Maker Showcase
Maker Project
Custom Catan Board
One of my first laser projects
A beginning design
After I was done for the day...
One of my first laser projects
Choosing a Project
I really struggled to decide on a project. My first semester in the maker program I worked on several small things. I taught myself embroidery and created several small pieces. With the help of Mao I made a custom light up name tag. With the help of other peer mentors I made a laser etched cutting board for Shelly. All of these projects were so fun to create and taught me a lot about making, however I did not feel they made up my project. I wanted my showcase project to be something bigger and more personal. After several semesters of coming up with nothing, I finally decided on what I wanted to make for my maker project, a custom Settlers of Catan board.
Settlers of Catan is my favorite board game. The game board itself a large hexagon made out of smaller hexagons that each represent a resource. Each player then has several small wooden game pieces that represent roads, settlements, and cities. Then there are resource cards and development cards. I wanted to make a game board where all of these different pieces had a place to go. During my research I found people who had made their own Settlers of Catan game out of wood. I thought this was really cool, but did not think I would have the time to complete the entire game in time for showcase, so I settled on just the board for now with the option to keep adding and creating. I also think a part of making is that a project is never truly finished, so I felt this would work.
Designing
When I first came up with this idea I did what I do with most projects I do and made a google doc of random ideas. I like to just type anything I can think of and add links, pictures, anything that may be helpful. Click here to see my google doc. I also made a really rough sketch of what I thought the board could look like. Unfortunately, I have lost this sketch throughout the process, but my final product did end up looking relatively similar to my original sketch.
After organizing my ideas, I contacted my maker mentor, Lauren Siegel. We set up a time to meet and talk more about the project. During our meeting we discussed more logistics; materials, size, etc. I then began to design. I laid out my game and pieces on a wooden board, measured, and put together a design on corelDRAW. We then set up a time for me to use the laser at MakeATX to actually cut my board.
Cutting
At MakeATX Lauren & I picked out a piece of wood. This was actually a process in itself because we tried to find the least warped piece we could. Then, I went ahead and cut my first iteration of the board. After cutting and placing some pieces on the board, I discovered that my measurements were a little off. Not all my pieces fit in the center hexagon. So, I reworked my design. I made the center hexagon bigger, the rectangles for game pieces smaller, and moved the whole design down. Then, using another piece of wood, I recut. This time my pieces fit perfectly. During this laser session I also decided to add a title and some little design aspects.
Staining
I thought about painting my Catan board, but since I had never stained wood before I thought this would be a good time to try it out. I had absolutely no knowledge on staining wood, so I first consulted google. Like many things it gave me 20 different ways all contradicting each other, so I looked elsewhere for information. My mom and grandma are pretty crafty and often do little projects around the house, so I called them next. After consulting my mom and grandma, I made a list of supplies and set out to Home Depot.
I had a hard time picking a color just because I am very indecisive. I settled on "New American" and also bought "Dark Walnut" just in case (again super indecisive). I also bought a satin finish and sandpaper. My grandma recommended using a rag to apply the stain and my mom recommended just cutting up an old t-shirt to use as a rag, so with that I had all my supplies.
My board consists of two pieces that will be glued together for the final product. I also have a scrap piece that was my first laser cut board. I started by sanding all three pieces. I then used my scrap piece to try out the colors and process. I applied a little bit of both stain colors to the wood following the directions on the can and the tips my grandma gave me. Apply against the grain, wipe off with the grain. After testing it out, I settled on "New American". It's a lighter color and I was afraid of my board being too dark. Finally, I stained my two pieces and was very happy with the final product. Before starting the whole process I was worried about mess and having enough space to do the project. I just happen to being going out to my grandparent's ranch one weekend, so luckily it worked out that I would have a good workspace. See the pictures on the side of the process of staining the board.
Reflection
I think I originally had a hard time picking a project because I had an idea in my mind of what it needed to be. I felt like I needed to make something big and complicated that would wow everyone at my showcase. When it got down to it, I realized that's not was I wanted to make. When I finally let go of the idea of making something to wow others and instead decided to make something that I wanted, I was able to pretty easily choose what I wanted to make. This translated into my maker philosophy. Making is personal. It's for yourself, not others. When I finally came to terms with this idea, I had a much better time making.
The main thing I learned from my maker project is that your maker community is everywhere. I reached out to different people from different parts of my life to help me complete this project. I reached out to my friend Mao who is also a maker. We constantly bounced ideas around and supported each other. My maker mentor Lauren who is an expert with the laser cutter. Finally, my mom and my grandma. Although not self-proclaimed makers, they were the first ones I reached out to when I decided to stain my Catan board. I knew they always were doing little projects around the house and would be a big help. My maker community has always been important to me. I'm glad that through this project I got to expand my maker community a little bit to include my mom and grandma.