Game Board Material

[ZsVinylInc]

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I need some input / advice. I am looking for a good substrate. I have a customer that has come up with a game and wants to make a nice board for it. He requires it to be 1/2" think because he has to drill holes in it because there are game pieces that are going to have to stick into it. Cost of course is always an issue. He was going to use plywood but said it was too expensive so I am wondering what might be out there that would be good for this sort of thing and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Any help would be greatly appreciate.

Thanks.

Big Z

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

the only "cheap" thing i can think of at 1/2in would be coro....if it can be thinner, there'd be a lot more options....

 

[omgsideburns]

half inch thick is ridiculous.. mdf is probably your best bet unless pvc is cheaper.. i don't do prices.

what about vacu-formed plastics?

 

[ZsVinylInc]

the only "cheap" thing i can think of at 1/2in would be coro....if it can be thinner, there'd be a lot more options....

Yeah I know I wish it could be thinner but this is what this guy is insisting on.

Would half inch coro be flat or would it still show the ribs...I have never worked with coro this thick.

half inch thick is ridiculous.. mdf is probably your best bet unless pvc is cheaper.. i don't do prices.

what about vacu-formed plastics?

Vacu-Formed plastics? Don't know anything about this can you shed some more light....I thought about Scooter board because then it would already be a nice finish on either side but he also wants to know how much each game piece is going to weight because I think he will be selling them on line and shipping them so that is also a concern of his.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

it still shows the flutes, but i don't think it's as drastic as the thinner stuff....

on a side note...when i was in hs....i had a project where i needed to create a board game for my history class....i applied vinyl to 4 or 6 mil coro (can't remember which)...the great thing about using the thinner coro, was i needed to be able to put the game in a box....with a little help from my dad, we sliced on side of the flutes so the board ended up folding up like trivial pursuit....if this guy is making a board game kinda thing, i'd definitely push for the coro....

 

[ZsVinylInc]

Yeah 10mm would be about 3/8" give or take but I think he also wants it to be nice, flat, and not to cheap looking. I know a tall order. I would not be trying so hard for this project but he is talking like the possibility of 500-1000 units and by the end even more then that.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

are they flat?? meaning, he doesn't want to fold them? if so, plexi might be an option....just not the half inch size

 

[stickermonkey]

I agree that CORO 4 mil would be a good option. And inexpensive. Alternatively, you could use Styrene as well. You can get it really thin or relatively thick as coroplast. Only it doesn't have those lines in it.

Hope you find something suitable!!

 

[ZsVinylInc]

yes i believe they are going to be flat. as for the styrene i didnt know if u could get it that thick the thickest my suppliers have it is 060 which is very thin. do you have a supplier that i might be able to get the thick stuff from?

 

[ZsVinylInc]

Anyone with any other suggestions?

 

[Kwiksigns]

designing a gameboard would be fun

 

[ZsVinylInc]

Yeah I bet it is fun but I am having a hard time trying to meet this guys specs which are outrageous to say the least.

 

[Kwiksigns]

Do you know what type of game it is? really plexiglass is not that expensive... also depends on how big this game board is... You could get a nice thin material for the top, drill the holes, then mount something thinner to the bottom so the holes are enclosed on the bottom... then it could be thinner keeping costs down

 

[ZsVinylInc]

Do you know what type of game it is? really plexiglass is not that expensive... also depends on how big this game board is... You could get a nice thin material for the top, drill the holes, then mount something thinner to the bottom so the holes are enclosed on the bottom... then it could be thinner keeping costs down

Kwiksigns yes I do know what type of game it is and unfortunately I can not say yet what it is. I do not have that permission right now. the game board is suppose to be 16" x 24".

 

[digitalwoodshop]

I made a game board for a Weight Group from White Sublimated Steel. Color printed the game and made magnetic pieces with names. Used a plywood backing.

AL

 

[TheSnowman]

I would think you could get 1/2" PVC somewhere. It's just PVC.

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

over the years i can not even remember how many ppl have come to me with their 'great' idea for a board game...everyone of them has been a cheap skate and very very rarely has it ever ended up being anything other than an initial order.

price it correctly so that you make a profit like you should on every project, who cares if it is 500-1000 pieces if you aren't making enough to justify doing the job. give him a couple of options for materials, price it so that you make money and let the cards fall where they fall.

 

[threads1]

Particle Board or a thick cardboard. Of course you could never get them wet. Particle board can be tooled easily (like a round over on the edge).

 

[Bill Modzel]

What about Scooter board? a 4' x8' x1/2" runs about $65.

http://www.woodcraftmanufacturing.com/scooter-board.html

 

[encadtech]

You should check out this stuff - you can get it from NL Glantz

Xanita X-Board
Environmentally-friendly alternative to MDO, particle board or foam-core. Made of
recycled corrugated cardboard with less than 10% FSC virgin fibers. Manufactured
from 100% post-consumer waste between two layers of semi-rigid recycled white
paper. 48" x 96" sheets. Indoor use.