Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Making the Game Board
Choose the game you are going to create. Using your ruler or measuring tape, note the dimensions of the original game board.
Measure your hard board to match the dimensions of the original game board, and use the hack saw to cut your panel to match the original dimensions. You may wish to add a small margin to the new board (i.e. add an inch to each side).
Stir the magnetic paint thoroughly. For best results, stir for 10 minutes with the paint stir. It's very important to mix the paint well.
Set your board on a flat surface, covered in newspaper. Pour magnetic paint into the paint tray, and cover the paint roller evenly. Cover the paint roller evenly, and then apply to the board evenly. Allow to dry for about 30 minutes.
After allowing the first coat of magnetic paint to dry, apply a second coat. At least three coats are needed, but four coats work best for games.
When the board has set (24 hours), apply a base coat of a light colored paint (white is best) on top of the magnetic paint. You will want at least two coats. Allow to dry according to the paint manufacturer's instructions.
Separate the carbon from the tracing paper sheet of your graphite transfer paper. Secure the tracing paper to your original board using masking tape. Make sure it is very secure, so it doesn't move while you trace the image design. Trace the image design carefully.
After completely tracing the original image, remove your tracing paper. Take the carbon paper and fasten it to the top of your new board, shiny side down. Place the tracing paper, with its traced image, on top of the carbon, and secure it so that it won't move. Make sure the tracing paper and the carbon are centered on the painted side of the new board, and that they won't shift as you re-trace the image. Make sure your board has dried completely before attempting this step.
Follow the trace lines you made from the original image to transfer the lines to your new board. Once complete, remove the tracing paper and carbon.
Using your tracing lines as a guide, paint your board to match the original. If you wish to leave some areas white, use masking tape along the edges of the white areas to prevent the new color from "leaking" into the white areas, and to create sharp, crisp lines.
You may want to paint in stages, using one color at a time, and masking areas that you don't wish to have the new color. If you have 10 colors to apply, you will want each layer to dry thoroughly before starting the next color. For example, if you have four areas that need red, you'll want to wait until the blue areas have dried, remove the old masking tape, and re-mask each section that borders your red areas.
When all the painting is complete, remove the masking tape, and admire your work. Your board is complete!
Making the Pieces
In this section, you have two options. You can add a magnet to your existing pieces, or you can make new ones.
If you are using your existing pieces, use magnetic tape. It's easy to cut into sizes to fit each piece using regular scissors. Magnetic tape can be bought online.
After cutting the tape to the correct size, remove the paper backing to uncover the adhesive, and affix to the bottom of your piece. This glue is VERY strong. It will be difficult to remove, so, only do this if you want your pieces to always have magnets on the bottom.
If you are making your own pieces, you may wish to print them onto magnet sheets from an office supplier. If you don't have an image of your pieces, you can also draw or write on the magnet sheets, and cut it into appropriate sizes.
For some games that are "in the public domain," (Chess, Checkers, Go) there are copyright free images of pieces that you can download and size to fit onto the 8.5" x 11" magnet sheets using your regular ink jet printer. Follow the directions on the package to print, and then, cut out the images. These magnets will easily stick to your board.