Table football has elways been popular and if played on a solid {ulksized table it involves quick reflexes, set moves and if you ‘want to take it that far, national and international compet- tion. There is even a Foosball Federation in Australia (www. foosball com.au), with State of Origin Foosball Challenges. ‘able football can get quite vigorous so the table needs to be heavy and strong with ll the joints well glued and screwed. ‘The good news is that you can buy the hardworking compo- ‘nents for the soccer table ready to install as a kit. The kit con- sists of the two TI-man teams, eight chrome-plated stee! rods, the plastic bearings, rubber buffer rings, metal rings to contain the goalie in his box, rod caps, handles and the score Units. These work out about $50 per complete rod, so for an eightrod table you are looking at about $400 in hardware ‘The carpentry is quite simple, in that the entire table is a series of plywood boxes screwed together. Even the lags are long narrow boxes. All the woodwork can be cut from two sheets of 19mm hoop pine plywood, which if you get the supplier to cut up for you, should cost about $300. You could save some money by using CD plywood instead and using the good face. Add some paint and sundries, you will have a heavy-duty ful-sized table for about $750 to $800, Gather your supplies ©" ALog sos (18750 x1 x 18mm plywood B Log plugs (4) 62x62 19mm plywood {COvter taba ends (2) 675% 200 x fmm plywood D Sioa (2) 1400x400 x orm piywood E Coats (2) 1280.26. tm plywood or pine F Fie 1962x675 x 19mm plywood Gall return sidos 4) 131 0 fmm plywood Hall return bas 2) 228 x80. 1mm plywood Bal eturn back 2) 26x 150 x 19mm plywood 1 S'Goal sido covers (4) 75x 60> 18mm pywood * K Goal top covers (2) 225 60 18mm plywood Shaves (21675 60x 18mm plywood 'M Goal panels (2) 675 x 180 x 18mm plywood Ne reinforcement panels 2) 1204 x 180 x 18mm plywood “For the two halves ofthe bearings to screw together and be sel fixing, it may be better tse 15mm plywoad for the side ‘inforcement panels. fusing the 19mm plywood as we dd here, ‘you will need to screw the bearings to the table with 15mm screws, You'll also need Kitof table soccer components: nuts and adjustable logs; spray {enamel if you want to change the colours ofthe players; white undercoat and green acrylic forthe feld; 160 x 10mm bolts, washers, spring washers and nuts (12 needed) Note Alljoints are glued and screwed with exposed sorew heads 0 before joining the timbers, mark in the serew positions, dil learance holes in the upper pieces and countersink for the screw heads. Drill pilot holes inthe receiving piece bbofore driving inthe screws. ball feed cup Cutting diagramCircle stencil a Field layout Table football Table football, also variously called table soccer ‘0r foosball, was developed in 1937 by Spanish editor and poet Alejandro Finisterre. Injured and hospitalised during the civil war he saw many injured children who were unable to play football ‘and conceived the idea. The first table was made by his friend, the Basque carpenter Javier Altuna, While he did patent the idea, he lost the papers while fleeing the fascist coup d'etat. font lane pot, (na 6565STEP 1 Assemble and check all the hardware components for the football table. You will ead 2 teams of 11 men, 8 solid steel chrome rods, 16 sets of bearings for the table, 16 butfes and 4 stop collars, plus 2 ball feeders and 2 score panels. Check the sizes and the layout as rods are dferant lengths. Also check that the 2 halves of the bearings will sorew together through the double thickness ofthe sides we EQ z\")\ Pond STEP 2 Mako the logs by guing and wing pairs ofthe leg sides IA together to form L shapes. Draw cross diagonals 2/088 the underside of the lg plugs (8), Alla TOrn-<éemeter hale and hammer in aFrut. Screw adjustable legs into the nuts so that the table canbe leveled on sloping decks or uneven floors. Screw a plug in side one L, then join 2Ls together to for a complete lag. Repeat fr other logs. STEP 3 Merk and cut out 180 x 60mm ball-setur slots in the table ends (C),car- wed withthe top of hole 220mm from the ‘top edge. Todo this drill 1ommiameter hole in opposita corners of tha eut, then cut out with a jigsaw, working into the comers so they willbe square STEP 4 On the sides (0) mark a line 189mm down from the top edge. To this line you then glue and screw the cleats (B) centred between the ends. Glue and screw the sides to the ends, making sure that the llretum hole is st the bottom of the ends, and the coats are closer to the top edge. Make sure the sides and ‘ends are square, then set aside to ory Cut the field (tt size. ex STEP 5 Paint tho surface of the field white using 2 quick-drying undercoat thenapplva second oat. Use the diagram ‘anda pencil to mark out the fotbal il, withthe lines 10mm wide in the centre of the feld and 20mm wide around the perimeter. Align and press dawn 20mm ‘wide mssking tape along the ines, being as accurate as you can re —_i STEP 6 Use a utity knife and a steo! rule to trim the centre and penalty box lines