Introduction: Hexagonal Board Game Table W/ Speakers and Flip-Out Desks

By
About: I like electronics and 3D printing, and I just got into woodworking a little bit. I currently attend Texas A&M, class of 2026!

I have a severe addiction to buying board games. To support my habit, I decided that none of the gaming tables I could find were exactly what I wanted, so I had to build my own large, unique table that can serve as a playspace for any of my many games. I chose to make it a hexagon because most board games play with 4-6 players and I wanted to differentiate from the typical octagonal poker table; but, you know, you can still play poker on it I guess.

Supplies

Tools I Used:

  • Table Saw
  • Drill
  • 1/2" Drill Bit
  • 1" Drill Bit
  • 14mm Drill Bit
  • Router
  • 1/4" Radius Rounding Over Router Bit
  • Sander
  • 3D Printer (Outsourced)

Main Table Construction:

Legs (I used 3/4" pipe & a semi-random mix of Black Iron and Galvanized Iron):

Staining & Painting:

OPTIONAL - Speakers:

Step 1: Creating the Corners

I decided that the best method to create the perfect corners that would house a cup holder and speaker for each player, was to 3D print them. I looked online for "3D printing" near me and found a husband and wife who have made a business out of printing stuff at their house. I've attached .stl files that are needed for 3D printing, and you can print them with whatever material you'd like (one .stl file has side holes to hold speakers and one does not. If you choose not to add speakers, then ignore the "Speakers" Step). My corners are printed out of ABS plastic using black filament. I had them printed at 50% infill so that they would be about as sturdy as the wood. In the end, all 6 corners cost me around $250.

**This step can take a long time. My prints took 32 hours to print in total.

If you'd like to make them a bit cheaper, here are some suggestions:

  • Switch the plastic from ABS to PLA. While it's cheaper, it won't last as long as ABS (PLA deteriorates in about 15 years, according to my research).
  • Decrease the infill %. I didn't test a bunch of different percentages, but I'd say the lowest you could probably go is around 20-25%. The infill percent is how much of the space inside of the part is plastic, so if you went with 25% infill, about 75% of the inside of the walls will just be air.

Attachments

Step 2: Building the Base

Using one sheet of plywood, cut two halves of a hexagon. I created a template myself, but later found a website that can provide one: https://hexagoncalculator.apphb.com/. Just decide how long you want one side of the table to be and plug it into its corresponding box on the website. All of the other dimensions will be calculated automatically for you. Then, using your dimensions, draw out the two halves of a hexagon on the plywood using a pencil, a straight edge, and a protractor (every corner is 120 degrees on the inside). The two halves should be pentagons, not trapezoids, as pictured in the file attached.

**To cut out the two halves, I used sawhorses to hold the plywood off the ground and a circular saw to cut.

Attach the halves together using wood glue (and wood planks with screws that go across the split if you think you need them. If you add planks, BE SURE TO REMOVE THEM AFTER MORE OF THE TABLE IS BUILT).

Attachments

Step 3: Adding the Corners

If you decide not to add speakers, skip to the next paragraph in this step. First, use a drill with the 1" drill bit to cut holes into every corner for speaker wires. The holes should be relatively centered within the borders of their respective corner as to not show up.

For each corner, use 2 of the 1 1/2" particleboard screws (12 screws in total). Align the 3D printed corners as best you can to the corners on the plywood base and screw them together from underneath. I used clamps to hold the plastic corners in place and attached screws in the 90-degree corners close to the edge of the plywood.

Step 4: The Inner Walls

Using a miter saw cut the 4x1/2 wood into six pieces (the length of each side could be slightly different, so be sure to check all the lengths and cut accordingly!). Rotate the miter saw to 30 degrees and cut each of the ends of the inner wall boards so that they fit together to edge the hexagon. Note: When cutting the ends at 30 degrees, it's the outer edge of each piece of wood that should still match the length they were initially cut at.

**The walls should be able to slide in place and be friction fitted into the 3D printed corners

Step 5: The Side Walls

This one's going to be a bit complicated, so buckle up. This step describes how to make the side walls of the hinged piece that will fold out to make each player's desktop. Cut 12, 6" long blocks out of the 4x1 wood planks. Organize them into 6 pairs and tape each pair together using some masking tape (this is to make both blocks of wood cut to the EXACT same shape). Using a jigsaw or band saw, cut a line that starts 1 3/8" inches from the bottom of the 4" side and travels parallel to the 6" side until about the halfway point. Using a pencil, mark a spot that is 3/4" from the top of the opposite 4" side and cut any line you want that connects the existing cut to the pencil mark (I did a straight line, but you could do a curve, zigzag, wave, or whatever). Do this for each pair. After that, sand the 3/4" thick edges closest to the perimeter located on the parallel line until they're 45-degree bevels.

For the next part, each barrel hinge is about 1.389" long. That means that the center of each hole drilled will need to be EXACTLY 0.41325" from the parallel line cut earlier. I had trouble cutting these holes for the barrel hinges in perfect alignment, so I 3D printed the drill press jig pictured above that can tightly grip the blocks and provide near-perfect alignment for the holes. If you'd like to use my jig, the file is attached. For each pair of wooden blocks that will act as a desktop side-wall, drill a matching hole on each half that is 0.41325" from the parallel line on the 3/4" thick wall and is halfway between the two edges. The hole should be 0.61" deep to hold 1 barrel of a barrel hinge.

