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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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345018 No.345018 [Reply] [Original]

hello /diy/,

i plan on making a custom D20 for every player in my RPG group, with personalized symbols and so on.
so i got these from a relative, the idea came spontaneous.

But how should i do it? Paint? Engrave?

I'm a bit worried the paint will come off when rolled, and the engraving would make it unbalanced.

Wat do?

btw: they are out of simple plastic

>> No.345024

Get a dremel with a small bit or something and carve out the symbols. You have some dice already right? The ones I use have the number carved out, just make em small so they don't throw them off.

>> No.345025

>>345024
Is there any way to paint it and fix the paint?
I am a bit worried about engraving, i could make it imbalanced, and a neat personal d20 is worth shit when it'll always roll a 12

>> No.345033

>>345025
did you ever play with dice with painted numbers? there's no way to make it stick unless you alter the surface of the die, which in turn screws up the roll anyway.
don't use a dremel, get a nice sharp awl or something for control and less material removal. just score the symbols in, and maybe ink in or enamel the marks. wipe the surface clean before it dries, so all you have is the dyed engravings.

>> No.345038

>>345025
>caring about dice balance
Jesus fucking christ, you asstarded retarded nigger.

Those things aren't fucking balanced in the first place so you're not going to make them any fucking worse, unless you literally stick a nail on one of the sides.

It's not like you're running a fucking casino, dipshit. Get your OCD-addled head out of your ass and engrave those things.

>> No.345207

DECALS

like for keyboards

it doesn't fuck anything up if it is on every surface

>> No.345237

They're already unbalanced. Get a caliper and check it yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR2fxoNHIuU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxmkWrDbn34

>> No.345264

lightly sand each face with 500-800 grit sand paper, hand paint symbols and let dry, lightly spray with rattlecan clear lacquer let dry they turn upside down and spray other side


paint wear isn't a bad thing here, it shows every one what hardcore pnp'rs they are and gets them mad basement cred

>> No.345277

>>345018
judging merely by the picture you can already asume that they are off kilter. The lack there of crisp edges make it ideal for your project because if you mess up it's not a big deal, you'd be able to get a box of 100 from Tiawan for one egg roll and a side order of noodles.
But your best bet for precise engraving would be to use an awl, otherwise just neatly paint on your symbols, let dry, then cover in a clear coat of nail polish.

>> No.345598

>>345237
I'm usually a nazi for precision, but for whatever reason, I like rounded edged dice. They just look and feel nicer. But then again, I don't particularly RPG and I don't gamble.

But those videos were really interesting.

As for OP, go for the engraving route. The dice aren't perfect anyway, and if it's any consolation, perhaps the paint will offset the plastic removed.

>> No.345612

>>345237
>Video mentions machined dice
So, hypothetically speaking, if you had the tools for it, could you machine your own dice?

>> No.345619

>>345612
Don't see why not, but the more polygons, the more complexity obviously.

>> No.345646

>>345612
IIRC people on /tg/ have done it.

>> No.345684

Carve in the numbers, and get a small bottle of acrylic paint. After correctly carving in the numbers, paint the dice a face or two at a time. Quickly wipe the paint off before it dries, and the paint will remain in the carved numbers, assuming they're deep enough. This will give a nice, clean, professional looks, assuming you do the carving nicely.

>> No.345885

Are you in the Dvorak's group? :o

>> No.345903

>>345646
>>345619
What would be the best tools to machine dice with?
I'll be honest and admit that I'm asking out of curiosity more than anything. I like the way the dice look, but I have no idea how tabletop gaming works.

>> No.345933

>>345612
Very easily but if you can't make a square with opposing sides, holding it and keeping it flat becomes an issue.

>>345903
A mill. Alternatively a vice and file.

>> No.345937

>>345933
So, I'm pretty sure my garage contains a 3in1 Smithy ... thing. Like a mill, lathe, drill press thing. I think that's what it is. I've asked and all I get told is 'It's a Smithy machine' and that's it.
I'm not good with tools.

Would that be overkill for making dice?
Could one carve wooden dice and burn the numbers onto it? That might be closer to my capabilities.

>> No.345960

>>345937
I just googled it and yeah it looks like it has all those. And yeah it is. I would honestly just recommend using metal and a file. Go slow, go in one direction.

You can carve them, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are very good with a knife already. Also wood is affected by a shitload more than metal is. You can measure it one day and come back the next to find it off by 1/16". Metal doesn't do that.

>> No.345970

>>345960
Then I shall see if my friend who owns the Smithy will help me get started filing metal. He's got a bunch of files and chunks of metal going unused around here.

>> No.345984

>>345960
>>345933


(experienced machinist here)

I once attempted machining my own set of dice (d4-d20) and i cantell you, machining the d20 was one of the most difficult things ive ever tried. O course it was my own fault(I NEEDED it to be prefectly made) but i was using cnc mills. eventually i decided i could do just as well with a manual mill, and finally i decided just using a file would be my best bet.

TL;DR
save yourself some time, just use a file on a cube you bring down to size