beck to TOmm wide. Pull the tape away. Don't worry about the cicies at this, stage as they willbe added later. STEP 7 Paint over the masking tape with more of the white paint 9 seal around the edge of the tape. This, stops the green paint for the fil fom bleeding under the tape which would resultin fuzzy edges, STEP 8 Paint the entre field with 2 coats of bright green paint (we used Dulux Vitalie) Then, when dry, carefully Pick the comers ofthe masking tape and pul it away to reveal the white boundary ‘and conve ines, a —Saeg 1 —_ STEP 9 Use the stencilciagram tomake 2 stencil fr the oxele out of thin card board, Cut out the shape with 2 utility knife and align this at the miele of the centre line. To stop paint bleeding under the stonell weigh it down with blogs of piywood and hald the cente of the orcle ‘on with tha end ofa thin brush. Spray ‘with a quicedrying ite enamel To paint the hafcrces at the ends, cover haf the Circle with the plywood wight. Let dry ‘while you advance the table. STEP 10 To fo she logs to the inside ‘comers of the table, holdin place with ‘lamps so the joint will be tight. Drill 2x ‘orm bolt holes through the ends and 1 through the face. Measure the postions ‘oftheholes accurately as they willemain Visible, esl measurements are 70mm in from the corner and 110mm up from the base on the sides, and 40 and 170mm up ‘nthe table ends, Bok in place with 150 x 10mm cup-head bots, washers, spring ‘washers and nuts| think foosball is a combination of soccer and shish kebabs Mitch Hedberg, comedian [STEP 11 Mato bal returns by sorewing ‘the ball tum sides (G) to the bases (+, then adding the backs (N. Screw them to ‘the inside ofthe bal retum slots s0 the top ‘20geis at the same level as the top of the ‘Gaats. This wl frm a 20mm pat the slot to prevent th bal rom roling out STEP 12 Markin 187 80mm bal-crop pocket at the back ofthe goals at each end ‘ofthe fein line withthe inner box. Cut ‘ut with a jigsaw. Set tho fold into the table on the cleats and serew in from the des to give rigity to the table sides. Vay STEP 18a tt galcorsby soe tate sabe tee Gus and Saow ie gel coves thew os cerng tom to baep a thon aed th shelves (by fern Sitanvcinapean teens nh arn ew doe STEP 14 cutout he 180. 75mm goals inthe contre ofthe goal pene (Mf). Glue andacrew thee otha ence of te side re inforcemont panes (N, then fi this whole assembly into the table. Sorew to the Sides and ito the edges ofthe shelves. The table is now ready fr intaling the slaying herd STEP 15 it you want to change the col ‘ur stip ofthe players (we chose Austra iaand Germany lightly sand the figurines to provide # key for the ol-based paint For quick drying times, use fast-drying, sp187 touehup paint in the appropriate ‘colours. Spray litle paint into an od, then use fine brush to appt the paint. 10 make drying easier set un a ‘drying rack by clamping a length of dowel in clams, ‘Then you can thread the litle men onto the dowel as they ae pained STEP 16 Wnile the men are drying, mark a fine 60mm down fram the top adge ofthe sides along both sides, inside ‘and out. From the autside ends measure 475mm, then 4 lots of 150mm as the centres forthe bearings forthe ste! rods Dri 4mm pilot Roles through the sides to ensure the holes willbe straight, then swap fora 25mm Speecbor bit to dill out the holes. As the point ofthe bit comes ‘through the inside panel, work back the ‘other way to prevent breakout of the piywood. Also dillan approximate 6mm bal-eed hole in the centre of each side ‘also centred 60mm down from the top For this you wil need anole saw or large Forstner it The sie is not critical as ong ‘the dameteris enough toallow the bal to be fed into the game a \ STEP 17 Screw the 2 halves of the flanges forthe rod into each ofthe 25mm holes and sccaw tight I you do not get snaugh grip onthe thread because ofthe thickness of the sides, faed the female part into the hole from the fel side as itis a fal tight ft Thon screw the male parton from outside, Predeil and dive 2x 115mm screws trough the dimples on the ‘outside to hold each male partin position. STEP 18 Arrange your rods so that all the handles for 1 team will Be on 1 side, land the other team on the other side Starting from 1 end the players are: your ‘goalie plus 2 stop collars onthe Fst rod, 2 ‘of your men on the next, 3 of theirs facing the other way, 8 of yours, 6 oftheir, 3 of ‘yours, 2 of theirs and their goalie with 2 Stop cols. After feeding @ rod through the bearing on 1 side feed on a rubber butfer then the men end collars, then the other butfer before pushing through the far bushing. Make sure the men are facing the right way ~ we wouldn't want them playing backwards. Secure the men ‘wit the bolts and Nylock nuts supplieg ‘Add the handles to the corect sides and ‘tother ends add a aber cap. STEP 19 Screw tne bal-oed cup tothe ‘outside ofthe table at each side. To help keep track of the game, serew the score Units 10 the top shelves ofthe table. And naw for the moment of truth Australia or Germany, Azgentina or Braz, South Korea ‘or the Wory Coast?