Folding Game Table

@ncscswitch:

This table had reminded me of my “dream table”…

Illuminated from below with each territory have 5 colors of bulb below it (territory boundaries would extend below the surface to create chambers to keep light from bleeding from one territory to another), then just flick a switch to change the color of light showing through to represent ownership (like TripleA changes the territory colors).

Cost would be insane…  Need a big Lottery win for THAT table :-P

Not rly if you’re a good DIY.

@ncscswitch:

This table had reminded me of my “dream table”…

Illuminated from below with each territory have 5 colors of bulb below it (territory boundaries would extend below the surface to create chambers to keep light from bleeding from one territory to another), then just flick a switch to change the color of light showing through to represent ownership (like TripleA changes the territory colors).

Cost would be insane…  Need a big Lottery win for THAT table :-P

I’d recommend using LED bulbs since they last over ten times as long as a CFL, doesn’t have any poisonous substances in them, they’re 10 times cheaper to run and they are much more compact.  (Not to mention, I believe the beams are tighter.)

I know you can get them relatively cheap as well, just about all my army buddies and I had a few dozen in various colors.  Not sure if ALL colors can be made, but we had blue, RED, GREEN and white.  (I capitalized the ones that match up with nationalities in this game.)

Pretty sure you could mix red/green to get another color and maybe white/red for a 4th.  Blue would be oceans, obviously.  But mixing it with red or green (Red, Green and Blue being the primary colors for light) could net you the yellows/oranges for the other nations.

Hmm, have to play with it.

I know I can’t afford the table (or rather get the go ahead for the expense) but I would love the chance to build one, if the plans do get released can you please forward me a copy?

Always figured LED…

They already come in colors, and they are SMALL.

:wink:

Moin Satchel!

This project has just floored me!  Thank you for your passion and sparking my imagination.

Any chance you would be willing to share with us how to magnetize the airplanes for the carrier?  I see how you modified the ships – but I’m stumped when it comes to the planes… they are to tiny!

Those planes are such an annoying problem and this is such a wonderful solution.

Thanks again!

• Bierwagen

@Bierwagen:

Moin Satchel!

This project has just floored me!  Thank you for your passion and sparking my imagination.

Any chance you would be willing to share with us how to magnetize the airplanes for the carrier?  I see how you modified the ships – but I’m stumped when it comes to the planes… they are to tiny!

Those planes are such an annoying problem and this is such a wonderful solution.

Thanks again!

• Bierwagen

Yeah, I’m guessing a metal strip inside the planes and the magnet inside the carrier.

@ncscswitch:

Always figured LED…

They already come in colors, and they are SMALL.

:wink:

I had assumed as much, but for the benefit of others, thought I would articulate it

That’s actually a good idea, Craig.

I used to get so frustrated I just had a stack of fighters in the ocean next to the carriers because they NEVER seemed to stay on when I moved the carriers!

Bump, I know you have a pricelist Satchel, don’t leave us hanging…

AK_Satchel,

That is a beautiful piece you have there.  I’m sure you are pleased.  I have made some crude furniture pieces and I couldn’t touch that.

I am guessing you will be selling the tables without pieces.  I am still hand painting my set of pieces and the man hours in that is not something folks are willing to pay, in my experience.

Regarding the magnetized fighters … I would drill a hole down the axis of the plane and insert a piece of a paperclip wire.  Then I would put a magnet under the deck of the carrier.  I believe with a strong enough magnet, this would work fine.  However, having more than one aircraft carrier nearby might be a problem.

I like your bases for the airplanes.  Seems the fighters might need these too.

I like your idea for having the drinks in holders and not on the table.

Have you considered having drawer pulls with the national emblums on the knobs?

I would also consider making a small “stand” that would sit on four legs of about four inches in length.  The surface of the stand (a mini table of its own) would be the battle board.  For newbies, they could place their units on the stand which rests on the table and remove casualties as the battle goes on.  Big time veterans wouldn’t need this, but it might be a nice touch.  After the battle is over, the remaining units are placed back on the tabletop and the stand can be set aside someplace.

Regarding color schemes, I am using two colors for the IJN units; sand and IJN green.  For the UK, I plan to use desert sand and something else for European theater units.  For the US, I will use basic OD green, but I may repaint five infantry units with a little camo pattern for US Marines.  All the Ruskies (brown) and Germans (medium grey) will be one color.  Maybe someday I will paint a few Germans in a pale grey for Africa Corps or something.

You have done some fantastic work and I hope you receive a financial reward for it along with your own satisfaction.  Sorry, but I just couldn’t afford one myself.  Good Luck!

I believe there are a few places out there that will sell you painted pieces if you want them.  May be cheaper to order the sets from them, mark them up a little to recoup your losses a bit and then resell them as part of the package.

Just my two cents though.  I can’t speak for others, but I love doing the detail work on my little diorama figures, always have, it was the macro scale items I didn’t enjoy too much and bought elsewhere (castles, hills and valleys, etc.)

To make a large number, and by keeping the price down.  You can build battle boxes for the Guadalcanal game so that it’ll last longer.  I be everyone will purchase that.

Amazing work, the table, maps and units look impressive.  I’ve very much wanted to build an enlarged laminated map, but the biggest problem I’ve found is the units!  If I may ask, where are those units from?  A different A&A game?  They don’t look like they come from the minis game…  I’ve looked online and in miniatures/hobby shops but I haven’t found anything that fits the scale I wanted.

I would be very interested in the 250MB PDF map that you have as well.  It looks like the perfect sized map I was looking for, and the work is impressively detailed.

Once again, kudos to the creative and dedicated work you put into this, I’m so very jealous :)

Oops, looking closer, it seems you did use the pieces out of the box.  Amazing paint job!  Barely recognizable, decals look sweet as hell.  Love the IC look too!!

Holy crap! Those are the OOB pieces.  :-o

That dude must have a lot of time into that table & set.  I hope he enjoys it he deserves it.

LT

You know, I’m not usually into game mods.  I play with the original board and ziplock bags, and that’s the way I like it (my only mods are markers glued back-to-back and combining ~8 sets for extra pieces).

But looking at the blog, I gotta admit that thing is freaking cool  :-D

Satchel, that table is a TANK!

How do you think he got the magnets on the FTR’s and CV’s so you can’t see them?

LT

It’s a good trade secret for sure, and Satchel doesn’t seem to want to let it out of the bag.

You can see the magnet strip cut perfectly to fit on the deck of the CVs – but I’m still scratching my head on the planes.  He did a great job of disguising it.

I’m thinking a dremel tool up the belly to gut it out and then inserting a small nail or magnet in the plane.  Then you wouldn’t see it unless you flipped it over.

Very nicely done.

• Bierwagen

You buy them at loews supply… these are what they call furniture buttons used to hide nails used to attach tables and chairs. They fit inside holes drilled in the side and the button is inserted in the hole. They are sold in bags and cost about $3-5 bucks for 25…

You nail a nail in the middle or make a hole with a dremel tool as you eluded too. Then make double sided flags printed on decal sheets.

I plan on making the graphic for this shortly so people can make their own. If your willing to make a “how to guide” we can post the information to this site so others can benefit.