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No problem for sharing. Like I said, I used some dividers found on BGG and posted in the topic after, to thank the initial author. You can find my pdf here : https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/221561/vertical-card-dividers
Thank you! I’m quite happy with it. Some of the minis will tip over if the box is jostled too much but without getting foam padding to keep them in place I’m not sure what can be done about that.
The token trays I’m using are these off of Amazon. They’re surprisingly good at $0.75/ea (Canadian).
If you are a beginner and want straight cuts, yes I would recommend a utility knife. A hobby knife/scalpel turns way too easy in the hand. I got one of these. Works great, and getting a fresh blade is super easy.
This is what I use. Something similar is good as the replacement blades are cheap and you just break the end off and keep going.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DXWN42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_uGw1FbGAWG62E?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I typically only clamp the "walls" to the "floor" since I figure that's the thing that's most likely to come apart over time, and to help keep the floor relatively flat. Once you have enough parts installed and pinned to keep it standing upright, just add a flat weight (like a hardcover book) to the top of it to apply even pressure. This helps a lot with larger inserts since cheaper Foamcore tends to not be completely flat.
Yeah, my edges aren't always 100% perfect, I just line it up 90 degrees with the piece it is connecting to and use pins to keep it in the right position, then add glue to fill any gaps.
You can get pins at any supermarket - they're just dressmaker pins. Amazon link for reference. Just be careful as it's easy to accidentally stab yourself with them.
Get acceptable tools.
I highly prefer snap-off utility knifes. Foamcore ruins your blade pretty quickly, so the knife being cheap and you being able to just snap it off for a new sharp edge is very nice. You also need a ruler to cut along. Either metal or thick and heavy plastic, so your knife doesn't accidentally cut into it. I have something like this, and think it works wonders for getting the cuts exactly where i want them to be, and for getting good 90° angles.
Start with simple shapes. Don't go too complex to begin with. A box for your cards. A small box for some pieces. When planning a box, remember useability. For cards, you always want a way to take the cards out of said box. That means either cutting finger grips into both sides if the cards are stored vertically, or cutting to the bottom on one side, and cutting a small grip into the bottom if cards are stored horizontally.
For piece boxes, either make them pretty flat, or add crafts paper to allow for stuff to slide out of them.
Also, start with an insert for a simple game. Your first insert won't be amazing, but you will learn a lot.
I disagree with /u/Famous-Egg-7407 and would say that my inserts tend to get better with at least some rough planning, especially if they are for big games with lots of pieces.
You can also look for finished plans online, quite often someone has made some.
Yes, they are coin capsules.
I barely have any clue about them, i bought these: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B08MYNF2S7/
Due to three reasons: Inner Diameter 21mm, 500 pieces, kind of affordable ( I paid 30€, roughly as much as i paid for the game itself). They seem to be working well so far.
Inner Diameter 21mm is definitively what you want, and if you have all of the addons, you need more than the 400 pieces that they are usually packaged in.
I don't know how much space you need for Aeon's End at this point but I managed to get everything into one of these boxes for all of the Dominion content. Some foam dividers could help with dead space as well. If it's too big they have some smaller count ones. I decorated mine with cut up images from the Dominion boxes.
Adhesive sheet magnets cut to size.
My friends use 3 storage boxes (like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Against-Humanity-Cards-Moveable-Dividers/dp/B017237OJW?ref_=ast_sto_dp).1 box for all the market cards, 1 for mages and starting cards, and one for nemeses.
I bought a Fiskars paper cutter (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003SLC3IU/) not long ago - it works really well if you score the paper on either side of the foamcore and then it snaps apart. Great for making long, straight cuts.
I used to use 5mm and have transitioned to 3mm, thos extra mm can make a big difference when trying to fit everything into box. I bought it on amazon
I use this on leather. Circle Cutter should tackle foam
I have this
Light cut(s) to the top layer since it's just paper. Then get your knife and make a '+' sign cut in the circle like it's a straw hole. You can even do an 'x' as well so it's like cutting pizza. These are relief cuts for the next step.
After that, get your craft knife to cut the circle slowly. Don't try to do it in one pass, it takes a while. I sometimes clean up the circle with 200-400 grit sandpaper.
I got this mat off of Amazon and I bought my foamcore from Walmart. The foamcore was $5 per sheet (3 feet by 2 feet).
Oh, I meant the one on Amazon that's made of wood and has metal edges and latches. I play MTG and bought the box to store my cards. It even has a carry handle.
I switched to this glue which dries fast enough that you only have to hold it on for 30 seconds or so before letting it sit (though don't bump it afterwards for another hour or so). Since I switched, I haven't needed to use pins at all.
This is what I use:
Just go slow and make a few passes.
Every pertain living in a house should have a pair of these (in my biased opinion).
I've found that "scalpel" type knives (like xacto) don't actually work that well for Foamcore. I've had much more success with a sturdy utility knife (with break-off tips, to ensure a constantly sharp edge) like this one: https://www.amazon.com/OLFA-9036-All-Over-Heavy-Duty-Utility/dp/B000BNHQDA/ref=sr_1_54?ie=UTF8&qid=1528299155&sr=8-54&keywords=heavy+utility+knife
Apart from just not working that well on foam core, Xacto knife blades are also much more expensive than snap-off blades, and foam core causes blades to become dull super-fast, so you're going to be replacing blades A LOT.
And finally, to reiterate what others have said, make more, shallower cuts. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to cut each piece in 3 passes. The first pass cuts the top layer of paper, the second pass cuts the foam, and the third pass cuts the bottom piece of paper. If your blade is sharp enough, you shouldn't need to put much force on the blade as you cut - you'll just be letting the knife do the work.
This is what I use as it was suggested here: Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue 8oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001145496/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_rq8W2KUeR31EB
You don't need the quick dry and some people suggest not using the quick dry because without it it gives you more time to fix mistakes or reposition pieces. That's probably true and I have made a few mistakes that I'm sure would look better and been easier to fix if I wasn't using the quick dry but I do like the speed.
Once you get a circle cutter set for the diameter you want it should go pretty fast. Using a hole saw will waste a lot of time trying to pry the material out of the hole saw between cuts
I use Olfa craft knives and blades, I use the super sharp blades. 50 pack, 13 segments per blade, they last for quite a while.
https://www.amazon.com/OLFA-9149-ABB-50B-UltraSharp-Snap-Off/dp/B0006SJAQ6/
That's 9mm, I just picked up an 18mm version as well for my next attempt. The 9mm blade can get a little wobbly on long cuts.
This is what I have been using and it is great - perfect 90 degree corners and straight lines
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XUHIBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Q0YfzbMQW2PYX
You can not use a paper cutter but if you want to use a Mat cutter that works. But they are fairly expensive. I actually have one and use it the Logan Artist Elite https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004V8YA5S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
honestly I got this from Amazon and they worked out perfectly and I was kind of surprised at the quality as well. Sure the blades are slightly loose but it doesn't seem to affect the cutting of the lines since when you push down they lock in place. Plus they are super cheap!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KY5KKHO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1