How to Build a Craps Table? [Complete Guide]

Do you need a craps table to practice but finding very expensive to buy? It’s okay! We will teach you how to build a craps table like a pro. In this guide, you will find the right plans and procedures you need to follow to create the perfect craps table. Just like the table itself, the crafting of it can be very complex as well. However, we will clear all your doubts and guide you so you can build a table without any faults.

Craps is one of the most exciting and fast-paced casino table games. Because of its attractive gameplay, it quickly becomes the favourite of casino enthusiasts. Hence, it is a trendy and high-rated casino game that is played widely across the world. Craps may look very intimidating when one sees them from afar without knowing how to play.

Moreover, the complex designs and patterns on the craps table make it look even scarier. This scary look pushes many rookie casino players away from craps. These players are the ones that find slot machines the easiest and spend most of their time in the casino at the slots. Nevertheless, it is pretty easy to pick up on craps as the rules are simple too. Also, the real ones know how fun it is to play craps. A craps table in a casino is always surrounded by people cheering and celebrating for the players.

Why You Should Build a Craps Table

Every now and then, an idea occurs to you that is so wild and out there that you simply must act on it. The idea might be as crazy as constructing a craps table at home. Before you ask, let me tell you that building a craps table is not an easy task at all. If you are going to build a craps table, there is a lot you will have to go through. Hence, it is important to have complete dedication to it. There are many reasons why you should build a craps table.

Less Expensive and Affordable

First and foremost, buying a craps table is quite expensive that if you belong to a middle-class family, you might not be able to afford it. The prices range from as low as $3000 to as high as $8000. This is a big amount of money and you will be able to save a lot of cash if you can just build a table all by yourself at home. It is true that building a craps table at home will not be free either. However, the cost of materials used in constructing a table would still be lesser than buying the table.

Design It As You Like

I think one of the best things about building your own craps table is to be able to design it however you like it. Yes, you can order custom-made craps tables but they are very expensive and can cost approximately $4000 that too just for an 8″ table. Sounds a lot, does not it? Therefore, in this case, your best bet will be to build a craps table on your own. This way you can craft the table with whatever designs and modifications you like and that too at a very cheap price!

Practice at Home

Craps is a difficult game and has countless strategies. Moreover, a craps game is often played against professional players who have mastered some really good craps strategies. Hence, it is important to practice a lot in craps and to practice a lot in craps you will need a craps table at home. If you have a craps table at home, you can play whenever you like without having to pay anything. You can look up some good strategies and then practice hard until you master them.

Furthermore, you can also use the craps table at home to hone your skills and strengthen your basic moves. You do not have to go to any casino that is far away from your home just to practice playing craps only for an hour. This way one can even save the oil whose prices are touching the sky these days. So. make things easier for yourself and build a craps table at home!

Craps Table Plans

Gather all of the necessary supplies and tools to build your craps table. The section below goes into depth about the products or tools you’ll need. Certain parts, such as diamond rubber and table felt, may need to be acquired from a billiard supply store. You can easily find these items on Amazon. But don’t worry, buying these will not set you back much. At the very least, the total cost of all elements will be far cheaper than the cost of purchasing a ready-made craps table. You can find complete crap table plans on a website called dice setter. This website includes great detailed plans to build a craps table. The plans include dimensions and illustrations for craps table from 8′ to 12′.

If you choose a standard-sized table, you may need to modify the plans for constructing the craps table’s base. You can modify the plans to suit your preferences. You might, for example, install a shelf or cabinet within the base to keep extra game objects once you have finished playing. Moreover, you may also cover the base with fabric or leather padding. This will increase the attraction of your table to others, and your craftsmanship will undoubtedly get you many compliments.

If you truly want to go all-in, invest in building a full-size professional-grade craps table. Spending on such a table will be beneficial in the long run. We recommend doing this only if you have no plans to purchase a craps table in the near future because creating a full-size professional-grade craps table will take a significant amount of time and resources. However, it will still be less expensive than purchasing one. To save time and energy you can ask the woodcutter at the timber supply store to cut the plywood for you.

How to Build a Craps Table

First of all, study the craps table plans in the link we mentioned above thoroughly. You need to be clear with your plan to start working on the construction of the table. The easiest way to build a craps table at home is through the craps table kits that you can find on online stores such as Amazon or from casino handymen. However, you have to be very cautious when buying these kits as they can be very expensive and not even of good quality wood. There are also high chances of getting scammed through online stores.

Furthermore, buying the plywood, felt, and other materials instead of the kit will help you save a lot of money and you can even choose the style of wood that you want for your table. It is important to note that building the craps table may not be as difficult as the finishing touches of the table. The final touch is one of the most important steps of building a craps table.

In order to make things easier for you, we have made a list of all the items you are going to need to build the table. You can also take notes of all the details mentioned here so that you do not have to open this guide every five seconds of working. We hope that through this guide, you will be able to craft the craps table of your dream.

