The Ultimate Token Upgrade | Board Game DIY | PART 1

[@mauriceoksman8594]

I have a huge tip for those interested in speading up this project. I clip and edge lots of my tokens. I generally stick to simple black. I use dry erase markers. The results are fantastic. The best part about it, as appose to permanent markers is that the pigment adheres to the unsealed edges, while easily wipes off the sealed surface of the token. Just be careful with cheeper tokens or light colored tokens as some tokens can bleed under the light colored tokens and show. I’ll have to give your recommended markers a try as you claim they have a similar wiping off effect. Furthermore, you have a larger pallet of colors. Although it’s hard to compete with the safety and speed of dry erase markers on tokens or tiles that are in the black range-you can get extra sloppy and still wipe off the excess super fast with a simple dry paper towel. I have yet to do the varnish/resin option, as I’ve generally been satisfied with my results, but I will absolutely try your method on some games. I live that you remind people to test the colors on the punchboards first. I always do this to test how well the dry erase markers adhere to surfaces I don’t want the color. Another extremely fast hack is to use nail clippers. I’ll eventually make my own video, but I find nail clippers + the occasional knife to be faster than the knife alone. But seriously, great job. It really makes a huge difference without needing to invest in coin capsules-once you see your token side by side, you’ll get addicted to doing it to all your favorite games. Thanks for the video-you beat me to the punch, pun intended, but I wholeheartedly support your approach. Subscribe! Oh, and lastly, sometimes punching a token tears off a bit of the face or obverse side of the token-this doesn’t matter as much if you’re using your method as you are matching colors, but if you stick to classic black like me, it’s a decent investment getting a fine-liner sharpe kit or using your acrylic paint to gently ‘dot’ the torn part. I’ll be buying the markers you recommend as it seems to have a pretty wide selection-and you’re totally right that it doesn’t need to be an exact match in order to touch up a torn bit. I look forward to more of your videos-and I hope you drop by my upcoming channel about quick ways to upgrade your game’s tokens, DIY inserts, and making your own token upgrades (or buying them). Keep up the superb work. You can find me on BGG @ Maurice_Oksman . And please, feel free to correct me on anything I mentioned. It seems we both have a passion for beautifying our beloved games without breaking your wallet. You’re awesome! Cheers!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Excellent tips! Thanks for sharing your experience :) This project is usually so time-consuming, but your ideas would really help to speed up the process! The nail clippers was especially a great idea and I'll have to try out the dry erase markers 👍 thanks so much for sharing! I'll absolutely check out your channel, let me know when it's up :)

[@wing00superman]

I agree…… great video but you should try sanding the edges off over cutting with knife. It’s safer and is significantly faster 👍🏼😁

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Great idea! Thank you for the advice. Will definitely try that 👌

[@torymiddlebrooks]

Highly recommend getting some 220+ grit sanding sticks, like the kind used for doing nails because they are cheap in bulk. If you buy sandpaper, turn it into a sanding stick by attaching it to a nice flat surface, otherwise you tend to sand off your art.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

@@torymiddlebrooks That’s very smart! Thank you for sharing. Appreciate it

[@EDS12754e]

After "I will never spend more than 80 bucks on a board game" and "I will never sleeve my cards" the next seal is broken... Amazing video! I looking forward to new videos and looking throug your existing ones. :)

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Haha yes the addiction is a slippery slope 😅 Thanks you and welcome to the community! :D

[@TheMohawkMatt]

the level of commitment to the jokes is unparalleled 👏

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

One of my favorite comments, thank you so much! Made my day :)

[@TheGilzam]

Wow. What an amazing amount of effort into not only this project, but also the little humorous shot and editing is great. Please keep it up!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you for noticing all the effort we put into our videos! We appreciate your appreciation ☺️ The quality of videos that we want to produce takes a lot of time to edit together, but we will do our best to release videos as quickly as possible :) stay tuned!

[@mrsarg777]

Finally someone who's got a guide for sealing tokens and compares modge podge vs varnish

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Appreciate your comment. Glad I could help 🙂

[@yopshi]

Really informative video! Thanks! One tip for you to prevent clogging of the spray can nozzle. When you are finished spraying, turn the can upside down and spray until you hear/see just gas coming out instead of varnish. This way the cap will be cleaned.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Very useful to know! Thanks 🙏🙏 Will definitely do that next time.

[@ShunyValdez]

Hilarious way of presenting useful information! I once joke about sleeving tokens, but this is more practical.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Haha, your comment made me laugh :) why didn't i think about that! Sleeving tokens is so much easier! Thanks for your kind feedback :)

[@DatGuyWhoComments]

Glad I got this in my recommended. Looking forward to part 2!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to let us know.

