What Type of Plywood Is the Best for Ping Pong Tables?

Wood

• The type of plywood you choose for your ping pong table is largely unimportant. Plywood is available in a variety of materials, such as fir, pine and spruce. These three types of wood are softwood, and are all suitable for use as a ping pong table. Hardwood plywood is also available, but because the table does not need to be strong, it's not necessary to spend extra money on hardwood plywood.

Size

• Plywood sheets are sold in a few different sizes, making it easy to purchase the correct size of plywood for a ping pong table. Ping pong's governing body, the International Table Tennis Federation, requires that tables for official events measure 5 feet by 9 feet. Plywood is not commonly available in this size, but 4-by-8-foot sheets are standard. Select plywood that is 1 inch or 3/4 of an inch thick. This size of plywood is acceptable for a homemade ping pong table.

Preparation

• Before you paint the plywood for your ping pong table, sand it with a belt sander or random-orbit sander until the wood is smooth. The smoothness of the plywood when you purchase it depends partly on its grade, price and the store at which you shop. A rough piece of plywood is not ideal for a ping pong table until you sand it smooth, as the rough finish could cause balls to take wayward bounces.

Finishing

• Paint the sanded sheet of plywood green or another color of your choosing. Use a tape measure and straightedge to mark a line down the middle of the table, both lengthwise and widthwise. Place painter's tape along these lines, leaving roughly one quarter-inch of space between the tape lines. Paint these lines white to divide the table into equal quarters. Finish the table by mounting it to legs and clipping a net to to each side so the net runs along the middle line.