Greetings. Here’s a question for all of the knowledgable people out there…
My Father -in- law is constructing an outdoor ping pong table, and has built the table top out of a sheet of 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood, but, in order to get the table to be regulation size, he had to add 1 x 6 pressure treated boards around the perimeter of the table to get to the required 5 x 9 feet dimension of a regulation table. The general finish on the plywood and the cracks and gaps created by joining these additional boards to the table top need to be addressed so that the table will play ok.
Here’s the question… Can anybody recommend a compound to use to flatten the top of the table? Would an epoxy like Minwax’s two part wood filler work? What we’re looking for is something that could be spread on the table top and then sanded to make sure that there aren’t any large blemishes on the table (like joint compound on sheetrock seams) that would affect play.
Whatever material we use to smooth the table top needs to be weatherproof because this table will be outside 6 months out of the year. It will be painted, but I’m still concerned about the leveling compound peeling or cracking. Are there any special preparations that the pressure treated wood should go through before applying the leveling compound to ensure good adhesion?
Thanks for any responses to this sort of oddball question.
HB
Replies
BONDO!!!
Check with installers for tile and industrial buolding material suppliers and such. There's acrylic leveling compounds that can be feathered to a zero edge. Pretty tough stuff.
I just had to buy a sheet of pressure treated 3/4" ply. It was practically dripping moisture, and it started to curl before I could get it out of the truck. I only hope the stuff available in your area is better than what I am able to buy here.
So, before you invest too much effort in making a ping pong table with this stuff, you might at least want to consider MDO (Medium Density Overlay. It is an exterior grade plywood, which has a smooth, thin paper coating which is intended to be painted. And it will stay flat. I'm told it is often used for freeway signs.
HB,
I'm going to second the comment from nikkiwood! I think you're in for a big disappointment if you try to make it out of treated plywood. I've used the stuff and I don't think you will be able to restrain it's warpage with a structure that looks anything like the frame of a ping pong table. I've never used MDO but it sounds like a much better bet!
Regards,
Mack
"WISH IN ONE HAND, #### IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
"My Father -in- law is constructing an outdoor ping pong table, and has built the table top out of a sheet of 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood"
Too Late!~ It's already been used for the top. I agree with you guys, but he went and did it this way. Now we have to see what can be done to level it.
Keep the ideas coming!~
That's kinda like building a house on sand and then asking for help when the walls start cracking...
But since you insist, you could buy rolls of fibreglass ,tack them to the top, and pour on thinned epoxy probably a gallon or so. Bondo will work but only if the ply is stable.
It's not as if he's built a house and you need to change the materials in the foundation.
It's going to be much easier and cheaper to just replace the plywood with a better material.
I agree. I agree. But he disagrees. He's already got a day's labor into it and isn't considering starting over.
Keep the ideas coming!
How about a concrete or marble slab the height of a ping pong table!!
You could use it for virgin sacrifices when you're not pingin or pongin.!
That's the mother of all ideas!
What you want this ping pong table to have is the properties of a boat.
Four years ago, I built a 17' sea kayak out of okoume plywood which is saturated with epoxy. It's doing fine - totally impervious to water.
I would recommend you get some boatbuilder's epoxy, including thickeners, to fill gaps. Without the thickeners, the epoxy will just run out of the cracks.
Check out clcboats.com. They made my kayak kit and sell all the expoy you need with lots of tips on how to use it.
Bill
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