Items You Will Need

There are some materials and tools that you must have if you want to build a craps table. If you do not have the tools, you can borrow them from a friend or rent them from any tools shop. Buying the items especially the tools and the wood can be a little costly so make sure you spend wisely and save as much as you can. Check the items you are going to need, create a budget and do not spend more than what is in the budget unless it is really important.

Materials list and uses

1. Jigsaw or saber saw: So the first must-have item is a jigsaw or a saber saw to cut and shape the wood. A new BLACK+DECKER Jig Saw, Smart Select of 5.0-Amp will cost you $44 at Amazon. It is very affordable and works well too. If you are looking to buy a jigsaw machine tool then this one would be a great choice.
2. Plywood: Buy good quality plywood or reuse the plywood you have at home from old furniture.  If you are buying from a lumber or timber supply shop, let the lumberjack cut it for you into pieces. We will tell you what dimension of wood you are going to need.
3. Different types of deck and wood screws: It is obvious that you are going to need screws to build the craps table.
4. Silicone Adhesive: To stick pieces you can not screw.
5. Sander: A sander is a motorized tool that uses friction with sandpaper to smooth surfaces. Sanders features a mechanism for attaching sandpaper and moving it quickly.
6. Wood Glue: Wood Glue is the woodworking glue of choice for carpenters, woodworkers, and hobbyists.
7. Felt: You can buy a billiard felt. Buy a felt that is bigger than what you have in your mind.
8. Diamond Rubber Ends: You can find this at a billiards store. Without these ends, you really can not practice dice control at home.
9. An Extra Table: A table is not necessary but it can save you time and energy. Crafting a table will be very difficult so if you have a table you can use then it will be perfect.

Dimensions of Craps Table

Craps tables in the 8′ and 9′ sizes are usually available in either a regular 1 piece tub or a collapsible 4 piece tub. The majority of craps tables in the casinos are designed for “dice setters” to ensure that the bounce and table measurements are as accurate as possible. A craps table might be 6 feet long, 8 feet long, 10 feet long, 12 feet long, or even 14 feet long.

Most casinos choose the height, style of railings, chip racks, table width, wall height, and other features of their tables themselves. They also decide on the size of the rubber pyramids, as well as the material and style of the arrangement. Most of the ones you see in casinos are custom-made. The measurements of an 8-foot trademark premium craps table are 98 x 47 x 32 inches. The dimensions are 98 inches long, 47 inches wide, and 32 inches tall.

The layout of the table which is also known as the Florette or the bottom of the table is 28 inches from the ground. This is the average height and anything more or less than 28 inches is uncommon.

One thing that you should know is that there is no industry standard when it comes to Craps table’s dimensions. It should be fine as long as it is proportionate. If you are planning on a 12 feet table, the dimensions can be 44.5 inches wide and 134 inches long. The PASS LINE arrangement is 9 inches away from the glass. The distance between the 4 and the PASS LINE is roughly 49.5 inches. Base dealer and point numbers are separated by 7.25 inches. Base dealer and point numbers are separated by 7.25 inches. 11 inches from the PASS LINE to the diamond rubbers on the table’s ENDS.

The Dice measurement

The professional casinos use 0.7725″ (20mm) dice, not the standard 0.748031″ (19mm) dice used in most casinos such as cocoa casino and for sale on the internet. When you practise playing craps for a long time, you will notice a change in how the dice feel and how strong or weak your grip is when you play at your local craps table.

How Big is a Professional Craps Table?

As we told in the dimensions section above, there is no fixed industry size for these. However, if you want your table to look as professional as possible you may want it to be 12 to 14 feet long (a 12-foot long craps table is more preferable). The difference between a professional craps table and a regular craps table is usually the materials used and the patterns drawn on the felt. A professional craps table of $7000 is 12 feet long, the width is 52 inches and the height is 38 inches.

Procedure

It all starts with a plan. If you can not find an accurate plan on how to build a craps table of your dreams, then you will just have to make one yourself. Here, we will guide you on every step to create a craps table at home. This is as clear as we can get in guiding you with all the information you need to know.

Starting with a Felt or a Table

The best way to estimate the dimensions of the craps table is either by the length and width of the wood you already have or by the felt. You can start from scratch (with no wood) by buying the materials first. The first thing you should buy is the felt. Even though billiards felt are comparatively cheaper, I suggest you buy the original and professional craps table felt. After buying the felt, you can easily create a mental image of the craps table with accurate dimensions. Write those calculations down in a notebook and start working.

In case you are starting with a ready-made table that you do not use anymore, you should make measurements according to that table. If you are someone who likes playing with the crowd, it is better to take a 12 feet long table. Anything smaller than 12 feet will become very congested. However, starting with something small is not a bad idea either.

