Build Your Own Poker Table
Cutting and Sanding

With your safety glasses on, take your jigsaw around your outline (see Figure 5.2). Don't cut right on the line as you want to leave just enough wood to get your sander around it and not affect the shape. My recommended technique is to leave just enough wood to be able to see the line. Without much sanding, you’ll be able to take it right down to the line.

Once you have the shape you like, take your orbital sander around the newly cut edges and sand down to the line you drew. Give the top a quick sanding just to take off any rough spots. Also sand the sides and edges of your two 8'x3"x¾" strips for the same reason.

It’s optional, but to build a top quality table, I highly recommend adding some sort of wood sealant to the plywood and the 8'x3"x¾" strips at this point. Even if this poker table will be kept inside, time spent now will add to the quality and longevity of the table. The plywood should be dry as a bone when you buy it, so this is a good opportunity to seal it off before you start adding your materials onto it.

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