Okay, here’s my blog post about turning a pool table into a ping pong table:
So, I’ve got this pool table. It’s a nice one, but honestly, we just weren’t using it much anymore. It was mostly just sitting there, taking up space. Then I got this idea – what if we could turn it into a ping pong table? I mean, we love ping pong, and it would get way more use that way.
First thing I did was measure the pool table. It’s a standard 8-foot table, which is a bit smaller than a regulation ping pong table, but hey, close enough for some casual games. Then, I needed to figure out what to use for the tabletop.
- I thought about just buying a conversion top, but those things are kind of pricey.
- Then I considered plywood, but I was worried about it being too heavy and maybe warping over time.
- Then it hit me – MDF! Medium-density fiberboard.
It’s pretty sturdy, not too heavy, and relatively cheap. I went down to the local hardware store and got a couple of sheets, they even cut it to size for me, lucky.
Next up, the net. I found a cheap, clamp-on net online. You know, the kind that just attaches to the sides of the table. Perfect.
I’m not much for painting, but my wife insisted, so I painted the MDF a nice, dark green. We found some white tape for the lines – nothing fancy, just regular masking tape. Stuck that on there, and boom, we had our playing surface.
Then came the moment of truth. We placed the MDF on top of the pool table, clamped on the net, and grabbed our paddles. It worked! It wasn’t perfect, the bounce was a little different than a real ping pong table, but it was totally playable.
We’ve been playing on it for a few weeks now, and it’s been a blast. The kids love it, and it’s a great way to get some exercise without having to leave the house. I’m pretty stoked with how it turned out, to be honest. It was a fun little project, and it gave our old pool table a new lease on life. Plus, it’s way cheaper than buying a whole new ping pong table.
A few tips if you want to try this yourself:
- Make sure the MDF is thick enough to give you a decent bounce. I used 3/4 inch, and it seems to work pretty well.
- Don’t forget to seal the edges of the MDF. I didn’t do this at first, and they started to fray a bit.
- If you’re not into painting, you can always just use the MDF as is. It doesn’t look as nice, but it works just the same.
So, yeah, that’s my story. A simple, cheap way to turn a pool table into a ping pong table. I’m so glad I did it, hope you give it a try too!