Using epoxy or super glue, glue the barrel hinges in the holes, creating 12 blocks made of 2 halves that are joined by 1 barrel hinge.

Attachments

Step 6: Finishing the Fold-out Desks

Cut the 6x1 wood planks (6" wide boards that were made from trimmed down 8x1) into 6 pieces (find the desired length by measuring the length of each side wall after they're all in place, as there could be slight variation in the length of each side). For each pair of side walls, attach one plank between them at their top using 2 of the 1 1/2" particleboard screws per wall (4 in total). Their 3/4" side should match the 3/4" pencil mark made in the last step. You can now attach these desks in the space between the corners by using 24 of the 1 1/2" particleboard screws to anchor every wall to the plywood base (2 screws per wall).

Step 7: Finishing the Inner Walls

This step is to add a nice trim that gives the table a bit more detail. Cut the square rods the same way you cut the inner walls, noting that the outer length of the rods should match the inner length of the walls. Using 5 twist nails per rod, nail the rods to the inner walls so that the tops of both are flush (evenly spaced). Take the corner moulding, and cut it the same way the inner walls were cut (30-degree cut with outer lengths matching the measured length). The trim pieces should fit over both the rods and walls with just a little bit of the top of the inner walls still showing. Use wood glue to attach the trim pieces to the rods and walls.

Step 8: Flip the Table Over

This deserves a step just to warn you, not only about the weight of the tabletop, but also about the flapping desks and friction-fitted inner walls. My suggestion is to remove the inner walls and tape the desks shut using frog tape or masking tape prior to flipping.

Step 9: Creating the Leaf Supports

You've already purchased the pull-out support rods mentioned in the supplies list. At this point, you can decide to attach two support rods per side separately or join them together using a metal bar as I did, pictured above. It doesn't really matter if you attach them or not, it just means you either use two hands or one to pull the support rods out from underneath the table.

If you choose to attach them as I did, you'll want to spot weld them. Hopefully, you know what you're doing there.

Step 10: Attach the Supports and the Wood Buffer for the Legs

The leaf supports come with their own screws. Use those to attach the supports around the whole table as pictured above. I attached each support about 4 1/4" from the edge and trimmed down each support's length so that they don't go past the flipped-out desks when they're fully extended.

Next, take the 6x1 wood planks and cut them down to a length that is 11" inches shorter than the length of a side of the table . Using the miter saw, cut both ends of each board at 30 degrees. Once all boards are cut to shape and size, align each with their corresponding metal supports and cut a gap that the supports can sit between.

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If you're adding speakers:

For each of the small, trapezoidal pieces, use a router and the 1/4" rounding over bit to route along the angled edge of each plank piece (the edge closest to the base of the table). In the end, this will create a trench that the speaker wires can travel through to reach the center of the table on the underside.

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Attach all pieces to the plywood base, using 2 of the 1 1/2" particleboard screws per trapezoidal piece and 4 per rectangular piece.

Step 11: Creating the Pipe Legs

Screw 1 iron pipe between two tee fittings in their perpendicular hole (not the two holes that create a straight line). Repeat this three times. Screw 1 iron close nipple on the bottom of each tee and 1, 2" iron nipple on the top of each tee. Screw 1 iron floor flange fitting on each of the 2" nipples. Screw 1, 3/4"x3/4" iron coupling fitting on each of the close nipples.

Attach each iron floor flange fitting over each of the trapezoidal pieces of the wood buffer (across the 30-degree line). This is done using the 24, 3/4" screws. This should create legs that have a horizontal support pipe every other side.

Screw 1 iron pipe on each coupling fitting. Screw 1, 1"x3/4" iron reducing coupling fitting on each pipe. Screw 1 bushing fitting on each reducing coupling fitting.

Step 12: Stain & Paint Everything

BEFORE STAINING AND PAINTING: Be sure to sand all wood you're planning on staining using fine sandpaper. After that, wipe off all dust and debris. Do this between staining and applying the varnish as well, since the stain will put a tooth back on the wood finish.

Put masking tape over the wood of the inner walls. Paint the corner moulding a color (Again, I used "Black Magic"). Put at least two layers of the paint on the trim. Take the masking tape off of the wood and apply masking tape to the trim. Stain all exposed wood on both the walls and the entire table. After that, apply at least three coats of the satin varnish over any stained wood.

Step 13: Speakers

If you choose to add speakers, it will help to be good with electronics, too.

3D print the board holder I've attached or find a plastic tupperware box (to neatly hold the electronics under the table).

Solder wire to all the speakers on their metal contact points. Using the PCB, amplifiers, and BT receiver, solder a board together following the schematic attached. Screw each speaker to a side hole on one of the corners using the small screws. After that, wire each speaker to one of the amplifier ports. Take the Micro-USB cable and plug it into the receiver. Attach the board to the board holder (or tupperware box) and screw the box into the center of the underside of the table. Plug the micro USB cable into an outlet. Now the speakers can connect by bluetooth to any PC or Android for music and sound effects.

Attachments

Step 14: Invite Friends, Play a Game

I've already been having a blast on this custom board game table, hope you do on yours, too!