today... we will do our best to make dominoes by hand.

preface:
I've never done this before...ever. in fact, i would probably say I'm more confident to go bungee jumping than i was about this project.

i don't have the proper tools...ever. i figure it out as i go. the monkeys in my head work the gas pedal. i simply steer while texting.

its a great combination.

Step 1: WHAT YOU NEED...

what you need is proper tools. a jigsaw..skill saw...planer... drill press. those are all helpful items to have.

which i don't have...at all.

today I'm using:

an old belt driven table saw. i think it's from the 70s. it has a motor bracket missing and i got the thing for 60 bucks at a yard sale.

a long level. i highly recommend this. you'll see why.

at least one domino for reference.

sandpaper and a palm sander.

pencil. preferably sharp.

a piece of wood. preferably thin but awesome looking.

today I'm using an old throwaway/reclaimed plank i found at a construction site. i think it's pine...and maybe was used to frame a mantle. it has a beveled edge which i cut off.

Step 2: Domino Dementia...err Dimensions

dominoes are a small item really. 1 inch by 2 inches with about a half inch thickness on most regulation pieces.

with 28 bones in the set... you're going to need at least 60 inches of 1 inch wide wood. compensating for the blade of course and being safe...

my plank was 48 inches by 2 feet... plenty of space to work with.

i also recommend cutting a few extras for testing and glitches.

Step 3: Measure and Cut

as stated.. the bone is 1 inch wide. so simply make a mark 1 inch from the edge of your plank.

this is where the level comes in handy. i can't draw a straight line to save my life...

so line up your level on the end... then the middle..then the opposite end. butting the bone up against the plank edge and the level to insure a straight line.

from there i cut three strips that measured out to be enough to provide me with 32 bones.... for safety.

my table saw has a guide... but that means nothing when you don't have a clue about what you're doing and only got a table saw to be able to stand in the driveway and look super boss to your neighbors.

Step 4: Forming the Bones

after that... i set my guard to two inches and cut out the bones.

as you can see it left rough edges.. chunked... and some i didn't even cut straight.

a great mitre saw or something probably cures this problem. my birthday is soon and i think they are on sale at the big orange box. wink wink.

Step 5: Sanding and Smoothing

next... i sanded the edges and surfaces with a palm sander. the grit was just passed medium fine.

it was at this point i decided these would end up being more of a novelty than an actual set to use for play... so i got a lot less concerned with them being perfect.

in fact.. i think they have a certain charm about them not being perfect. so....yea... i meant to do that. *shady eyes*

Step 6: Creating the Hash

in the center of every domino is a slightly indented groove or hash mark.

to achieve this on the table saw, i set the blade so it just very barely stuck up through its groove. running your hand over it you would feel a slight tickle.

then i ran each block across it to create the groove and laid each block out with a corresponding bone from the set.

Step 7: Pips and Finishing

to make the pips (or dots) in the domino i used a drill.

this is probably where a drill press and patience comes into play the most.

since i stopped attempting precision, i just did what needed to be done.

afterwards.. i used a fine grit sandpaper by hand and finished everything off.

at this point you could get creative and paint or stain or decorate...but be careful. if you end up using these for actual play, you might end up providing an easy outlet for marking them much like a cheat marks cards while shuffling.

being a novelty item though, I'm going to stain mine once the rains end and use the remaining portion of the plank to make a nice display box.

enjoy!