Custom Catan Frame and Tiles

A recurring frustration when playing Settlers of Catan (a registered trademark. I am in no way affiliated) is that the cardstock pieces tend to warp, especially the outer water pieces that form the frame. This causes some annoyance when playing because the tiles start shifting around. I started a project to solve this problem by laser-cutting a frame to hold the pieces.

I made it at TechShop San Francisco, where I had access to Epilog 60W laser cutters, so parts of this tutorial will be specific to using those, but if you're familiar with a different brand, it should be no problem to translate.

(Thanks to scoochamaroo for inspiring me to make this Instructable)

(Also, if you like this Instructable, please vote for me in the Hurricane Lasers Contest. If I win a laser cutter, it would help me out making more fun board game accessories)

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Step 1: Acquire Resources

You will need:
2 sheets of birch plywood 12x24 inches, 3mm (1/8th of an inch) or so thick
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=shop&q=birch+plywood+12x24

Medium tack tape - I use TransferRite 582U 12-inch
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=shop&q=transferrite+582u
(if you're ok with a smoky patina, or doing lots of sanding, you can omit this)

1 piece of 18x22 inch "backing" material
Either leather, wool felt, synthetic felt (aka "eco-fi") or Pellon interfacing (found at fabric stores). Make sure it is safe to use in your laser cutter.

Sandpaper - 320 grit is what I use.

Glue - I use a combination of Liquid Nails "Small Projects" for the edges and Gorilla Glue for larger areas

Something to clean off dust - either a vaccuum cleaner with small attachments, or compressed air.

Vector source files (attached - see the next step) and a laser cutter.