DIY How to Restore a Vintage Game Table

Several years ago I had a customer request I restore his vintage 60s era folding poker table. The game table was in rough shape. The old vinyl was peeling off. One of the chip holders was broken off and the cup holders were long gone.

Supplies

The vintage game table needed to be repaired, refinished, a new top added and the cup holders replaced. For this project I used the following:

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Blue Game Table Fabric

As always practice safety. Stripping furniture causes splattering. Wear safety glasses, rubber gloves and old clothes or a shop apron. Wear hearing protection, a dust mask and heavy gloves for rough edges as needed.

I started by pulling off the old fabric. The top was sanded down to remove any old glue or wood splinters. I wiped it down with mineral spirits to prepare it for the new fabric to be added later. Loose veneer and trim were glued back into place.

All the exposed wood parts had the old finish stripped off. I would coat the part with solvent, wait a few minutes, then wipe away the old finish. I would repeat this step two or three times as needed. Usually the second or third pass I would use #4 steel wool to get in the cracks and crevices. Then again but with 3o or 4o steel wool. Finally I would wipe the piece down with mineral spirits to neutralize the solvent. Once dried, sanding would commence.

The customer wanted new cup holders. I found some great aluminum cup holder inserts that really matched the vintage vibe. They were slightly larger than the original holes. I removed all the chip/ cup holders. I then added one inch thick wood to the back edge of the holders to make them slightly larger to accommodate the new inserts. Enlarging the holes was a bit of a challenge. I didn't want to damage the original pieces. I made a jig to allow me to keep the drill straight while I enlarged the hole. I clamped it to my work from underneath. The center would support the drill hole while the saw blade made the circular cut. Success!

The chip holders were reattached to the table. All the parts were sanded in preparation for the finish. Stain was applied with a brush and let sit for a few minutes. The excess stain was wiped off with clean rags. The piece was set aside to dry over night. The next day three coats of clear satin finished were applied, light sanding in between coats. Water based poly finish is great as it dries quickly. You can complete the finish in one day.

The table top was dusted a final time in preparation for the new fabric. I found a lovely blue poker table fabric. I ironed it lightly to remove any wrinkles. The cloth was placed over the top to trim the excess away. I then sprayed the table top with aerosol adhesive. Once the top was tacky to the touch, we carefully laid the fabric down, smoothing any wrinkles as we went. The edges were trimmed close, then tucked into the groove around the edge with a putty knife. The new aluminum cup holders were dropped into the holes and the project was complete.

I hope you have enjoyed this Instructable. Please take a moment to view my other projects. I look forward to your questions and suggestions in the comments section.

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