With the prototyping of my first version, I knew enough to avoid that for now and try something a bit easier and more process oriented.
It all begins with a search for ideas, and I found a folding version that offered some more manageable requirements of materials and time.
The "travel" folding cribbage board.
Only needs 3/4" stock to make and still holds the game pegs and a deck of cards.
Same general process as the first, make a prototype. Learned a lot from that build, so this should be easy. Create the pattern for the laser and split the game over two sections. Tape, etch and fill with mica filled resin.
Through the drum sander to remove the bulk of the excess, then the ROS to flush it up.
This being a prototype, part of my copious stash of red oak was called up.
Top done, now to drill the nearly 400 holes. The pegs are spec'd for a 1/8" hole, about 1/4" deep. The laser etched pits are a 1/16" hole for help aligning the small bit in the drill press. Any wood with strong grain will tend to deflect small bits so I used a lathe counterbore bit. Has a stubby business end and a bonus countersink capability. Perfect! Run at about 3000 RPM to get the cleanest cut. I did need to deepen the holes a tad more so another pass with a regular bit. Went really fast with these pilot holes already drilled.
On to the storage
Needs to hold a deck of cards and a bag o' game pegs. Also needs a mortise for the hinge, holes for magnets (used to keep it folded up), and holes to accommodate some feet so it can sit on a table for use without the hinge barrel scratching anything up.
The laser was called upon to create a template. I have some thin MDF from the back of a junky shelf unit which cuts quickly with the laser, Call this a "pre-template" or master template since the thinness wouldn't work well with router pattern bits. Double sided tape to attach to a piece of 1/2" BB plywood which becomes the working template. A "bowl" type bit was used to clear out the pockets. 3/8" deep on each side. You can see the larger diameter holes for the magnets and the smaller holes for the feet. The hinge is sitting in its mortise.
Here you can see the magnet centered in the game peg pouch recess. The metal pegs in the bag keep it all in place. The feet are gum drop shaped and are epoxied into recess holes 1/2 the depth of the foot height. The opposing holes are the same depth and lets the game fold up without the feet keeping it partly open.
Magnets epoxied in and it all works well enough!
Time to make a few more "production" versions.
I learned a few things from the prototype.
the feet fall off
if the cards are not in the box. they could slip out.
For #1, I found that some glass table top "bumpers" are a perfect solution. No gluing, and a simple hole on one half and the relief on the other.
For #2, I plan on ditching the router bowl bit and just making the recess sides straight. I'll then add walls that mesh into the top when closed (like the lip on a humidor). This will trap loose cards inside. Didn't make that fix for this production run.
New pair of templates made and having a pair means I can route and drill the games top and bottom without swapping out templates and changing bit setups.
Three additional games made.
Walnut
Cherry (messed up keeping the grain continuous from each half)
Duck, since the feet sit proud of the surface, they need somewhere to go so the board will fold up flat. You can see this alignment best by looking at the feet positions next to the hinge. (side view)
