If you don’t have a budget for premium ping pong tables like Martin Kilpatrick and RS Barcelona You and Me, you can craft a table at an affordable cost with these DIY pong table ideas.
We have included tables you can make with a bit of creativity using materials that are readily accessible. We have also listed the tools you will need beforehand, and simple steps on how to create a conversion top, a solid table and a folding table. These are fun pong table ideas that will ensure that you will never miss out on this exciting sport.
Preparation for DIY Pong TableThe materials and tools you will need to make a DIY pong table will depend on the part you are designing.
Tools
For the tabletop, you will need a single or two pieces of wood that you cut into the size you desire for your ping pong table.
To ensure a stable platform, your table should have legs. You can improvise an existing chair or table by using its legs as the base that you attach to the table top.
The basic tools you need to craft a ping pong table and to cut and attach the components are a drill, a saw, and bolts, nuts and screws. We have listed the other additional tools you will need further in this guide under the sections with the respective parts.
Decide on dimensions and type
Ping pong tables are available in various types and sized.
If you are making a standard ping pong table, it is going to be 108 inches long, and 60 inches wide.
Due to limited space for installation, you might want to craft a mini table that is 72 inches long and 36 inches wide.
Choose paint
The next step is to choose the paint. Ping pong tables typically have dark colors like dark green or dark blue which is in contrast to the white or orange Trusted Source Table tennis rules: Everything you need to know A complete guide on how to play table tennis, rules, regulations and scoring. Know the equipment, including table size and racquet along with basic laws of the game. olympics.com balls. This increases visibility of the balls when you are playing.
You can choose not to paint the table, and not to add legs for the base.
Building Classic Ping Pong Table
The following are the tools and processes involved in making different types of DIY pong tables.
Conversion top
You can make a conversion top for a pool table to switch it to a ping pong table. The following are the steps to design a ping pong table that is 96 inches long and 48 inches wide, which is slightly smaller than the standard size.
Tools you will need:
- 4 x 8 ft. of ¾ inch plywood
- A drill
- A sander
- Polyurethane paint
- ¼-inch hex nut
- ¼-inch machine screw
- 4 ¼-inch hex bolts
- 4 ¼-inch wood insert nuts
- 2 5-inch corner brace
- Paint (Optional)
- Stain
- Grip tape
- Painters tape
- Ping pong net
Step 1. Cut the plywood and pre-drill holes
Cut the plywood
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into two halves.
Drill holes on one piece of the plywood. This will be used to install the four wood inserts. The holes should be a bit smaller than the inserts. Place a corner brace on the plywood edge and mark the two holes.
Sand the table.
Step 2. Stain and paint the entire top
Stain and spray paint the entire conversion top, including the hex bolts and corner braces.
Place a tape down the board center, and then cut on the two scoring sides next to the tape to prevent the darker stain from bleeding. Stain on each side of the tape and wait for it to dry, and then remove the tape. You now have a stripe down the middle of the conversion top.
Apply the polyurethane top coat, and then sand the board before you apply the second coat.
Step 3. Install the inserts and apply grip tape
Put a hex nut on the machine screw end and place them into the wood insert. Adjust the hex nut to be completely level with the top of the insert, and the threaded machine screw to be almost halfway into the insert.
Place a tape near the edge of the top on the side that will be sitting on the ping pong table legs to prevent scratches and to secure the conversion top in place.
Place the top on a pool table, align the brackets with the inserts, and then screw in the bolts.
Put the net around the brackets.
This is how to make a ping pong table conversion top that easily allows you to shift between pool and ping pong
Solid table
Below are the steps of how to build a pingpong table that is durable and can be folded for compact storage.
Tools you will need
- 4 x 8 Ft. of 3/4-inch Plywood
- 2-inch pocket screws
- Painter’s tape
- 29-inch legs of a folding table
- 1-inch wood screws
- 2 24-inch hinges
- 1-inch wood screws
- Wood glue
Cut the wood into the following pieces:
- 2 plywood boards measuring 48 x 48 inches
- A 49 ½-inch board
- A 15 ½-inch board
- A 32 7/8-inch board
Step 1. Drill and attach the pieces
Pre-drill ¾-inch holes 6 inches apart and 2 inches from the 3 sides of the plywood.
Attach the two 48-inch boards to two of the pre-drilled sides of the plywood using pocket screws and wood glue, and keeping them level with the top of the ping pong table.
Attach the 49 ½-inch piece to the third side with pre-drilled holes
Drill holes located 6 inches apart on one side of the 2 x 6 boards.
Apply wood glue between the side boards.
Attach the legs to the bottom side of the table, ensuring that the feet are centered down the middle.
Build the second half of the table the same way as the first half, but replace the 49 ½-inch piece with the 32 7/8-inch piece. Drill holes on the 15 ½-inch board; screw the short side into the 32 7/8-inch piece.
Step 2. Install the hinges
Use screws to attach the hinges to the center boards, and fold one side to check that the parts are aligned.
Step 3. Prime and paint
Sand and prime the top and sides of the folding ping pong table.
Add another primer coat on the outer edges of the table and down the center to create the white boundary line.
Place painter’s tape on the outside border. Do the same for the center line, and then mark 1/8 inches on either side of the tape.
Apply two coats of dark-colored paint, and then peel off the tape.
Folding table
This is how to make a simple pingpong table that is foldable and compact.
Tools you will need:
1 ¾ MDF measuring 4 x 8 inches
4 23-inch foldable trestle
A retractable net
Paint (optional)
Step 1. Cut into two halves to make the top
Cut the MDF widthwise into two pieces.
Step 2. Set up the legs
Place the panels on trestles so that the middle trestle is perpendicular to the center of the table and the other two trestles.
Step 3. Install the net
Stretch and clamp the retractable net to the table on the edges of the panel.
This is a foldable DIY pong table that helps you to save space by stacking the two panels. It also lets you play solo if you set up only one of the two halves against the wall.
Other Pong Table Ideas
Here are more innovative ways of how to make a pingpong table.
Ping pong door
For this pong table painting idea, the door features green color with white lines when unfolded into a ping pong table. When folded, it is a door with white color. The versatile door comes with support beams and a removable net.
Old car
Among the most creative pong table ideas is flipping over an old car, and then installing a wood top on the underside as a playing surface. The table top is supported by wheels.
Public build
Looking for pong table painting ideas? You can build a ping pong table that also serves as a work of art that promotes a sense of identity among the local community. You can then set up the table at a public park
Beer pong
Beer pong is a fun and joyful activity that deserves a custom table. The following video will help you pick an idea for one:
Final Thoughts
Looking at our suggestions on how to build a ping pong table, it almost seems as if you can convert any item into a pong table. After all, there are people who have successfully done that with old cars and adjustable doors. Having said that, creating your own table from scratch provides more advantages, when compared to improvising things you already own. First, it gives you the freedom to choose the crafting material and the size of your table. You also have more room to come up with a unique design without being limited by the structure of the thing you want to transform into a ping pong table. Hopefully, our list of pong table ideas has inspired you to create your own, guided by the steps we have provided.
