Custom X-Wing Miniatures Tabletop Play Area

To All,

I have decided to build an X-Wing Table Top. Here are the simple steps:

1) I went to Home Depot and bought a 4x8 sheet of Purebond Poplar plywood. When you purchase the plywood at HD they will give you 2 cuts for free, so I had the gentleman cut the 3'2"x 5' section I needed. 

 Here is the board on my sawhorses:

 Here is the X-Wing: Death Star Assault Playmat  on it to give you some scale. I bought the mat from Cotton Jim's Flags. Great prices, great service, fast shipping!

I had considered using MDF board, but I had no use for the extra pieces. I'm going to build a birdhouse with the leftover plywood.

2) I wanted to frame the two "player boxes" on each end, so I purchased 6 simple 3/4 inch dowels. They come in 36" sections so I only had to cut the short sides.

 This is the "making sure it fit" layout.

 I used a countersink bit to make conical holes in the dowels so the screw heads wouldn't be exposed.

 I picked up 24  EVERBILT #6 x 1" wood screws

 The long edges are just the 36" dowels laid out, I had to cut the other two dowels into 12" sections for the short edges. I then secured the dowels.

Elmer's Carpenter's wood filler to fill the holes....

 ...as seen here.

Then a little sanding with 150 grit sandpaper.

 It awaits paint.

Part II tomorrow.