How to Build a Beer Pong Table Top

Purpose:

·Teach the basic rules of beer pong

·How to successfully construct a collegiate beer pong table

Step 1: What Is Beer Pong?

Beer Pong:

·Beer Pong is mostly used as a college drinking game

·It consists of 2 teams of 2. Each team starts off with 10 cups filled with drink of choice

·The cups are arranged in a diamond format (image 1 above)

·The goal of the game is to make all 10 cups of the other team by shooting ping pong balls into their cups

·There are 2 ping pong balls and each teammate shoots one ball at a time at the other team’s cups.

·If a ping pong ball is shot and goes into one of the opponents cups, the cup is removed from the table

·Once one team shoots the other team shoots. First team to make a ping pong ball into all 10 cups from the opposing team wins

·Beer Pong can be played on any table surface but it is always better to have your own table!

Step 2: Materials Needed

Materials:

·One 8x2 piece of plywood

·Painter’s tape

·Sandpaper

·3 Paint Brushes

·White primer paint

·Can of Polyurethane

·2 colors of paint (your choice)

·College Decals (optional)

·Ruler

·Black marker

Step 3: Making the Table

The table:

1.Obtain a raw piece of plywood and sandpaper from a hardware store or lumber yard

2.Sand the entire piece of plywood until the table is smooth

3.Once the table is smooth, sweep or vacuum the sand dust off the table

4.Sand the table one more time after sweeping (it is key that the table is smooth)

5.After the final round of sanding, sweep or vacuum the table again

6.Paint the white primer on the entire top and side of the table

7.Let dry

8.Paint another coat of primer

9.Let dry

Step 4: Constructing the Triangles

What are the triangles?

The triangles on each side of the table are the locations for the 10 cups to be placed. The construction of the triangles is key to ensure fair game play.

Making the triangles:

You will construct one triangle on each end of the table

1.Measure 3.5 inches in from each side of the table and 2 inches in from the end of the table and place two points with a marker

Note: These 2 points will mark the two bottom points of the triangle

2.For the third point (top of the triangle) measure 16.5 inches from the end of the table and 12 inches in from each side (mark this point with a marker)

3.Use a ruler and the marker to connect the three lines of the triangle

Note: For a visual form of dimensioning the triangles refer to image 1 above

Painting the triangles

1.Use the painters tape and outline the marker lines with the tape.

Note: Make sure that the tape goes on the outside of the marker line for the triangle (this is important to ensure the correct size of the triangle)

2.Once the triangle is outlined, paint the table with the secondary color of choice

Note: Image 2 above shows how to tape off the triangle, and the secondary color of choice in the picture is navy

3.Let dry

4.Paint another coat of paint to make sure the primer is covered

5.Let Dry

6.Peel tape off

7.Proceed to the triangle on the other side of the table

8.Repeat steps 1-6

Step 5: Making the Stripes Down the Table

Stripes:

Making the stripes down the table is optional. It adds a nice artistic feeling to the table and a sense of symmetry. The stripes will run down the outer edges of the table on the outside of the triangles.

1.Measure 1 inch in from the side of the table and put a point with your black marker

2.Make several of these 1 inch points all the way down the table so it is easier to draw a straight line

3.Connect all the points using a your ruler and black marker

4.For the next line: measure 2.5 inches from the side of the table and make a point with your black marker

5.Again, make these points all the way down the table and connect the points with your ruler and black marker

6.Measure the gap between your two lines and make sure it measures 1.5 inches all the way down the table

7.After you make the stripe on one side of the table, repeat steps 1-6 to make the stripe on the other side

Note: For a blown up view of the dimensions refer to image 2 above

Note:For a full view of this step refer to image 1 above

Painting the stripes:

1.Outline the marker lines with painter’s tape

2.Make sure you put the tape on the outside of the marker lines and that the gap between the pieces of tape is 1.5 inches

3.Paint the inside gap with secondary color of choice

4.Let dry

5.Paint another coat

6.Let dry

7.Peel tape off

Note: For a visual on how to tape the stripes to paint refer to image 3 above

Step 6: Painting the Primary Color

Painting Primary Color:

1.Pick a primary color to paint your table

2.Outline the inside of the 2 triangles with painter’s tape

Note: Make sure the tape hugs the line in between the secondary color of the triangle and the unfinished primed wood

3.Outline the inside of the 2 stripes down the table

Note: Make sure the tape hugs the line in between the secondary color of the stripes and the unfinished primed wood

Note: Refer to image 1 above for a visual of how to tape off the secondary color

4.Once you have all the secondary paint color areas taped off, paint 1 coat of primary color

5.Let dry

6.Paint a second coat of the primary color to make sure the primer is covered

7.Let dry

8.Peel tape off

Step 7: Last Few Touches!

Finishing Steps: The importance of Polyurethane is that it seals the wood on your table so it is pivotal that you do no less than 3 coats

1.Once your paint is dry, apply no less than 3 coats of Polyurethane on your table using your third paint brush (allow drying in between each coat)

2.After coating your table with Polyurethane, add any collegiate or non collegiate decals you want to

Note: Once done your table should look similar to image 1 above

3.Place your table on top of your kitchen table and/or a fold out table and you’re ready to play!