Hi all,

the last days I continued on something I started some time ago ... as you can guess, following the title of the thread, I'm talking about my own little closeup-table.
In fact, you can change the plan in many details to perfectly fit it to your own taste. Because of some problems, caused by my impatience ( :x ), I cannot dissasemble the legs, but that's not really a big problem as long as I can remove the table top.

The principle is quite simple: Two 90cm x 40cm x 1,8cm pieces of wood get a cut-out in the middle so that they fit into each other. Then you can add the table top.

In my case, I'm using a quite thin table top and Velcro strip to fix it onto the legs. 90cm is just the perfect height for myself.

I'm just missing some varnish and a tablecloth. And, additionally, I want to add some shelfes onto it. Unfortunately, I couldn't make pictures of it, but I'll do that in the next days.
But, out of some boredom, I "built" the table as a 3d-object, so that I can show you the table as it is planned.

*here* it is "naked"
and *here* with some (not really nice looking) tablecloth

It's really solid and I'm absolutely happy with the construction. Probably I'll rebuilt it in some time without breaking half of the wood ...

air

That looks neat.

-=tabman

So here's a picture of the "real one". Still didn't find the time to get a table cloth, but I hope to be able to do that soon.



air

Looks like you used Sketch up, what did you cut it with?

SketchUp? What's that and what do you think I used it for?

air

The first photo looked like it was created in that program.

Looking at the table, its got a neat, retro futuristic look to it. I don't know if it needs a covering. Looks pretty clean.

-=tabman

@jay leslie

The 3d-models were made in Cinema 4D.

@tabman

Well, that's surely possible. But I think I'll try with a cloth. But either way I have to varnish it. And I have to nail some of these soft table-pads unter the feet to make it stand soft. One edge is not 100% even and so it can wiggle a little bit.

Using it without any cloth would, at least in my eyes, need a better-looking wood to avoid making it look like wood just took from the store.

air

I really like this look. My only preference would be to have the whole top a close up pad cut the same size.

Actually I consider filling the plate with a closeup-like material and cut off the exact size of my mat to fit it in.
Does anyone know, where I can material that is like closeup-pad-material or that is just good to use it in this case?

air

Nice table. Go to http://www.pattricksmagic.com to see how we can make you a custom mat to fit your table. Nicely Done. Pattrick

Those mats look great pattrick. One in particular makes me want to do some magic. Nice looking work.

Years ago in the mid 70s I was actually homeless and sleeping in an abandoned building (the story is in my new book) and started making leather close up pads and running a small ad in Genii Magazine. They got me off the street and into a motel. It's all been uphill from there.

Power to the pad!!!

-=tabman

I am wondering if any of you have the blueprint plans or ideas that could help me build my own street magic table. I have put a link to show you what I am looking for.

Click here to view attached image.

You can go to a car repair shop and get some scraps of their head liner material in about any color you want. It is foam backed and makes a great custom close up pad.

That is a good idea...I never thought about going to a car repair shop for the table top material...However, does anyone out there have blue prints for the wooden parts of the table? Or even some ideas?

In my new book I outline the exact process I used to build hundreds of Close-up tables for Magicians like Michael Ammar, Ray Mertz, Richard Kaufman, Pete Biro and many others.

-=tabman

Hey, I think I've heard of some of those guys Tabby!

When I first got serious about magic I thought "Tabman" was the standard like Jacuzzi!

MMc

Thanks Mickey. It was a fun time and everybody who was anybody had a Tabman Table. Nobody else had even thought of doing it and I made the first one for myself out of need and it grew from there. Ray is making them now and I need to get him to build me a Train Table which is one of my favorites. I outline the building of it in the book too.

You can add Magicians like Max Maven, Geno Munari, Jim Sisti, Max Abrams, Jim Patton, Bob Farmer and, well, so many more that it's just fun thinking about it all and all the greats that my craft led me to interaction with.

If I could go back in time I wouldn't change a thing. The fact that we're all getting old and a few decades from now none of us will be around can't be changed but it can be written about and remembered.

Thanks for remembering.

-=tabman

Simplest close up table... Purchase a restaurant tray stand, remove the glass from a large wooden picture frame with decorative trim and mount your close-up surface (headliner, suede, etc.)... Viola! You've got a professional looking close-up table for under $50.

-Bryan

[If I could go back in time I wouldn't change a thing. The fact that we're all getting old and a few decades from now none of us will be around can't be changed but it can be written about and remembered.

Thanks for remembering.

-=tabman
[/quote]

I was out of magic for about 10 years, and had no contact with other magicians for about 15 years after moving to another state. When the bug hit me again, I found that most of my friends in magic had past on. I have a collection of brochures, fliers & business cards of other magicians. I'm sure that many of them were pretty darned good in their day, but they're unremembered today.