Throughout this Instructable I will show you how to make a Settlers of Catan board out of plywood. Using some scrap plywood I found in my workshop I made a very simple settlers of catan game using plywood and other scraps.

Supplies:
• Plywood & Plywood Scraps
• Spray Paint (Red, Tan, Blue, Grey, Light and Dark Green, and Yellow)
• Wood Files
• Jig Saw
• Circular Saw
• Miter Saw
• Sand Paper
• Clamps/Vise Grip
• Drill/Screw Gun
• Safety Glasses
• Sharpie/Carpenter Pencil
• Palm Sander/Table Sander

Find some of the supplies on Amazon.com below:

Step 1: Trace & Cut Out the Inside Pieces of the Board

You can do this in several different orders but I chose to work on the board itself first, and then trace the pieces after to insure my border fits perfectly.

• Take a game piece from a Settlers of Catan board and trace it onto some scrap wood. I've attached an image showing the dimensions if you do not have the game. Image credit to: engineering.purdue.edu
• Always line the pieces up on the edge of the plywood to reduce the overall amount of cuts you'll have to make.
• Also try your best to line up the pieces so you can make longer continuous cuts. Also helping reduce the overall total cuts. Trust me there's a lot of cuts.

Step 2: Filing/Getting All the Pieces the Same Size

It's not easy to make dozens of perfect cuts forming over a dozen hexagons. In this step we will use a simple technique to insure all the pieces are as close to the same shape as possible.

• Clamp all of your pieces together.
• Using some wood, clamp all the pieces and the clamp together to the vise grip.
• Using a rough File, file down each side. I did one side, then the opposite.
• Make sure you've got nice straight lines.

Step 3: Tracing & Cutting the Border Out

In this step we will trace the pieces to find the exact border we need to fit our pieces. We will then cut out our border.

• Line up your pieces in the correct shape of the game.
• Trace your pieces onto your piece of plywood you will be using for the game board.
• Grab your Settlers of Catan board, build it, and center it on top of what you just previously traced.
• Now your border is ready to be cut out.
• Clamp the plywood to your vice grip and begin drilling out each and every corner. I used a 3/8" drill bit for mine.
• Get your Jig Saw out and begin cutting out the inside of the border going from hole to hole.
• Remove the inside piece you've just cut out.
• Clamp the board to your work surface and use a circular saw to cut the remainder of the board out.

Step 4: Filing the Inside of the Border

We will now finish filing and sanding the inside and outside of the border.
• Use some scrap wood to avoid damaging the board and clamp the board to your vise.
• File one segment at a time occasionally checking if a board piece fits properly.

Step 5: Spray Painting the Board & Pieces

In this step we are going to prime and paint the border and inside pieces.
• I primed everything with a plasti-dip spray paint first.
• Then spray the pieces their respective colors. 3 Red, 3 Grey, 4 Dark Green, 4 Light Green, 4 Yellow, 1 Tan/Black.
• Spray the border blue.
• I put on 3 coats to make it nice and thick.
• Let it dry for an hour at a time.