Octopus Overlords

The nearest is 60 miles away. I've searched for any 4x4 or 2x4 pieces at both of the places nearby (Lowe's & Menard's) and was never able to find anything. It may be time to try again.

Home Depot will also cut 4x8 sheets down to whatever size you want as a free service in the store. I took advantage of it to get a few 4x4 sections for a project last year, didn't have to haul full sheets home, and cut them better than I could have with just my circular saw at home. I'm pretty sure Lowes offers the same service if that's the store you have nearby.

disarm wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 11:41 am Home Depot will also cut 4x8 sheets down to whatever size you want as a free service in the store. I took advantage of it to get a few 4x4 sections for a project last year, didn't have to haul full sheets home, and cut them better than I could have with just my circular saw at home. I'm pretty sure Lowes offers the same service if that's the store you have nearby.

I asked there and Menard's. Both stated that they'll cut down the length to fit into a car, but won't cut to your specifications (apparently people were abusing the service.) And I honestly don't think I could get a 4x4 in my car to begin with. I can't do the roof tie-down either, as the windows don't roll down. I suppose I could wrap the ropes all the way around the car, but that's a pretty hefty rope investment (and with my luck they'd shift in transit and tie the front doors shut!)

Menards has the smaller cut sheets too. I think they call them craft sheets. You can get both plywood and MDF.

I searched high and low last December. I'll make another attempt sometime soon.

hentzau wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:22 pm Menards has the smaller cut sheets too. I think they call them craft sheets. You can get both plywood and MDF.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 1:34 pm

hentzau wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:22 pm Menards has the smaller cut sheets too. I think they call them craft sheets. You can get both plywood and MDF.

Thanks.

Sigh. I searched for everything I could think of last night. I tried 2'x4' and 24"x48" combined with "'particle board', 'pressed wood', 'plywood', 'shelves', 'wood', and never found anything other than one type of finished board that's been discontinued, 2x4s, and window fixtures. I never would have thought of MDF. I'd forgotten it was even a term.

/edit - and now I see "MDF" referenced in the post you quoted.

I'm bad at wood. I've never built anything more elaborate than a campfire out of the stuff. I'm everybody's tech friend. They don't know tech, so they come to me for help. I need a local woodworking friend.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm /edit - and now I see "MDF" referenced in the post you quoted.

Google and YouTube are your friends, not to mention slack, reddit, etc., that likely have plenty of pros and hobbyists that can walk you through it.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm I'm bad at wood. I've never built anything more elaborate than a campfire out of the stuff. I'm everybody's tech friend. They don't know tech, so they come to me for help. I need a local woodworking friend.

Dunno if you missed what I posted earlier, but I do think it's worth posting a request for what you're seeking on the relevant Craigslist site for your locale. You'll almost certainly be able to find at least a few people with the relevant tools and skills to help you get the job done fairly cheaply. If you're lucky, you may well find that local woodworking friend in the process, too. Because nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:30 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm I'm bad at wood. I've never built anything more elaborate than a campfire out of the stuff. I'm everybody's tech friend. They don't know tech, so they come to me for help. I need a local woodworking friend.

Dunno if you missed what I posted earlier, but I do think it's worth posting a request for what you're seeking on the relevant Craigslist site for your locale. You'll almost certainly be able to find at least a few people with the relevant tools and skills to help you get the job done fairly cheaply. If you're lucky, you may well find that local woodworking friend in the process, too. Because nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I saw, and it isn't a terrible idea. The problem is that the line between 'cheap' and 'free' for me is often what defines possibility. Just the price for the wood plus the hinge I'll need (I can drive screws!) is a stretch for me.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:38 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:30 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm I'm bad at wood. I've never built anything more elaborate than a campfire out of the stuff. I'm everybody's tech friend. They don't know tech, so they come to me for help. I need a local woodworking friend.

