Making Counters

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:49 pm

Does anyone out there make their own counters? Perhaps for ships not yet in the game?

I know it's easy enough, and I've done it for other games in the past: just print out some artwork and paste it onto some thin cardboard and then trim them to size.

What about finishing them? Do people clear-coat them? Often times the top starts peeling off the cardboard, is there a way to prevent that (other than engineering a fold-over piece of artwork)?

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:54 pm

I haven't done this in years. Were I to do it nowadays, I'd almost certainly clear-coat them (gloss coat, most likely) and I'd give serious thought to brushing gloss coat onto the edges to try and prevent peeling.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:32 pm

I agree with Will.

I haven't had to make counters for SFB for years, and haven't made any for FedComm.

But I've got a lot of custom made counters for F&E:
There's never enough police ships in the mix...
Who want's to use the "regular" counters for captured ships? All of our captured ships have new counters created in the capturing empires colors...
Custom SB/BATS counters showing SIDS damage levels...

All of those are created in CorelDraw... printed out on adhesive label paper... trimmed and attached to blank counters (purchased from Chessex, but will soon need more from ADB)... and gloss coated.
I also liberally apply a thick coat of brushed on gloss coat to the edges.

It's pretty awesome to have an F5Q counter in Kzinti colors... and even better for the Hydran RN in Lyran colors...

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:01 pm

Thanks guys. So gloss coat like for my miniatures?

That doesn't curl the paper or eat the color?

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:12 pm

When I gloss coat paper, I use several light coats rather than a single, heavy coat... so, no - it's never curled anythign yet.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:06 pm

Yup, me too.

For paper stuff (especially ink-jet printed things) multiple thin coats prevent "rewetting" the ink.

For counter edges (and other things were delaminating is a potential issue) I shoot a bunch of gloss coat into a cup and then brush heavy coats of it onto the edges. Tony's idea of brushed on jar gloss coat is probably better, but I'm trying to cut down on how many jars and cans I have of various stuff I rarely use.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:20 pm

djdood wrote:... but I'm trying to cut down on how many jars and cans I have of various stuff I rarely use.

Then get into F&E... that way you'll be makin' more counters, usin' more stuff... and can justify keepin' extra supplies around

I think Janet just Gibb's me!

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:54 pm

You're safe. She can't reach *that* far.