» Falling into Place Monopoly in Lights

Falling into Place

After spending far too long trying to fine-tune the diffuser pieces using sandpaper and files, I finally listened to the reason of posters online and set my routing table up. Using a flush-cutting bit with a bearing, I ended up taping the pieces to a small board, letting just about how much I wanted to remove overlap the edge. Amazing how much easier using the right tools makes a task. After spending a few hours between the board and the router table, I finally have pieces that fit all the spaces reasonably well. I’m sure as I start working with the graphics, I’ll probably find bits that aren’t quite right, and decide to retune some of them, but for now I’m reasonably happy. The board is actually starting to look a little bit like an actual board now, although none of the pretty graphics are in place yet; in fact, most of the protective cover is still there, so it looks a little more ragged than it really is.

Speaking of the graphics, I learned about a new technique and ordered some equipment to try. Waterslide decals. Basically, it’s a soluble paper base with a shiny (maybe adhesive) layer to print on. You then spray a few coats of clear gloss acrylic after printing, cut it to size, soak in water, then place the decal where you want it and slide the paper backing away. Looks promising, and a test run taught me a couple of things about it. Will try again soon, and if all goes as I hope, I’ll have a good looking solution to the graphics task. In the meantime, enjoy this board that’s starting to look like a board.