[@fiddlefox]

After spraying gloss and other paints, turn the can upside down and spray into the air. This clears the nozzle. You only need a 1 or 2 second spray to clear it.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thanks for highlighting this. Learned it too late, but now I know!

[@pokerins]

Excellent advice and walthrough, with a sprinkling humor to keep things interesting. Great video!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad we are doing something right 😃

[@hermanturnip3984]

So glad this video was recommended to me. Looks like I'll be hunting down Posca pens in the very near future. Subscribed!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you so much for your kind comment! Welcome to the community :)

[@iceofswords]

You can use just regular markers work just as well.

[@xD3adKl0wnx]

Dig the "Six Clubs" Sharpie! Always good to have an easy reveal to make someone smile :)

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Nice! Didn't think anyone would notice, but you passed the test 👏

[@florjangjolaj4436]

Instant subscribe! I currently make inserts for each of my games and have now started making inserts for my FRIEND'S games because its so fun, this is a next step up. Cheers from BC Canada!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Wow, I love the commitment! We are planning on making inserts in the future. If you have any tips and tricks that you would like to share, we would appreciate it. Cheers from Sweden!

[@iceofswords]

I have never edged my tokens but I do edge my cards the same way and they look so much better! I stopped using permanent markers, though, I just use regular markers so they wipe off easily if I accidentally mark the face of the card.

[@francoisgauthiergiroux469]

Wow love this video and the ideas! You went really all-in with the shower scene 🤣🤣🤣 I already color some of my token edge with a mix of sharpie and acrylic paint (with a brush). I never hear of those paint marker before. Thanks for this tips. I appreciate all the love and work (lots of work) in this video.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Haha, thank you! Glad you appreciated my ideas AND dedication 😅

[@heatherdash5815]

Great video... informative and hilarious

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@AlexandreOliveiraMCZ]

Amazing, can't wait to start doing it , unfortunately I'll have to research different brands, Posca here in Brazil costs about 8 dollars each (more than a day's work, under minimum wage) I found some Steadlers for under a dollar hopefully they will do the job. Thanks a lot for the video, already subscribed and can't wait for part 2. All the Best!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

There is definitely a lot of pens that works for this. I looked up Steadlers and it sounds promising. Wish you good luck! Thank you! Glad you liked it ☺️

[@JakeStaines]

Acrylic paints work well as well, and are usually easier to wipe off even than the Posca pens. The only downside is that the cheaper ones are often also quite transparent so you may have to lay down a layer of white first before painting lighter colours like reds and yellows, so colour-matching isn't so simple.

[@Retro_Care]

i kinda had the same idea but with resin, i also looked into heat transfer paper for pictures on wooden tokens. for now my upgrades are inserts with 3d printer and coin capsules for round tokens. Cant wait to see what you come up with and try things out before i mess them up :)

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Oh! Then I think you will like part 2 😉 Need to look up heat transfer paper. Sounds very interesting. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a 3d printer in the future. Endless possibilities! Glad you liked it 👍

[@meanderingshade]

Not a necessary step, but it does just look so nice and improve the aesthetic of your game and little pointless things like that bring me joy 😊 I have coloured the edges of many tokens, but I haven't got around to varnishing them. I was looking at different options from varnishing, laminating or even clear UV nail resin. I should really get around to it. Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable video, looking forward to part 2, carry on being awesome and take care 🙂

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! It brings us joy aswell ☺️ In part two we will explore different options, like Resin and Dimensional Magic, so hopefully you'll find that video useful also! Thank you so much for your kind comment 😊

[@danielengdahl]

Great video! I’ve been pondering getting the BGG tokens for Quacks for a long time but they’re so expensive with shipping, import cost and taxes… Will definitely consider varnishing the original ones instead. Looking forward to part 2! Subscribed!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you, and welcome to our channel! I'm glad to be able to offer an alternative. You might also find part 2 useful.

[@Trizface]

Great video! I'd add that you really should wear a respirator when using spray varnish as it's extremely harmful to inhale. You can also get brush on varnish if you aren't able to access or use sprays.