Creating the Wooden Frame

You may use 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 for the mainframe if you want greater reliability. Furthermore, a 2 x 6 frame provides greater room for bolting and connecting the various parts. You may use 2 x 6 or 4 x 4 for the table legs. It’s possible that you’d like your frame to be a bit longer or broader. So that when you create your walls on top of it, the wooden frame remains visible and accessible. The table surface will sit directly on top of the crossbeams for the most part. It will be placed on top of the legs as well.

The width of a 12 or 14-foot table can be 44 inches broad. As a result, the wooden cross-section might be the same size as 44 inches. Also, keep in mind that when these 44-inch beans are linked to the long frame boards, they will be constructed on the inside. Remember that you may alter and adjust your plans to make them as precise as possible. The table surface thickness should be between 3/4 and 1 inch thick. You may restrict the length of your table feet to 28.5 inches tall because the usual height of a craps table is 29 inches.

Add two extra 44-inch cross beams to the frame for further stability and support for the table surface. These crossbeams are flush with the tops of the frame and legs, allowing the table surface to sit directly on them. You may build the table’s length by taking two 8-foot beams, cutting them down to 7, and then joining them together to produce a 14-foot length. You may place a pair of legs in the centre of the table to stabilise the seam formed. Your frame should now be rather sturdy.

Creating the Table Surface

For this step, you need good quality plywood. My personal recommendation would be birch plywood. Birch is a little more expensive but it is harder, stronger, and more solid than other woods. Most importantly, the birchwood has an extremely smooth surface. If you use your old plywood, your table surface will not be smooth which will affect your dice when rolling across the table. However, the dice might not be affected much. Hence, if you are low on money, your old plywood can definitely do the trick.

If your plywood is not long enough to fit the frame, you can make two sections of it. Try to make the two sections meet near the seams and the middle table legs. This will help keep the two different plywood pieces even with each other. Moreover, it will prevent one from drooping or sagging after time. The drooping can cause a bump all the way across the table and your dice will keep sliding to one place. Use small brackets and duct tapes all the way down the seam to kill any possibility of unevenness on the table surface.

Now, you need underlayment for your craps table. There are many theories on the internet but the best thing to do is buy a regular felt. Lay the felt out to the table surface and wrap it around the edges of the plywood surface. Pull the felt tight and staple it around the edges. Next, put the overlay back on the table, pull tight, and staple around the edges again.

Preparing the Walls

To add thickness to the structure, add a couple of additional 2 x 4 support beams on the sides. You may now install the walls and mount them to the wood frame. The walls should be 13 inches in height, with 11 inches above the table. You may add a beautiful handrail, foam padding, or a chip rack to the top of the walls with an 11-inch tabletop. You don’t want to go any lower than 11 inches on the side walls. The rubber alligator or diamond pyramid ends, are 11 by 47 inches. As a result, if your walls are less than 11 inches thick, you will have to cut the rubber, which is quite costly.

The hardest part of any craps table is its rounded corners. Instead of the round corners which are extremely difficult to make, go for angled corners. By the time the new chip rails and diamondback are installed, you won’t even realize the corners aren’t rounded. You can cut some extra foam material to fill in the curved area in the corners inside the table. Finish the dealer area with some shorter panels.

Installing The Chip rails

The first thing you need to do to install chip rails is to cut the top wooden panel to hold the chip rails. You may put chip rails all the way across the front of the table if you don’t want an area on the front side for the stickman to stand inside. There is no need for a stickman component if you are only constructing for practice. You can buy a Core Box #8727 1-5/8″ diam 1/2″ Shank #8727 from MLCS Router Bits and Woodworking Products. This router bit has a 1/2′′ shank. A new 1/2″ router may also be purchased on eBay. They are inexpensive and accessible. Create your own router tabletop.

To accommodate two of the chip rows, the rail must be 4 inches wide. The 1 1/2′′ depth is ideal. Now, cut the corner chip rail pieces out of 2×6 lumber. Between each piece will be a 1/4″ thick divider. You can find them pre-cut in 3-foot pieces at home depot. Finally, all you have to do now is to route all those single pieces into chip trays. And, that is it! You are now done building your craps table. You can also add foam padding, shelves, and cabinets if you wish to. It is your craps table so do whatever you want to do with it.

What is Under the Felt on a Craps Table?

The frame. I repeat the thing under the felt is the frame. Do not add anything else the internet tells you especially not a foam sheet. A billiards foam sheet will make your dice extremely bouncy, Being the internet, it will give you many crazy ideas but it is best to just buy a regular felt form fabric or billiards supply store and place it on your table surface.

Conclusion

Making a plan, purchasing the appropriate materials such as plywood, constructing the main wooden structure, adding the underlayment and felt, covering the table surface with the layout, and lastly putting the chip rails and foam paddings would be the sequence in which I would summarise the procedures. Also, keep in mind the rubber sides. You may buy cheaper rubber instead of the costly diamond rubber, but it will definitely not be suitable for professional craps play. You may also make adjustments to your original plan and implement new advancements. Hopefully, now you have an idea on how to build a craps table. Good luck with your craft!