Dunno if you missed what I posted earlier, but I do think it's worth posting a request for what you're seeking on the relevant Craigslist site for your locale. You'll almost certainly be able to find at least a few people with the relevant tools and skills to help you get the job done fairly cheaply. If you're lucky, you may well find that local woodworking friend in the process, too. Because nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I saw, and it isn't a terrible idea. The problem is that the line between 'cheap' and 'free' for me is often what defines possibility. Just the price for the wood plus the hinge I'll need (I can drive screws!) is a stretch for me.

I get where you're coming from. But for all you know, a local carpenter may well possess some excess supplies that could easily be hinged together without necessarily costing you an arm and a leg. After all, it's not as if you're seeking a particularly complex bespoke mahogany project here. They may even be willing to barter, and trade your technical know-how in exchange for their carpentry skills, so it needn't cost you much if anything at all.

Like I said, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I've been trying to get into the zen of organizing, but have come up short on trying to consolidate my Elder Sign collection. There are various custom containers posted online that are absurdly priced and my general experience with MDF solutions (i.e. Broken Token) has been mixed.

Has anyone seen or figured out a way to store Elder Sign along with all the expansion in a way that makes sense? My online searches have come up short.

With all the expansions? Perhaps a steamer trunk.

That's what I keep coming back to. Part of the issue is that the expansions don't fully integrate - they add on. So the storage needs to somehow keep them all segregated. It's ruining my Kallax visuals to try and figure out how to keep them all organized. Perspective, I know, but I'm focusing on my circle of control right now.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 5:03 pm I've been trying to get into the zen of organizing, but have come up short on trying to consolidate my Elder Sign collection. There are various custom containers posted online that are absurdly priced and my general experience with MDF solutions (i.e. Broken Token) has been mixed.

Has anyone seen or figured out a way to store Elder Sign along with all the expansion in a way that makes sense? My online searches have come up short.

Yeah, seems like the jumbo Basically Wooden box offered below is the only one specifically intended to handle all expansions, though it's not exactly cheap:

BasicallyWooden.co.uk wrote:

We now have three beautifully practical storage boxes for Elder Sign - base game plus all the expansions!

The original Elder Sign box is perfect for those collectors who are starting out and do not wish to sleeve the cards.

Our new bigger Elder Sign box can take the base game plus all the expansions including Omens of the Deep, and has room for sleeved cards.

The Jumbo Elder Sign box will take all current expansions AND sleeved cards!

Now you can store everything for Elder Sign in one beautiful Jumbo box - this box is future proof too as it will not only take sleeved cards but there are 2 full size card trays plus 2 mini size card trays plus token storage!

Measuring a very generous 475mm wide x 280mm deep and 115mm high, the box comes with a full set of dividers for both sets of cards.

The finishing touch is our Elder Sign and text engraving on the top of the box.

Beautiful and practical!

Although it's probably cheaper to order it through the US-based TopShelfGamer.com instead.

However, the Go7Gamer LGC-003 Insert for FFG Boxes along with necessary dividers may help to provide for a workable, cheaper alternative.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:04 pm Although it's probably cheaper to order it through the US-based TopShelfGamer.com instead.

However, the Go7Gamer LGC-003 Insert for FFG Boxes along with necessary dividers may help to provide for a workable, cheaper alternative.

Yeah, that's the storage box that keeps coming up - and it's insane.

I'm in the process of reorganizing my Arkham LCG stuff into the "Return to...' boxes and do have one of those exact inserts then that would be free to test out.

AWS260 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:06 pm Eldritch Horror

Ahh, I'm looking for storage options on Cthulhu Yahtzee aka Elder Sign.

It probably works for that too!

Anyone tried those super-simple miniature/board games with generic rules from onepagerules.com? All the base rules fit on one sheet of normal-size print 8.5x11 paper, though some extra rules may require the back.

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 11:21 pm Anyone tried those super-simple miniature/board games with generic rules from onepagerules.com? All the base rules fit on one sheet of normal-size print 8.5x11 paper, though some extra rules may require the back.

No, but I think I will at some point now.

