Experimental Board Game Upgrade - Featuring Res Arcana

In todays board game diy! I'm trying to upgrade the board game Res Arcana by deluxifying the big tiles.
We are also TRYING to help a fellow member in the community ‪@maxduro‬
If you have any suggestions on how to help him, leave a comment!

[@maxduro]

After more experimenting I settled on a solution that works for me. I had two goals in mind, protect the edges and do that in such a way as to create a nice-looking finish (possibly without taking forever to do so). So I was not necessarily interested in protecting the face of the tiles. However, in your video, you certainly show that even with resin you can achieve a thin finish that might protect the faces and still fit in the box. I will definitely be considering it. So in the end I used Vallejo gloss acrylic varnish although the process is multistep in the final result I think it's worth it for me. 1. I applied the varnish first on the bare cardboard along the edge. The varnish penetrates the cardboard and fills the minute holes and imperfections. 2. When the varnish is completely dry, I sanded the edges with high-grit sandpaper, 1500 grit to smooth the edges and prepare them for painting. 3. I then either directly applied a black Posca pen or did a hand of primer and then colored with Vallejo hobby paint, depending on the color I wanted to paint the edges. 4. When the paint was completely dry I applied several hands of Vallejo Gloss varnish to finish it off. From my experimentation and online research the varnish is much tougher than Mod Podge, water-resistant and in general designed to better withstand wear and tear. The reason I did several coats of varnish was that you can really build it up on the edge which allows to achieve a raised effect l like with resin and also to further mask or completely eliminate surface imperfections. Finally, I created a simple mini foam applicator instead of using a brush to speed the process of applying all these paints and that really helped make the whole process much quicker than it might seem from reading all these steps. Thank you again for your video which was absolutely helpful in particular the experiment you ran to see if the finishes would get sticky if left in contact in a hot environment. (That part almost gave me a heart attack! seeing the pieces sticking like that haha. Have a great holiday!!

[@dylanyap7021]

Hey Max! How did you let the cardboard dry when you applied the varnish to the edges? I am following your method but would like to avoid the edges getting stuck to any surfaces when drying. Thanks!

[@maxduro]

@@dylanyap7021 I have a series of small wooden blocks 5 cm tall that I use as holders for minis when I paint them sometimes and I would put the components on them resting one of the faces so that the edges wouldn't touch anything.

[@LucianoHilton]

The first thing I do in cases like this is to try some card sleeves and see if there's a particular size that fits, even though I need to do some adjustments later. Then, if it doesn't work, I try varnishing the tiles.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

I didn't even think about card sleeves! Seems like a good and easy solution 👍

[@cyclemadness]

Inserts? What inserts? Goodbye inserts.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

😂😂😂

[@dsdssdsddssdsdsd5094]

Please make how to get cards back to straight ( after bending). Or how to fix wrapped board.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thanks for your suggestion. That's a very good idea! It's on the To Do List! 👍

[@mcpot1988]

For X-wing on the dials i took some transparent packing tape and then cutted the edges with exacto knife / scalpell. This do not add so much thickness. Maybe not the best good looking solution but prevents damage after using.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Creative idea! That's an interesting alternative. Thank you for sharing!

[@yown13-x4l]

I've been wondering what's the best way to convert my OG 7 wonders into the newer version. I own most of the expansions and the new edition really fixes many of the issues of the older one. Printing the newer cards sounds easy enough, but what about the wonder boards?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

It's a very good question. I have made some tiles before and will definitely cover this in future videos. But since I don't know when I'm gonna do that, here's a quick run down of what I did. Get a 2mm thick cardboard from a craft store. I assume you have the digital files. Print them on thicker paper. Like photo paper or similar. Use a sharp knife to cut the cardboard and paper in right sizes. Then glue to the cardboard. I used 3M Spray Mount which is a spray glue. You want something that covers the tile evenly and that doesn't harden instantly. So you can make small adjustments if you didn't line it up perfectly. If you are still unsure I would ask in the DIY forum section on BGG. Hope it helps and sorry for the late reply. Good luck! 🙌

[@AKKK1182]

For large cardboard pieces, I sanded, painted and sealed the edges with mod podge and then gave the pieces a few coats of spray varnish. Oh and any game with expansions? Bye-bye inserts. I'd rather have one box full of game than three boxes full of air.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

I totally agree with you! With that strategy, you will also make room for more board games 😉

[@spacecentergames]

I throw inserts out all the time.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Rebel 🤟

[@vzjrz]

I recommend card sleeves

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Didn't even think about card sleeves! Great idea, thanks for sharing!

[@nathanpelzel289]

I wonder if some clear PVC shrink tubing would be an option

[@jotairpontes]

Interesting idea. Maybe he'll try that.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Very interesting idea! I might try that in the future

[@academicosdoboardgame2907]

A simple sleeve do the job

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Simple is good! 👍