the different games. The printing mistake that was made however turned out to have the advantage of being able to add felt to the back side of one of the map sets. This allowed protection of the map (felt side out during storage) and more utility. With the felt, the table can be used for card games or other board games with different sized boards (if one wasn’t compelled to blow up and laminate each board and add to the collection :wink:)
Regarding the construction, it may be possible to build it lighter and I have sketched a few different ideas. Lighter isn’t always better however. The frame needs to be strong enough to support elbows and have enough weight to feel substantial when the drawers are used. What I may say is remarkable however, is that so much is built into the table. Having three drawers on each side of the table for instance requires challenging design for the drawer rails. There simply is not enough room for independent rail support cantilevering the drawers when they are extended. Also, it may look like a solid piece of furniture, but it is not. The table top itself is a single layer of luan (3/16" thick). The table top is rigid and supported but not a solid “slab”, it’s a skin over a skeletal frame.
This one is an original and of course copies could be developed much faster since the jigs have already been built and the kinks ironed out from the original design sketches. There are a few small additions I would add if I were to build it again.
Overall costs in material for the table were inexpensive compared to the labor. Off of the top of my head, this prototype construction was approx. 100 man hours, built from scratch.
I developed the design last august, worked different angles and design theories for a few months using autocad, then had the maps printed. Once they were finished, I had the exact dimensions I needed from the finished, laminated board to start building the table. I spent 2 weeks building the table.
In closing, I should stress that if anyone is going to take the time to build a similar table, remember to respect the weight of the overall frame and use good joint techniques. A lighter table could be accomplished but anything significantly lighter requires sacrifices to strength and durability. The table is to be used, not just looked at, and you don’t want a table you have to tip toe around or constantly repair.
Thank you very much for the positive feedback too. I love the game and am happy to be able to share enthusiasm with a great community.
