Ping pong is one of the very common games that can be played anywhere including your home. It is relatively easy to assemble and make a ping pong table.
The dimensions of the ping pong table are five feet wide, nine feet long and thirty inches high. Having the capacity to build your own ping pong table becomes more economical since many individuals cannot afford to purchase a ping pong table.
Table of Contents
Required Materials To Build The Table
The following are some of the materials and instructions on making a ping pong table that is firm and affordable. This table should be good enough to pass the test of family playing time and save you money at the same time. The plans aren’t too difficult to follow.
Materials Required
- Wood screws
- Saw
- Wood glue
- Paintbrush and enamel paint
- Plywood pieces quarter-inch thick and measuring 5 by 5 feet
- Two 2/2 lumber pieces
- 6-inch tall net
- Clamps
- Masking tape
How to Make a Ping Pong Table
1. Begin by creating a base for the ping pong table using the planks of two by two lumbers. It is done by cutting the two lumber pieces at a dimension of 9 feet by 5 feet each. Use the two pieces of 9 feet as the length and the two pieces of 5 feet as the width. Attach them using the wood screws to form a rectangular frame.
2. Once the base is formed, make the tabletop using the two plywood pieces available. Each plywood should have a dimension of 5 feet by 4 feet. Lay them on the already formed base, ensuring that the seam between them is in the middle of the table. Secure the plywood firmly using the clamps and the wood glue. Allow the glue to dry properly.
3. Obtain a wood of size-able thickness of at least two by two inches and use it to obtain the ping pong table legs. Cut four two by two boards into legs. Since the standard ping pong table height is 30 inches, the legs should be 30 inches tall minus the tabletop’s thickness.
It means that if the tabletop’s thickness is a quarter-inch, then the height of the legs should be twenty-nine and three-quarters inches. Attach the legs to the tabletop using the screws.
5. Paint the table using the color of your choice though green is the standard color. Let the paint dry up. Using masking tape, paint a white line 3/4 inches wide along the table edges. Move ahead and mark the centerline at an exact position from one end line to the other.
6. Finally, attach a six-inch net at the center of the table and reinforce it using clamps. Obtain the necessary playing equipment which includes the ping pong paddles and balls, and finds yourself a partner to enjoy the ping pong game.
What Kind Of Wood Is Used For Ping Pong Tables?
Generally, plywood, spruce, and pine wood are ideal for making the ping pong table. Spruce or pine wood is softwood that can offer good bounce of the ball.
If you want a better quality one, you can also use the medium-density fibreboard (MDF) or the fireboard to build the kitchen cabinet.
You shouldn’t use the cherry wood because they are easy to grow insects and not sturdy enough to offer you with decent bounce.
Can You Make Ping Pong Table With Hard Cardboard?
The stiff cardboard is not suitable because the cardboard’s moisture absorption is relatively strong, which can cause an uneven surface. Besides, the density of the material itself is not uniform, making the elastic strength of the cardboard insufficient.
If you need to make a table tennis table with hard cardboard, you need to first soak the cardboard in the cellophane solution, dry it, polish it, and paint it.
However, the cardboard’s thickness and strength are different from the regular ping pong table. The ping pong ball’s bounce and rotation trajectory on the countertop will still have a big difference.
Paint Used For the Tabletop
The surface of the tabletop is usually painted in dark blue or dark green color. It is recommended to use the anti-glare paint so that no light will reflect on the table.
The paint that is ideal for painting on the table should have good wear resistance and high hardness, such as automotive paint.
For the line, use color white. You can stick it with masking tape, and then paint the line with the white paint. After you finish painting, wait for the paint to dry and then remove the masking tape.
Some people will use matte polyester paint. The two-color side can be reserved with masking tape. Wait for the double-color to be solidified and then taped with a tape. The thickness can be well mastered, and there will be no height difference after painting the table.
Example of Ping Pong Table Legs For Outdoor
Video Reference:
This is a very detailed video that illustrates to you how to DIY a ping pong table from start to finish. You can refer to the video if you are intending to DIY a table tennis table for your own use.
Warren Davies