[@Trizface]

And in the instance of quacks and arkham lcg I'd actually reccomend buying coin capsules for them. Protects them fully, adds a nice bit of weight and they clink in a satisfying way in the bag. Much quicker to do than painting and spraying them all too.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Great points! Thanks for highlighting this important issue. I will be more responsible next time. A comparison video between the two upgrades might appear in the not to distant future.. :D But I totally agree with you that coin capsules will be the better option for the majority of people because it's the easier and quicker option :)

[@TheBrothersMurph]

Great video and wonderful editing!!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you so much! Nice to see a familiar face 😃

[@adamholt5395]

After watching this video, I went to my local hobby craft store to buy some of the Posca markers, and I have to say that I really like them! They are easier to use than sharpies. I can really tell the difference between the Posca markers and sharpies. I really like how vibrant the colors are on the tokens compared to the sharpies.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

So glad you like them! And thank you for letting us know it was a success :)

[@peter-d9f3l]

If you're wanting to have a non-glossy finish, is best to still use gloss varnish for the earlier coats. The non-glossy varnishes work by cracking a bit as they dry, whereas the glossy ones are a continuous layer. So start with the glossy varnish and just use a single coat of non-glossy at the end if you want.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thanks! That's a great tip, thanks for sharing 🙌

[@tychay]

Great video/idea. If you are going to use that much varnish, you might consider a cheap airbrush, a battery compressor for nail polish, and some floor wax (look up pledge/future). When the nozzle gets clogged, you can use rubbing alcohol to fix it (which can also remove permanent marker stains off tokens and sometimes even fabric if done fast enough). You'd get a lifetime supply of varnish (enough for miniature painting too) and it makes the thinnest coats. Also, because floor wax will have a leveling agent, the coats should be smooth as butter.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry! Missed your comment. Thanks for the tips, very useful. Appreciate it 🙌

[@winforlife2000]

Thank you for your great video. What is the name of the plastic plate with the points to put the tokens on? where to find it in stores? Thank you for help

[@frankbranham7404]

He called it a "peg board" but that is a very bad choice for Americans. "Peg board" for us is usually a wooden board with holes. You use wooden or metal pegs and hooks inserted into those holes to hang things. For larger objects, I use caltrops/pyramids, but that spike board stuff would be SO useful.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry for the confusion. It seems like they also can be called Bead Boards. After some research I found them on Amazon (see link in the description). Hope this helps.

[@winforlife2000]

Thank you :)

[@elvaliente8772]

I tried this with my coffee rush copy, I was trying to put some color into the worker upgrade tiles but I din´t notice and the sharpie ink got into the front and back part of the piece, lol the cardboard was too thin

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

So sorry to hear that happened to your game! :( I'll make sure to include that when I post my written guide on Board Game Geek, thanks for sharing!

[@77nicolino77]

Amazing Video :) Can't wait for Part 2... i am curious for alternatives to Mod Podge's "Dimensional Magic"

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Hey, thanks for watching! Spoiler spoiler: I might talk about Dimensional Magic in Part 2 ;)

[@JavierSarlo]

Excelent tutorial!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! 🙌

[@wearenotdoinggethelp1077]

I came for the tokens and stayed for the energy

[@aos-archive]

My current go-to moves for cardboard tokens are: 1) ink markers for the edges rather than paint markers (admittedly never thought of that). 2) Nail polish Strengthening Top coat to do all surfaces. 3) If the cardboard has a large flat surface, I spray paint. I suspect this at best covers superficial scratches, but am certain it has next to no durability. I have resin, but I don't have a level surface.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Interesting technique! Thanks for sharing your experiences :)

[@pablosensei6742]

maybe you can try laminating of the tockens, laminator machines are cheap

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

It's our mission to answer these very important questions. 🫡 We might actually try that. For science!

[@Retro_Care]

wooop subbed, great idea !!!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Welcome! 🥳

[@reapingjoker4198]

So, can I varnish without needing to mod podge the edges? I'm still uncertain. Great video. Would love to see more DIYs.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Yes! Mod Podge is an alternative to varnish, so do one or the other. If you have a lot of tokens then varnishing is faster, but if you only have a few then mod podge is better in my opinion. Good luck! More DIYs coming up! 😃

[@be_pie_today]

My 2 cents: - contrasting borders can look great - resin works great, can create domes (did not try it)

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

I like the contrasting colour idea! Very interesting. If you like resin, then I think you might like Part 2.. ;) Thanks for your input!

[@WilhelmScreamer]

Any comment on airbrushing varnishes?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Haven't tried it, unfortunately. I'm curious about the result, though. Let me know if you try it 🙂

[@the250mikec]

Super cool🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘 Thanks

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

You are super cool! 😎👊 Thank you!

[@CrippleMrOnion]

Great video. Could you provide a link or name of the peg board you used when spraying please? Seatching for peg board just returns the board you can put on walls to hang things from. Cheers.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry for the confusion. After some research I found them on Amazon (see link in the description). It seems like they also can be called Bead Boards. Hope this helps.

