Pokémon Play Board

If you have a few pieces of scrap hardwood, some wood glue, epoxy, and a few dozen Pokémon cards you don’t mind destroying, then you might be able to create your own fun custom game board.

Built with the Pokémon theme in mind, it’s perfect for game nights and brings a fun, custom flair to your space!

Required Supplies:

1. Scrap hardwood flooring
2. Wood glue
3. Epoxy resin (Part A & B)
4. Pokémon cards
5. Cardboard

Optional Supplies:

1. Picture frame
2. LED lights

Required Tools:

1. Heat gun
2. Hammer and chisel

Optional Tools:

1. Clamps
2. Planer
3. Table saw
4. Carpenter’s square
5. Hot glue gun and glue sticks
6. Squeegee
7. Router

Safety Equipment & Precautions:

1. Wear safety goggles
2. Use a mask to protect against epoxy fumes
3. Work in a well-ventilated area
4. Wear gloves when handling chemicals
5. Always practice safety when using power tools (e.g., table saw, router)

Overview:

1. Gather and inspect scrap hardwood flooring.
2. Run the unfinished side through a planer until smooth.
3. Glue pieces together securely with wood glue and clamps.
4. Allow at least one hour for glue drying.

Day One:

For me, starting a project usually involves a bit of rummaging. I tend to kick around some scrap wood, maybe dig through a bin or two, until I finally unearth just the right pieces – often things I didn't even know I was looking for! This time, I struck gold with seven random pieces of scrap hardwood flooring.

Back in the workshop, first things first: I checked each piece for any stray metal or big knots. Those things can really mess up your planer blades, trust me. I ran the unfinished side of the hardwood through the planer a few times to get it nice and smooth, then glued them together, using clamps to hold everything tight at the joints. I gave it about an hour for the glue to mostly dry – wood glue can be impatient!

Overview:

1. Find a wooden picture frame slightly smaller than your hardwood base.
2. Mark the wood using the frame as a guide.
3. Trim wood with a table saw to fit snugly inside the frame.
4. Fill any cracks on the unfinished side with hot glue to prevent epoxy leakage.
5. Ensure the workspace is level; place the hardwood in the frame.

Day One (Cont):

Since I'm planning to pour epoxy over the top of this (unfinished side up), I needed a way to keep it all from spilling everywhere. So, back to the scrap pile! I found a picture frame – the kind that used to hold a canvas print. My glued-together wood pieces were a little bigger than the frame, so I had to trim off the extra and square everything up. I laid the frame on top of my wood, used a square in the corner to make sure it was a perfect right angle, and traced the inside edge onto the wood. I did this for all the corners, marking out the frame's inner size on my hardwood.

Next up, I used a table saw to cut along those lines, both across and lengthwise, getting rid of the excess wood. Then, I flipped the hardwood over to the unfinished side (which will be the bottom) and filled any cracks and seams with hot glue. I scraped off any extra glue from the surface to keep it relatively clean.

Once I made absolutely sure my workbench was level, I placed the hardwood, unfinished side up, inside the wooden frame.

Overview:

1. Mix 4 cups of epoxy (2 cups each of Part A and Part B) thoroughly for 2 minutes.
2. Pour half of the epoxy onto the wood, spreading evenly.
3. Arrange the first layer of Pokémon cards at an angle and press firmly with a squeegee to remove air bubbles.
4. Add the second layer of cards in the opposite direction and press again.
5. Randomly place cards for third and fourth layers, pour remaining epoxy, and spread evenly.
6. Use a heat gun to eliminate any air bubbles.
7. Allow epoxy to cure overnight.

Day One (End):

Now for the epoxy! I mixed up 4 cups total – that's 2 cups of Part A and 2 cups of Part B – stirring gently for a good two minutes and making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing cup. Then, I poured in about half of it, spreading it out evenly before carefully laying down my first layer of Pokémon cards. I placed each card at a bit of an angle – this helps stop air from getting trapped underneath – and tried to cover as much wood as I could. Using a squeegee, I pressed down firmly, swiping in all directions to push out any extra epoxy from under the cards.

For the second layer, I put the cards down in the opposite direction, lining them up over the edges of the cards underneath. Squeegee time again! Pressed them down to spread the epoxy evenly across the surface.

For the third and fourth layers, I just went random with the cards and poured the rest of the epoxy on top, using the squeegee as I went to make sure everything was coated.

Inevitably, little air bubbles popped up from the cracks and around the cards. A quick pass with a heat gun took care of those, leaving the finish crystal clear. Then, I just let the whole thing sit overnight to harden up.

Overview:

1. Gently remove the wooden frame using a hammer and chisel.
2. Build a temporary cardboard frame around the edges, sealing with hot glue to prevent leaks.
3. Mix another 3 cups of epoxy (1.5 cups each of Part A and Part B).
4. Pour the epoxy, spread evenly with the squeegee, and use a heat gun to remove bubbles.
5. Let cure overnight.

Day Two:

First thing in the morning, I noticed something cool: a few cards had floated up a little higher than the rest, giving it a 3D effect! The whole surface was coated in epoxy, but because of those floating cards, it wasn't perfectly flat. Actually, that’s totally fine because I was planning a final epoxy coat anyway to smooth out the top and keep that awesome 3D look.

Time to remove the wooden frame. I grabbed a hammer and chisel and gently worked them around to pop the frame off. Then, I cut some cardboard strips to the same length and width as my piece. I hot-glued them together around the sides, and then ran a bead of hot glue along the bottom seam where the cardboard met the hardwood. This sealed the edges up tight and kept the epoxy from leaking everywhere during the next pour.

This time, I mixed up a little less epoxy: 3 cups total (1.5 cups of Part A and 1.5 cups of Part B). I poured it over the card-covered surface. Using my trusty squeegee and some patience, I spread the epoxy out evenly. Then, one last pass with the heat gun to banish any bubbles and get that crystal-clear top coat. Done for the day!

Overview:

1. Carefully peel off the cardboard frame.
2. Trim approximately ¼ inch off each edge with the table saw twice to achieve clean, squared edges.
3. Allow the epoxy to fully cure for at least 72 hours (Optional).

Day Three:

I started by peeling off as much of the cardboard frame as I could. Good news – my hot glue seal along the bottom edges worked perfectly! Then it was back to the table saw to clean up the edges and get rid of the leftover wood from the picture frame and the cardboard. I took off about a quarter inch from all four sides to start. Then, I ran it through again, taking off another quarter inch, just making sure everything was nice and square.

I set it aside to cure completely – you really want to give epoxy a full 72 hours to harden properly – while I started thinking about lights and a frame for the final product.

Overview:

1. Route out a hardwood frame so that the piece fits over the surface, providing a slight lip for gameplay convenience.
2. Install LED lights within the frame to illuminate cards from underneath for a unique effect.

Day Four:

That's pretty much it! If you'd like to protect the edges of your board, consider adding a hardwood frame with a routed inner edge to fit snugly over the top. This would give it a little lip over the epoxy, protecting the edge and also helping to keep cards from sliding off when playing (that epoxy top is pretty slick!). I also had this idea about adding some LEDs, maybe randomly placed inside the outer frame. Because the light shines right through the epoxy, it’d highlight the cards underneath without being too bright on top, a pretty cool effect!

Enjoy your new Pokémon Play Board!