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Like the A Team I do love it when a plan comes together and I currently have a plan.
I am looking into having a large close up table made up by a relative who happens to be a joiner but am having difficulty sourcing a large enough close up pad which will be glued to the surface.
Due to the routines I intend to use the table is slightly bigger (485mm x 815mm) than most tables.

If there is no way of getting the material this size what would be the alternative? Foam rubber with a velvet cloth pinned in? wouldn't the velvet wear thin quite quickly?

How about getting hold of some neoprene, you can usually get surf or dive shops to order in sheets of it for you.

Will neoprene need an extra covering of some material to make it viable as a surface for close up? Or is it fine as it is? For some reason I imagine it to be too rubbery.

The Material used to make wet suits (could be neoprene) is pretty much a close-up mat, 'cept is stretched over my masculine physique!
In CCIM he uses velvet on hard wood which might work....

can you not think "snooker table"

That stuff is pretty hard wearing and cards spread easy on a pool table when i've done stuff in a bar?

so both neoprene and snooker table cloth is looking like the way to go

Ta very much like

yup neoprene is usually covered with a cloth on either one or both sides and would work well I'd think.

I go the market and buy car mats....!!!!!!!

they are huge, and can be cut to size, they are made of a good material too........

So no more buying vlose-up mats for me!!!!!!!!

I've made a few tables myself and sold a few of them. There are a variety of cheap ways of doing so with a trip to B&Q.

For instance, B&Q sell some ready cut table tops in MDF which are fairly light but robust. You can get them rectangular or oval for around £15 but look in the discounted section first as I got a batch of 10 for £2 each.

Neoprene is difficult to get from the internet for the size that you will need. Get one of the exercise mats from Wilkinsons and cut out the shape of the table and flue it to the top.

Next, get some baize from any habadashery. Don't buy from a craft shop as it's cheap quality and will cut up easily. Get decent stuff from a material shop which you can find locally through yellow pages.

Staple the baize on the underside of the table as you work around and then cut and tape down the edges with gaffer tape. You can finish the edges with some tassles that hang around the bottom of expensive lamp shades. You'll et these from the material shop for around 60 per metre.