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| The next step is to make the large octagon that the ring will support the ring and the cloth octagon center. Because the width of the ring is more than 48" across (approx 55" for this table), the large octagon will need to be formed by cutting as much of the large octagon as possible, and then gluing on the excess piece to complete the octagon. Flip the octagon ring over and measure from one end to the other the exact width that you're large octagon will need to be. You'll want to cut your large octagon about 1/4" less than the width measured here so that the octagon ring will easily fit over the large octagon. |
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| Draw out as much of the octagon as you can on your sheet of plywood. A great tool for getting the dimensions of an octagon can be found here. If you know the width of your octagon from measuring the underside of the octagon ring, this tool will calculate the length of the sides for you. After drawing your octagon on the plywood, cut out the octagon. Before I glue on the smaller piece, I like to test fit the octagon ring over the large octagon to make sure it correctly fits. | )
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| Take a smaller piece of plywood that is slightly larger than what you'll need to complete the large octagon, and glue it to the large octagon using several biscuts (I used 10, you'll want to make sure this is a very strong joint, as it will be holding the weight of several people leaning on the table during poker play). I used 2 large clamps to force the joint together, and then some heavy buckets to keep the small piece from trying to fold up from the force of the clamps. Let dry overnight, and then cut out the remainder of the octagon. | )
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| Cutting out the large octagon before sanding and staining the octagon ring allows you to have a surface that securely holds the octagon ring in place while you work on it. That's why I cut out the large octagon before finishing the work on the ring. Next, complete the work on the octagon ring. First, sand the entire ring using 150 grit sandpaper. Be sure to focus on the joints between each of the 8 pieces. Sand them until they're so smooth you can't feel the transition between the pieces when sliding your hand over the joints. After everything is smooth, use a 1/4" roundover router bit and roundover the outside edge of the entire octagon. Then, using a 1/8" roundover bit, roundover the edges of each of the 8 chip areas. Also, I found it necessary to use some wood putty in some of the joints between the 8 pieces to fill in small gaps. Finally, go over the entire ring with 400 grit sandpaper to yield a smooth surface. |
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| Remove all excess dust from the sanding process, and stain the entire ring. If you chose to use pine wood to make your octagon ring, I would recommend using Minwax pre-stain conditioner. Pine is a very soft wood, and tends to absorb stain unevenly, creating dark and light spots. Pre-stain conditioner helps to prevent this. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to apply. Just brush it on, wait 5 minutes, wipe off the excess, and then apply your stain within 2 hours. I used Minwax Golden Oak stain on this table. Liberally apply your stain, wait about 15 minutes, and then wipe off with a dry cloth. Let the stain dry over night, and then you're ready to polyurethane. Note: since the large octagon will be completely covered by the octagon ring and the cloth covered octagon in the center, it makes a great surface to support the octagon ring during staining and polyurethane. You can slop all over it, and no one will know! |
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| Apply the polyurethane in an even coat all over the octagon ring. Make sure to watch for drips, runs, and uneven amounts. Let dry overnight. Take 400 grit sandpaper and LIGHTLY sand the entire table, just enough to make it smooth, but not too much as to remove all of the polyurethane and expose the bare wood. With a damp towel, wipe down the ring to remove the dust from the sanding. Then apply the second coat of polyurethane. Again, keep a close eye to make sure that it is evenly applied. Let dry overnight and you're done with the ring! If you want, you can sand and apply a third coat, but I have found that 2 coats is plenty and makes for a nice finish. Put the octagon ring in a safe place. You won't be needing it until the table is close to finished. | ) |
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| The next step is to build the pedestal. The pedestal I created is made entirely of 3/4" birch plywood. The first part of the pedestal will be a small box that will attach to the underside of the large octagon and will slip inside the pedestal to hold up the table. The box measures 10" wide and 10 1/2" tall. To build the box, you will need 2 pieces that measure 10" x 10 1/2", and 2 pieces that measure 8 1/2" x 10 1/2". The second picture shows the box dry fitted together. | ) |
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| Clamp the box together without glue, making sure the corners line up square and smooth. Drill pilot holes for the screws. I used #6 x 1 1/2" screws, and 3 screws on each corner, for a total of 12 on the box. Make sure the screws will countersink so that they will not get in the way when the pedestal is put together. Unclamp the box and apply glue to the joints, then put the box back together, drill in the screws and clamp it down to dry overnight. |
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| Next, attach a top to the box. The top should be approx 1/8" less in width than the box, to assure that when the box slides into the pedestal, that the top of the box will not get hung up and prevent the pedestal from sliding all the way on. Glue and screw the top of the box on, and make sure to countersink the screws. The top of the box allows for a large surface area to glue the box to the underside of the table. | )
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