Game board WIP

[CitizenKate]

I've got an order for a Parcheesi board, which I haven't done too many of (but would like to do more). Thought I'd take some photos while I'm working on it to give you guys an idea how I build my game boards.

To begin the process, I cut a piece of leather to exactly the dimensions of the board, in this case 22"x22".

The leather is permanently mounted on a piece of MDF that is slightly larger (about 24"x24") with contact cement.

Before wetting the leather, I use a poster board template and a scratch awl to mark all the intersection points of the board's layout. There are a couple of reasons I do this while the leather is dry. One is that the template is paper, and it will wilt if it comes into contact with wet leather. I can make a plastic template, but the poster board is much easier to come by in large sheets.

Once all the points are marked, I wet the leather to get it ready for tooling.

The first thing I do once the leather has the right moisture content (I'll let you choose your own method for that - everyone has their own), is to cut the layout lines of the board. And that is the point I am at so far:

This board is going to have strictly stamped borders around all the the playing areas and around the outside border, no "carved" designs, per se. So this will be pretty straight-forward.

More progress tomorrow!

Kate

[dustin29]

Thanks for sharing Kate, That is very cool!

[David]

Nice kate,

I'm going to enjoy this

Dave

[pete]

do you cut your circles freehand after tracing or do you cut around the template as you hold it there?

this is going to be neat to watch!

thanks

pete

[CitizenKate]

Pete, the circles are cut free-hand. My template marks two points on the circle's edges, then I mark the circle on the leather using a pair of dividers. To keep the dividers from making a mark on the leather in the center of the circle, I lay a small piece of scrap leather there for the pivot point to rest on while marking.

Kate

[CitizenKate]

So far, just a lot of beveling and shaping parts with a modeling tool...

Now the border stamping begins...

Kate

[pete]

the circles are great.Did you cut them, bevel and then draw another line from the center(again) or use the beveled line and dividers or single creaser?

pete

[CitizenKate]

Once you cut the line, it's pretty easy to use that as a guide for your dividers to make concentric lines.

This is a little different from most of my designs. I've been trying to explore more things I can do with just stamps. All the stamping is done now, but I'm thinking there needs to be more in the center. Not sure yet what I'm going to do with that, but here's what I've got so far:

Kate

[ClayB]

WOW Kate!! This is going to be gorgeous!!!!! Thanks for letting us follow along.

[particle]

Beautiful work!! Indeed, thanks for allowing us to see your progress on this one! If I may, how to you make sure you stamping starts and stops seamlessly once you've worked your way all the way around the circle? Do you just eyeball it as you approach the 360 degree mark, or do you actually work it out on paper first?

[CitizenKate]

If I may, how to you make sure you stamping starts and stops seamlessly once you've worked your way all the way around the circle? Do you just eyeball it as you approach the 360 degree mark, or do you actually work it out on paper first?

The first impression I make is a very light one. Then, towards the final approach, I make very small adjustments in the spacing of each impression to land the last one in exactly the right spot, and nudge the first one if I have to. By nature, I like to work things out on paper. I came from an engineering background. But I'm a recovering perfectionist. There is a lot to be said for being able to manage the "fudge factor" on the fly.

Kate

[BradB]

Awesome work!!! This is going to be beautiful!!

What stamp is that you used around the circles, I really like that?

[whitebeard]

This looks fantastic. Love to see the finished board.

[CitizenKate]

Brad, the stamp I used around the circles is a PX006 from HideCrafter's pro crafter collection.

The customer who ordered this wanted each home corner and home track for each player to be color-coded red, green, yellow, and blue. I was not sure how the blue dye was going to show up after applying antique. Last time I colored something blue, the antique turned it a beautiful shade of green. So I did a couple of conditioner-dye-resist-antique tests to make sure the colors would end up right. Here's a sneak peak at some of the colors. I think I'm going to try to lighten up that blue a little, but at least it came out blue!

Kate

[CitizenKate]

The colors that were specified by my customer will be somewhat brighter than I usually make them when everything is done, but the antique will tone them down a bit. On the rest of the board, I wanted to use more natural-looking colors.

Since I antique most of my game boards, I exaggerate the color slightly so it will show through the antique. So if they seem a little BOMBASTIC right now, sorraaay! I would mix the colors much differently if I was just going to put a sealer over them. The antique will tone everything down, and help everything blend nicely.

Kate

[dustin29]

WOW!!!! That is incredible! Kate that game board is amazing!!!

[David]

Very nice Kate, nice airbrush work and the colors are going to be fine.

Dave

[hidepounder]

Kate I'm really impressed with this! It is veryneat and clean and professional looking. I can't wait to see it completely finished!

Bobby

[Big Papa Leather]

I don't think I ever played Parcheesi but might take it up if I had a board like that!

Awesome

Allen

[CitizenKate]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Well, now I've run into a bit of a problem. Here it is with the remaining dye work, and that turned out the way I intended.

But then when I applied resist (latex-based) to the "bright" colors, the blue did something funny. Some areas of it turned light, but I'm not sure what caused it. I did not get the same effect on the other colors. Not sure what to do about it, for now, but here it is, as such.

Kate

[Johanna]

I don't think the blue is so bad- it matches itself and didn't get splotchy. It's also distinctly different than the green. I think the antique made the rest of the board look rich.

Johanna

[ClayB]

Looks like you're gonna have to start over. Send that one to me and I'll dispose of it for you.

It's never any fun when something like that happens and you're almost finished. I really hope you can figure out a way to fix it to your satisfaction. I've been in that situation before and if you aren't scared to try things, there's a good chance you can fix it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. The rest of it is really pretty!

[CitizenKate]

Thanks, Clay, for your kind offer. Nice try. I was able to brighten up and even out the color somewhat using some neutral shoe polish with some blue dye worked into it, so on with the show.

After the antique and finish, I trimmed off the excess backing on my table saw.

At this point, it just drops into a 22"x22" picture frame, and I mount the board in the frame using brads driven perpendicular to the board into the side of the frame. The brads do not go through the board.

The back is covered with felt...

And I like to add a couple of other nice touches...

Now, do you know, in my haste to get this thing shipped, I forgot to take a photo of the finished board in its frame. Sorray... guess you'll just have to try to imagine it. I'll try to remember that detail next time.

Kate

[Johanna]

Nice save. Whew!

~J

[ClayB]

Much as I'd like to have one of your projects Kate, even a messed up one, I'm really glad you figured out a way to fix this one! Sometimes deals like this give us a chance to try things we normally wouldn't because we are desperate and have nothing to lose. It's such a relief when something works and a project we worked really hard on is saved. Nice job all the way around. I bet someone is gonna be really happy!