Ultimate LCD Gaming Table

After the first test gaming session, the problem with the screen fogging up was worse and also the heat from the screen caused the Plexiglas to warp in the middle. I decided that the best thing would be to replace the Plexi with actual glass. I ordered a 4' X 8' sheet to cover the entire tabletop surface. That was definitely the way to go.

Juli picked up some Scotch brand Rubber Pads from JoAnn's Fabrics and they worked perfectly

We measured and placed a pad in the corner of every square foot of the table surface

And here is the new glass gaming surface. Much better, don't you think? :-)

Here's how the screen looks through the glass. NO MORE FOGGING!!! :-D

With everything connected, I fired up the TV and computer and let it all boot up. Once it was up and running, I linked the Wiimote to the computer with the Bluetooth adapter and then calibrated it with the Smoothboard program and the IR Pen I made. Once that was all set up and working I turned on my laptop which would be used by the GM to control the map. When that had booted up, I started MapTools, opened a map I had created, and then started the server. From the Gaming Table system, I opened MapTools and then connected to the server and went into Full Screen mode. I set the zoom level to 19% from the laptop which put the squares on the screen at right about 1".

One thing that we noticed after the LCD had been on for about 10 or 15 minutes is that some condensation formed on the Plexiglas above lower part of the screen (you can see it in the first picture). Not sure what is causing that other than maybe the Plexi was cold and the heat from the screen was causing it. Maybe drilling some vent holes in that section of the plexi would help, but then stuff could fall into the holes. I'll have to investigate this further. Perhaps using actual glass might be a better option?

I picked up a cheap used computer on ebay for about $200 to use as the brain of the table. I used the same mounting technique for the computer that I used for the TV and it worked perfectly.

I then began routing the wires by screwing "o hooks" into the table, then zip tying the cables to them so they would be held in place. I used velcro to attach the wireless mouse/keyboard receiver. You can also see the wireless ethernet adapter and the Bluetooth adapter for the Wiimote.

For power, I decided on this style so that it would have plugs that would be accessible from both sides of the table easier.

Here's a shot the the underside of the table showing all the "hidden" components.

The TV fit like a glove, but it did take some ingenuity to get it into place and mounted. We put a rolling cart we had in the basement under the table and then put the TV on top of it and with it there, it was only a few inches lower than it needed to be so while I pushed the TV up into place, Juli wedged some books and magazines between the TV and the cart so that it was being held up into place very tightly. We then secured one side of the metal straps and stretched them across to the other side and then tightened them up. The TV is now mounted!! :-D

Once the TV was mounted, I then removed the protective film on the Plexiglas to admire the new screen in the table.

Here's the view from the GM's perspective.

I figured that the best way to mount the LCD TV would be to first mount the Plexiglas to the top of the table, then hold the TV up against it from underneath and strap it to the table. So first things first... mounting the Plexi.

And the view from underneath.

I had tried using a blade to cut the MDF top that was really thin so it did a horrible job and was taking forever. I got some double-tooth blades that cut going up and down and they cut through the MDF like butter. About 20 minutes later, I had the hole cut out. :-)

I decided to put some black duct tape around the edge to make it look a little cleaner

The frame of the table had a couple 2x4 cross braces which had to be moved out about 6" to accommodate the hole.

I had originally planned on building the table based on the design of my friend, Tom Arnott, but luckily I was able to obtain an already built table so that saved A LOT of time and money. So with the table in the basement, I layed the LCD screen I had purchased (Visio 37" 1080P) on a large piece of cardboard and then traced around the edge to make a template I could then transfer to the table to get the size of the hole correct. After cutting it to size, I centered it on the table and taped the corners down. Then I took some blue painters tape and made a frame around it on the table, then removed the cardboard and was left with a perfect sized hole template on the table.

I then used a 1" hole saw to cut out a hole in each corner so that I would have some room to use a jigsaw to make the cuts in the side.