Break and Take Practice Table Story

    I, like many FLL coaches, have been looking for a portable light weight practice table to bring to tournaments. No one wants to wait in line with the throng of kids that surround the practice table at any tournament you attend. I initially built the Inventioneers’ Stow-or-Go Practice table only to have it get damaged at the first tournament we used it. Obviously, it is light weight but it is quite fragile. After building that table and having it get destroyed so quickly, I started thinking about other options. I did an extensive internet search that yielded many different options but none that really addressed my two major concerns…weight and durability. It seemed like the two were an elusive combination for a practice table. One day while I was in my classroom (I teach Lego and VEX robotics in Palmdale, California) I received some steel cabinets to store our robots. These cabinets came with these very large and strong corrugated cardboard inserts. I started thinking that perhaps corrugated cardboard could be used. It seemed quite strong and light weight, but obviously the issue of durability is huge. A simple spilled drink could spell doom for the table. While doing my search for the cardboard, corrugated plastic sheets came up and a light came on in my head. You see these sheets being used for various boxes and roadside signs. You can find these sold at many hardware stores, but the thickness is way to thin for what I was thinking. Searching further I happened upon a company called Inteplast Group (www.inteplast.com/worldpak/index.html). They sell a line of plastic corrugated sheets called Intepro Fluted Plastic Board. These sheets come in a wide range of colors and thicknesses. The best part is that these sheets are strong, light weight, durable and weather proof. They sell these sheets in the size of a plywood board like we use in FLL (48” x 96”). I decided that the best thickness would be 13mm, since it was .51”. I decided I would buy several boards to make two prototype tables (I figured four would do the trick). My idea was to have the table in two sections, so it would fit nicely in my truck. I decided that I would somehow cut two of the boards in half to form the playing surface 48”x 48” and cut the remaining boards into 24 count 48”x 3”x 13mm and 12 count 45”x 3”x 13mm. I decided to use a 3” high border since it was the middle of the expected height of the border (I know a lot of tournaments are using the 2.5” border now, but I like a tall border). My idea was to form the border of my table by adhering three strips of these sheets together to form the border of the table at an almost perfect 1.53” (a standard two by three is not actually 2” thick but 1.5”).  I also found out that these sheets would be about $65 each based on the quantity I wanted. I also found out that the price could be cut in half for high volume orders. I called Inteplast Group to find out if there was a distributor in the Los Angeles area and they referred me to Laird Plastics in Downey, CA (www.lairdplastics.com/). I called them and asked them three questions 1) Do you guys carry 13mm Intepro Fluted Plastic Sheets, 2) Can I buy just 4 sheets? And 3) Will you cut them to my specifications? The answer to all of these questions was yes. At that point, I decided the price was right to produce two tables, and made the purchase. Shipping would have been too expensive so I decided to pick them up. I sent Laird Plastics the dimensions I wanted and that was that. After I made the purchase, I realized that I had forgotten to think about how I would adhere the boards together. I called the company and they told me that I could use a hot melt glue or a glue that would adhere polypropylene. I went down to Lowe’s and found a spray adhesive made by Loctite (www.loctiteproducts.com/p/14/17/a_cntct_pro/overview/Loctite-Spray-Adhesive-Professional-Performance.htm) at a cost of about $11 a can. I also bought some painters tape to make sure the adhesive didn’t get everywhere. Once I got everything together, I tested adhering three small swatches together. The adhesive is instantaneous so I needed to be careful to fit them together correctly. That worked very well, so I then took that piece and tested adhering it to the sheet with the fluted side. I worried a bit about the lack of surface area, but it stuck together very nicely. The next step was to put together a two piece table. I recruited some family helpers and it came together quite nicely. I didn’t like that the two halves of the table were not connected. A friend of mine suggested the addition of a tongue and groove, since the border walls have three layers. It was an absolutely brilliant idea and made the table very stable. I completed the table right before the 2017 Southern California Regional FLL Championship held in La Canada, CA. I had three teams that were competing over the the two days of the Championship, and I brought the table both days to show off. I was surprised by the amount of interest it generated. So much so, that I contemplated the idea of starting a business centered around this table. However, I decided the best route would be to just offer it up to the community in the spirit of core values. Not to mention, that my family was not interested in becoming part of my table making sweat shop. At the tournament, I had several coaches ask if I could make a three piece version. Many did not have the vehicle space to transport the two piece version. After the tournament, I work out the materials list for the three piece version and started building it. I quickly found that the three piece table is harder to build than the two piece. More seams and more parts equals more complexity. However, I worked through all of that and the table came out fantastic IMHO. I was contacted by a coach who wanted a three piece version, so I told him that I would sell him my prototype. I told him to  test out the table and let me know any issues that I may need to fix on future tables. To be honest, I am surprised that no one has come up with this idea before. There are so many brilliant and wonderful people in the FLL community. Anyway, I hope that you find my table design to be a valuable tool in your success. Do not hesitate to contact me for any comments or suggestions.

Two Piece Table Pics

Three Piece Table Pics