Board games are great. Whether you're sitting down to an intense game of Go, or a simple game of Tic-Tac-Toe, board games are a fun way to pass the time with friends and family. I love board games, so I wanted a game chest that I could fit in my pocket and carry with me wherever I went.
I've always admired this excellent Altoids Tin Travel Games instructable from a few years ago, but never felt comfortable pasting the game boards directly to the tin, as they had done. Water damage and the everyday wear and tear from the junk in my pocket would ruin those boards in no time. So I've casually been working on a version better suited to my needs. Then the "Are We There Yet?" challenge arrived, and I knew it was time to finish this thing for real. So here it is.
These instructions detail how to make a portable Altoids game chest with interchangeable laminated game boards and magnetic pieces. The games included are: Go, Othello (or Reversi), Chess, Checkers, Shogi (Japanese Chess), Chinese Checkers, Backgammon, Nine Man's Morris, Twelve Man's Morris, Cribbage, and Farkel.
I hope this device comes in handy during your next trip, entertaining you and your kids on those long cross country car rides. And remember to check out the "Are We There Yet?" Challenge periodically and vote for your favorites. I'm sure there will be some good stuff appearing in there. :-)
I've always admired this excellent Altoids Tin Travel Games instructable from a few years ago, but never felt comfortable pasting the game boards directly to the tin, as they had done. Water damage and the everyday wear and tear from the junk in my pocket would ruin those boards in no time. So I've casually been working on a version better suited to my needs. Then the "Are We There Yet?" challenge arrived, and I knew it was time to finish this thing for real. So here it is.
These instructions detail how to make a portable Altoids game chest with interchangeable laminated game boards and magnetic pieces. The games included are: Go, Othello (or Reversi), Chess, Checkers, Shogi (Japanese Chess), Chinese Checkers, Backgammon, Nine Man's Morris, Twelve Man's Morris, Cribbage, and Farkel.
I hope this device comes in handy during your next trip, entertaining you and your kids on those long cross country car rides. And remember to check out the "Are We There Yet?" Challenge periodically and vote for your favorites. I'm sure there will be some good stuff appearing in there. :-)
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
I'll keep the chit chat to a minimum and just stick to the facts for this Instructable.
You will need:
Picture 1:
You will need:
Picture 1:
- an Altoids tin with a smooth lid (or a knock-off, like I'm using)
- access to a printer and paper
- scissors
- clear packing tape
- scotch tape
- wire cutters
- bobby pins
- a sheet of flexible magnetic vinyl (like a fridge magnet) [detail in Pics. 4 and 5]
- various markers
- small dice (6, in my case)
- small spring clips
- very small plastic bags or individual baseball card sleeves
- a scrap of sandpaper or a metal file
- a few powerful rare-earth magnets
- a deck of cards
- a hole punch
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I am not sure if you are still around but I would really like to make this as a xmas gift and I can't access the downloads for the boards. The .doc is saying there is an administrative access problem and the .docx won't open with anything. I don't know if this is me or the links. If you have the chance to help that would be great!
I'm glad you liked the 'ible, and I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.
Win Guy
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Backseat-Buddy-1/
It's somewhat similar to this but I think you'll like it!
hope I can win the LED contest as well "Star-Wars X-Wing 2"
Throw in a AAA battery, a piece of gray play-dough and some electrical wire just to throw them off, then let me know if the TSA give you a more rigorous pat-down after their equipment finds this in your backpack. ;)