Magnetic Rotating Risk Board

What I've created is a spin on the traditional rectangular Risk game board. I have on occasion been stuck being the guy on the wrong side of the table during a 6 player session, having to read Kamchatka upside down for two hours. I've also been the clumsy dude, knocking adjacent players pieces all over the board. First world problems, I know. But problems nonetheless.  I'm all about efficiency and the magnetic rotating Risk board solves all of those problems with the convenience of being able to move the board around with your pieces held in place.  

You can make your own. You can add your own personal touch and get as creative as you want. This is how I made mine. First let me give you a rundown of all the materials/tools I used.

1/2" bore bit
electric drill
3/4" thick 26" diameter table top: http://www.readytocover.com/26-inch-round-plywood-table-top.html
Golden acrylic paints, glaze, and gesso
various paintbrushes
paint markers (gold for borders and red for sea paths)
Minwax stain
Rust-oleum Magnetic Primer
artist tape/painter's tape
X-Acto knives
Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic coating
1/2" carriage bolt
locking nut
crescent wrench
4x 3/8" nuts and bolts
24x 3/8" washers
1/2" bearing: http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/PROD/Kit7494
(imitation) gold leaf and adhesive
stylus for embossing country names (if you can call what I did embossing, I dunno) 
Epoxy
5mm x 5mm x 1mm magnets 

Step 1: Making a 1/2" hole for the carriage bolt

Before I do anything else to the board, I want to get the center hole out of the way.  There's a smaller hole on the underside of the tabletop.  It's dead center so I use it as a guide for boring the center hole with the electric drill and bore bit.

Comments

[Foaly the Centaur]

For those of you who like Risk, I very much recommend Warlight. It is quite a fun game either in real-time or multi-day pace, and is completely free.

[sylar]

bonjours cette instructable et bien main y a plus simple pour refaire la carte vous scanner votre plateau de jeux et l'imprimer sur feuille A4 et de la vous les decouper pour vous en servir de pochoirs .
pour le plateau tournent pourquoi ne pas simplement utiliser un plateau de vielle tele ?
j'en est une en forme rectangulaire et cela convient pour y plaquer une feuille de contre plaque de la forme voulu ^^ ( dsl j'ai pas traduit en anglais )

[dirtyDUPE]

If Google Translate is correct:
Thank you!
I hand drew the continents rather than designing it in software. I did this mainly because it is easier for me to just go ahead an draw on the surface immediately rather than take the time to first design, then print and have to piece the stencil together, etc. This was a quick and easy method that I am used to.
As for the base, I didn't have anything like a rotating TV stand and I wanted to use something more study and heavy-duty.
I was not successful at translating the last part of your comment.

[kizz246]

I think Sylar said: For the turning table why not simply use an old turning TV table or entertainment stand type of a thing. It comes in a rectangular form (like thew risk board) and it should be easy to put the printed template he mentioned on.... I think, My french isn't the greatest and I used Google a couple times. :P

[Issy2202]

This is really cool =) - I'm working on my own (a present though) risk board right now. But since I didn't get my hands on a proper bearing, I used furniture castors instead so now it's rotatable and movable.
Since it's not as expensive I just bought a square piece of wood and cut it to an octagon (I was a bit lazy) and it works just as fine - I hope I can post pictures up soon!
And thanks for the idea!

[dirtyDUPE]

Yes! I would love to see the finished product. I admit, I did overdo it with the bearing but I liked the idea of a solid piece of metal for the board to rest on and hold the bolt in place.

[sylar]

bonjours cette instructable et bien main y a plus simple pour refaire la carte vous scanner votre plateau de jeux et l'imprimer sur feuille A4 et de la vous les decouper pour vous en servir de pochoirs .
pour le plateau tournent pourquoi ne pas simplement utiliser un plateau de vielle tele ?
j'en est une en forme rectangulaire et cela convient pour y plaquer une feuille de contre plaque de la forme voulu ^^ ( dsl j'ai pas traduit en anglais )

[MonkiMan]

Absolutely Amazing, Risk is my favourite board game (when I win :D). I always fight to be on the right side so you read the countries.
I wish I could make this but I have the artistic talent of a snail. The magnets are a great idea, I'm forever hitting the board and then we spend forever trying to get them back in the same places they were.
Voted, hope you win!

[nerd12]

nice, i never thought of this solution to having to crane your neck to examine the board :D
next stop, a globe!
imagine a globe, with the countries on it, and you used magnetic pieces on it. that would be epic/hilarious/hard :D

[WorkingGunn]

thats Pretty Clever I have never played Risk but I bet this would be great for scrabble. I love the idea of Magnets. We usually play musical chairs or turn the board when game playing but this would definately be handy for our favorite games.

[dirtyDUPE]

Thank you, WorkingGunn. It's reassuring that I'm not the only one who finds this issue problematic! Did you say Scrabble... ; )