I'm very late posting this, but here is the final in my run of four game inserts. I plan on making more soon, but my recent move means that I no longer have access to tools like I did before. As I build up my own collection of woodworking equipment, and slowly expand my horizons into other projects, I will also continue to make inserts. To be frank though, I have no idea when that will be. For the moment, let us content ourselves with this.
For the Dungeons and Dragons Castle Ravenloft board game I used almost the exact same design as Temple of Elemental Evil. I've talked to some people who suggest keeping two of these DnD adventure games in one box to cut down on storage space. I chose not to do this because I have plenty of shelf space, and because I thought it would be best to not present the opportunity to accidentally mix dungeon tiles or cards. Characters, on the other hand, will definitely be mixed, and very much on purpose!
Considering that this was the second insert of similar design, it almost goes without saying that I learned something from my first experience. To be fair, the only things that I can really point out are that I got much better at measuring and that I figured out how to hold the pieces together better while the glue dried. On the matter of the former, the old saying "measure twice, cut once," definitely holds true. However, experience is also very important. The more I cut this wood, the more I get used to the saw blade and working with its width. Cutting a board is like erasing a quarter inch strip from it, and where that quarter inch disappears from is very important. On the matter of gluing, I would say that it would be worthwhile to invest in a set of clamps for projects like this. I made due with some blocks of wood I found in my garage, but I think for next time I would like to be better prepared.
On reflection, although I said before that Elmer's glue works, I think that I will look into some other inexpensive options. Although the glue does generally hold fine, I've already broken off two pieces of the Temple of Elemental Evil insert just by moving the cards in and out. Although an easy fix, it was definitely an annoyance.
All that being said, here are the photos!
The original insert (used to design the new insert that would fit sleeved cards).
Blocks to hold the insert while the glue dries.
All done!
