How to Make a Foosball Table
Foosball is a great social sport. It’s fun to play, but difficult to master. To play, you spin pipes lined with miniature people to strike a ball, hoping to get it into the goal. Depending on the size of the table, you can have anywhere from 2 to 8 players standing at the spinners. Purchasing a foosball table can be expensive, but you can always build your own. After building your foosball table, you’ll have an attractive and functional centerpiece for your dorm room, game room or garage.
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Instructions
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1
Decide how large your foosball table will be. The more spinners you have, the more people can play. Having more spinners will also boost the challenge factor for a single player. A standard foosball table is approximately 4 feet by 2 feet. Decide how many rows of spinners your table will have. Each half of the table has 4 spinners with 1, 2, 3 and 5 wooden players.
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Cut a piece of wood for the bottom of your table. You may want to use a hard piece of wood for this, as this is the playing surface. Cut some wood for the sides of your table. The sides of the table should be about 6 to 8 inches high. You can put the foosball table on a table you already have, or add legs that put the playing surface 3 feet above the ground. It's up to you whether you follow regulation foosball dimensions or customize your table.
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3
Measure to decide where you are going to cut the holes for the spinners. These can be any distance apart, but they should be equal for both players. On most tables, the spinners are 6 inches apart and just over 3 inches above the playing surface. The goalie's rod is 3 inches from the end of the playing field. Use a drill to add the holes and make sure the spinner pipes will fit through and spin easily.
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4
Carve your little players out of wood. Take your time and use a softer wood, like pine. Start by drawing the outline of the player on the blank wood and using a sharp knife to remove small slivers of wood. If you're not a skilled carver, you can just make a rounded human-shaped form. Be sure to make their feet large enough to be useful as a striking surface. Drill holes through the centers of the players that will accommodate the spinner pipes.
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5
Cut a piece of acrylic to fit the playing surface of your foosball table. Decorate it however you like; you can go psychedelic or you can go realistic, painting on goal lines and the other features you’d find on a soccer field. Add whatever kind of goal you like.
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Put everything together. Drill starter holes in the bottom of the foosball surface and the acrylic and screw them into the sides. Thread the spinner rods through their holes and attach the players before running the rod through the other end. Use grip tape to provide more comfort for your players and to keep the rods from sliding out of place.
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