The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: jelwell on July 11, 2005, 11:20:43 pm

Title: Foosball outside.
Post by: jelwell on July 11, 2005, 11:20:43 pm
My friends bought me a used foosball table for my birthday. I had been looking for a free table on craigslist for a while now - usually tables that had been outside for a while and completely hosed. My friends, however, bought me a used table that is practically new! Apparently the seller bought the table for his son but the kid used it like 3 times and then forgot about it so they put it up for sale.

Sooo, now my dilemma, the table has to go outside. But. How do I protect it from the environment?

For starters I plan on buying a cover (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/jimcds/foostabcov.html), here's another (http://www.foosballstore.com/products/description/965.cfm).

What about a wood treatment?

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Not that this really matters, but my table looks like this (http://www.craigslist.org/pen/spo/83657972.html); although that's just some random table, not the one I bought. (So go ahead and buy this guy's).

Joseph Elwell.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: missioncontrol on July 12, 2005, 01:13:46 pm
The best way to protect it from the outside environment is to place it in my house
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: jelwell on July 13, 2005, 03:19:34 am
1. Make sure what it is constructed out of.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: unclet on July 13, 2005, 07:23:28 am
Even with a covering (which is most likely just to keep water from it),  I would still be worried about the night-time cool air getting to the table and warping it over time.    Basically the coolness of the air and the warming effect it has when the morning comes produces dew which could get under yoyur covering,

I guess it depends more on where you are located .......
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: Stingray on July 13, 2005, 11:16:21 am
I'm afraid that, even covered, it won't last long outside. It's almost certainly made from partical board or chip board of some kind. Throw away your kitchen table, sofa, bed, or some other piece of unneeded ;) furniture and get that sucker indoors!

-S
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: RayB on July 13, 2005, 11:55:00 am
Unless you live in SoCal, I wouldn't put it outside.
(Even there though the strong sun will cause other kinds of damage. You can't win!)
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: pointdablame on July 13, 2005, 01:06:52 pm
I'm going to have to echo everyone else here.... that foosball table is toast if you keep it outside.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: ChadTower on July 13, 2005, 01:34:40 pm
Wet toast... all soggy and floppy.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: jelwell on July 13, 2005, 01:56:56 pm
Unless you live in SoCal, I wouldn't put it outside.
(Even there though the strong sun will cause other kinds of damage. You can't win!)

Sunny San Diego!

So, I guess I'm willing to live with a beat up table. I'm just wondering *how* long it'll be playable if kept outside with a cover? And I was hoping there might be some spray I could use to help seal the wood from moisture. :( Maybe I should just sell this table while it's still pristine and buy an outdoor table?
Joseph Elwell.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: RayB on July 13, 2005, 02:29:08 pm
OK, so it rains there what, like 2 weeks out of the year?

I used to live in O.C. and I bought a Star Trek pin off a guy who kept it outside. The biggest damage was colors fading due to UV light, and some of the plastics got warped due to heating up in the sun. Other than that the thing worked!

So now I dare say you could be ok keeping it out there, but expect fading due to UV light, and cover it up when rainy season hits.


Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: AlanS17 on July 15, 2005, 06:06:12 pm
Is there even such a thing as an "outdoor" table? If there is, I'm not aware of it. I would expect any foosball table put outside to go bad sooner or later. It's more a question of "when" than "if".
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: ChadTower on July 15, 2005, 09:33:09 pm

Not if he hired midgets to hold the playing surface.
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: geomartin on July 15, 2005, 11:37:37 pm
Sounds like your determined to leave it outside, regardless.  Why don't you post back later and tell US how long a foosball table will last outside. ;)
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: SirPoonga on July 15, 2005, 11:43:40 pm
Out of curiousity is there a protective paint that could be applied?
Title: Re: Foosball outside.
Post by: missioncontrol on July 16, 2005, 09:25:24 am
well if your planning on leaving it outside might as well try some Thomson's Water Sealer or some other kind of wood deck sealer and report back to us on how well ot works...........

Thompson Water sealer tips (http://www.thompsonswaterseal.com/tips/index.asp)  <------ hope that helps