[@CrippleMrOnion]

@@WorldOfBoardCraft Got them - Thanks 🙂

[@tomgray5317]

Love the vid! Do you think this would work for larger tiles? Like shuffled map tiles?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Yes I think so, but keep in mind that the varnish makes the surface smooth and kind of slippery, so if you are placing different components on your tiles they could easily slide around. So if you're going to do it I would start with one coat. Let me know if you try it because I'm also curious. We might test this out in the future :)

[@TheFarmoon]

Good video!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it 😊

[@photoshopafficionado]

Lots of laughter 😂 kudos

[@kosterix123]

5:10 always use a mask. You don’t want to inhale that. Was coughing for days.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

You're right! Thank you for the responsible and good advice. 🫡

[@tammybravo-eby7814]

Do you find that the varnish leaves the tokens sticky at all? I tried Mod Podge and they’re sticky…

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry to hear that. Not after I left them to cure for a day. Maybe it could be a solution to varnish your tokens on top of the Mod Podge? Hope this works! 🤞

[@TylerProvick]

I remember bringing each new boardgame to work in order to sharpie the edges years ago. Some people feel it is worth it, some people don't, but I won't tell someone who thinks it is worth it.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Cool! Yeah I agree, it's not a upgrade for everyone.

[@TylerProvick]

@@WorldOfBoardCraft Wow, I didn't finish my sentence. I think I was writing that just as the video ended and it went to the next one in my playlist. "Some people feel it is worth it, some people don't, but I won't tell someone who thinks it is worth it that they shouldn't bother." Basically - there are a bunch of people who are going to see this video who didn't know that this was a thing, look at your results (and they do look good) and say "Wow, this is amazing. I will totally enjoy spending the time doing this and appreciate the end result." I will also say - seeing your stuff is making me wonder if I should start doing it again.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

I see! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to clarify. I'm glad if I inspired you to start again 😌

[@pflasterstrips7254]

Now i want a board game that i like enough to be motivated enough to do all that.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Hope you find your one true board game love soon so you can have a romantic bath together 💞

[@ViciousGibon]

Loved the video, just one quick question mod podge is just wood glue or pva?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

If I understand it correctly, Mod Podge is a form of pva glue with added ingredients. What I've heard is that it will stay clear while Elmer's Glue, for example, might yellow over time because of a slight change in the formula even though it has some pva in it.

[@lolopunzel4130]

Good video but even i would love to do this i think its more expensive and more diffucult i preffer the coin capsule.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Yeah, I definitely understand that. Coin capsules is a great alternative 👌

[@ghutix9999]

really cool tip, thanks for sharing! btw what game is that on your table?

[@yipyipyipi]

Many of the tokens shown were from either Aeons End (a drckbuilder) or Massive Darkness 2 (a dungeon crawler). There were some others mixed in but those were the games mainly represented. Hope that helped.

[@ghutix9999]

@@yipyipyipi awesome, thanks!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX64lWZ7nMmDfq8 (time 3:42) Flamecraft kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX64lWZ7nMmDfq8 (time 4:26) Massive Darkness 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX64lWZ7nMmDfq8 (time 2:39-2:56) Aeon's End

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Well spotted @yipyipyipi Extra points for you! 🥳

[@greyhawke115]

Fun video! Do you have a link for the peg board

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry for the confusion. It seems like they also can be called Bead Boards. After some research I found them on Amazon (see link in the description). Hope this helps.

[@jasonandcrystiefritz749]

3:19 LOL! You might need to lay off the fiber!

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Yeah, the cardboard fiber was a bit intense... 😅

[@joannechan8478]

Where is part 2?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

It's finally here 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pavdc6uKgdtksNk

[@Steffalainen]

Nice brushan

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Tack! 🙌😅

[@cacophonic7]

What is Estetic?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Sorry about that. English isn't my first language. Misspelling happens

[@grog3514]

Just get the bgg tokens. They are much heavier, sound great, and look better.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

I'm totally with you! I know that this upgrade isn't for everyone, so it's great that that product exists for those who want to buy it instead. But in the cases that this product doesn't exist, or for those who want to do the work themselves, this is another alternative :)

[@JakeStaines]

@@WorldOfBoardCraft Not to mention the cost of sending the BGG tokens across the Atlantic to Europe is ridiculous, this is really only a cost-effective option for Americans!

[@johnklauk1704]

I no longer feel like a weirdo...thank you

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching :)

[@linkpalmer]

how do you only have 882 subscribers?

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! That's very kind of you. We can't imagine how we even have 882 subscribers!? 🤯

[@Venturestien]

Man those tokens in the toilet should have been all wood type haha

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Haha, you are right! Missed opportunity 😅

[@borremetal]

pensé que haria el token de 0 xd

[@chrisbuek]

Esthetic.

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

Thank you! Fixed 👍

[@CyberSkelly817]

Can literally just use dice lol

[@WorldOfBoardCraft]

As a life counter it's perfect! But I'm hesitant to swap out all of my tokens for dice 🤔

[@photoshopafficionado]

Lots of laughter 😂 kudos