I was practicing the Cup through Cup move when my wife said that I better not be putting dings in the dining room table. I was using a close-up mat; however I was hitting the Cups fairly hard… I then thought to myself; why not build a close-up stage (PIC 1).

It is really easy to make and can be made rather quickly. I spent more time going to Home Depot for a few parts.

1-Determine what size your close-up stage should be and procure a hard board of that size. I used 1” thick MDF; the size of my stage is 15” X 18” (I already had a mouse pad that size, more on this in step 2). MDF works out well because it is very hard and less likely to warp. I purchased a scrap piece for next to nothing and Home Depot cut it to size for free.

2-In preparation for step 3, some padding needs to be glued to the top of the board. I experimented with different layers of cotton batting. I wanted the finished surface to have some give, yet be firm enough for Chop Cup use. I settled on one layer of batting and a mouse pad. Glue the batting to the board using spray adhesive. The mouse pad floats on the batting (no glue was used).

3-I used velvet for the surface material. The velvet was cut to size, cutting it 3” larger then the finished surface area all directions. The extra 3” allows the material to be rolled around the edges and be stapled to the back of the board. Iron the velvet to remove any wrinkles, use a low heat setting.

4-With the wrinkle free velvet finished side face down on the table, center the board with padding on top of the velvet. Starting on any end roll the velvet around the edge of the board pulling the velvet tautly and staple the material to the back of the board. Proceed to the opposite end and repeat the process for the remaining ends.

5-One satisfied with the tension of the velvet, use brass corners to give the covered board a more finished look (PIC 2). Home Depot also sells these. Using the brass corners also covers any sins if you have trouble wrapping the ends. I found it easier if I pre-drilled holes for any screws.

6-For a final touch and not to scratch any tables secure rubber feet to the bottom of the board.

If you have any questions please ask… thanks,
Bruce

PIC 1-
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Stuff/IMG_0839.jpg

PIC 2
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Stuff/IMG_0840.jpg

Um... what's MDF?

And BTW, I made my own close up mat out of a yoga mat and felt. Yoga mats are great alternatives to mouse pads.

I believe MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard, very much like partial board but stronger.

Great job!

It looks really good.

Sean

I never thought of using a Yoga mat. Sort of pricey unless you already have one that's not being used. I used the 1/16" rubber sheeting made for lining wire shelving, but ended up using two layers. Yours might be a bit thicker still, but it would make for a very nice, resilient working surface with a good quality covering.

MDF sounds like it worked well for you as a base. Much better than dinging up your good furniture.