How to Make a Table Tennis Paddle

Make a homemade table tennis paddle.

Table tennis or ping pong is a very easy game to pick up--almost anyone can play it. Creating your own table tennis paddle is a fun activity for you and your family. You can customize the color and design for the paddle. The modern table tennis paddle is made largely of wood and doesn’t have to be exotic. Plywood is a good choice because it is marvelously strong. The real difference in paddles is the choice of construction material, and this matters most to better players.

Things You'll Need

• 1/8-inch 3-ply birch plywood
• Pencil
• Vice
• Hand saw
• Wood glue
• 350-grit sandpaper
• Canary wood
• Drill
• Cherry dowels
• Wood stain
• Sponge
• Matte finish

Instructions

1. Draw a pattern of the paddle, including the handle, on the 1/8-inch 3 ply birch plywood using a pencil. You can trace an existing paddle--or you can wing it and draw a similar shape.

2. Put the wood in a vice and tighten the clamp. This will ensure that the wood won’t move when you cut it.

3. Cut the paddle pattern using a wire handsaw. Don't worry about being perfectly on the line, you’re going to sand the paddle later on.

4. Sand the edge of the cutout using 350-grit sandpaper. Be sure to lay down some newspaper to avoid getting sawdust all over your work area.

5. Lay down a piece of thin 1 ply canary wood on your work area and trace the shape of the handle from you new paddle onto the wood.

6. Cut out the handles from the canary wood using a wire saw. Make sure you sand around the edges using 350-grit sandpaper to remove any splinters or loose wood.

7. Drill two 1/4-inch holes in the middle of both handles. You will use these holes to connect the handles in a later step.

8. Attach the canary wood handle overlay to the birch wood center portion by inserting cherry dowels in each hole and covering the dowels with wood glue. Allow the glue to dry for at least 12 hours. Cherry dowels are rods made of wood used to hold pieces together. The dowels will help reinforce the handle.

9. Apply wood stain on the paddle using a sponge. Let it dry overnight and apply matte finish with a sponge.

Tips & Warnings

• Canary wood is best for handles because it is lighter in terms of weight.

• Take necessary precautions when working with wood. Always use goggles to protect your eyes from sawdust.

References

• Exit Creative: I Make Ping-Pong Paddles