I use the Go7 organizer for Elder Sign. I have all but one of the expansions.

I use adjustable MDF inserts from a company that’s no longer in business for Arkham Horror 2E to fit in a box with a second box for the game boards.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:15 pmI can't do the roof tie-down either, as the windows don't roll down. I suppose I could wrap the ropes all the way around the car, but that's a pretty hefty rope investment (and with my luck they'd shift in transit and tie the front doors shut!)

I know this is late, but... Can't you just tie it with the door open, then close the door, basically abuse your door seals on both sides until you get home?

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:11 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:04 pm Although it's probably cheaper to order it through the US-based TopShelfGamer.com instead.

However, the Go7Gamer LGC-003 Insert for FFG Boxes along with necessary dividers may help to provide for a workable, cheaper alternative.

Yeah, that's the storage box that keeps coming up - and it's insane.

I'm in the process of reorganizing my Arkham LCG stuff into the "Return to...' boxes and do have one of those exact inserts then that would be free to test out.

I threw out my Return To boxes in favor of the artist case I bought and the organizer stuff from Broken Token. I wonder if that will end up being something I regret.

Right now I have all the cards with card dividers for all the scenarios, and room to grow in the case. But all the rules sheets/booklets have had to be moved to their own giant freezer bag and can't be stored within it. I need to find a more permanent solution for that. Something like what your friend did with the saddle bag stapled to the exterior of the case.

As for Eldritch Horror, I moved all of that and GF9's Firefly into a a Bitbox setup. But I've found that the storage solution, while it works, just feels blandly utilitarian and makes it more difficult to break out for games. Unfortunately, I've thrown out all the boxes those games came in originally, so I'm stuck for now.

That Bitbox storage looks *perfect* but they've apparently gone out of business.

Well, I've officially reached a board game crisis. With the (amazing) gift of 7th Continent, I no longer have storage space, and I have at least two games coming from Kickstarter that I expect to be shelf-breakers.

*sigh* I don't know how to reduce the space they take up more than I already have.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:35 pm Well, I've officially reached a board game crisis. With the (amazing) gift of 7th Continent, I no longer have storage space, and I have at least two games coming from Kickstarter that I expect to be shelf-breakers.

*sigh* I don't know how to reduce the space they take up more than I already have.

Yeah, I look at my shelves, then I look at the list of games coming and I have no idea how it all will fit. I need to get rid of some of the competitive stuff that we don't play, but I have no idea how to do it. Board Game Geek? Ebay? Craigslist or Nextdoor? Give it away? Shipping costs make it unlikely that anything will sell for much (if anything).

I keep thinking about making a list of games and posting it here and seeing if people were interested in taking any of them off my hands for the cost of shipping. I'm not there yet, I guess. And if I move my mini-fridge to a different corner, I probably have room to squeeze in another Kallax...

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:35 pm Well, I've officially reached a board game crisis. With the (amazing) gift of 7th Continent, I no longer have storage space, and I have at least two games coming from Kickstarter that I expect to be shelf-breakers.

*sigh* I don't know how to reduce the space they take up more than I already have.

I cleared out a small amount of space without getting rid of any games. I did, however, have to throw more boxes away (which I really, really hate doing.) It isn't the first time I've consolidated boxes to save space, though. Game reorganization, day 1:

• Merged Widow's Walk and Power Up expansions into Betrayal at House on the Hill and King of Tokyo, respectively. Tossed the expansion boxes and the built-in plastic organizers.
• Merged all of the hero packs I had for Sword & Sorcery: Immortal Heroes into the core boxes. Tossed the hero pack boxes.
• Got Core Space down to two boxes - the base game box plus one of the expansion boxes for all of the books/manuals. The empty boxes got set aside for painting reference. After the painting's done they'll be tossed, too.
• I have a shelf that is too high to reach for games that I want to play but can't as they're all two player only (Memoir '44, Battlelore, Attack Wing, Battleship Galaxies, etc.) They're kept there to get them out of the way in the hopes that I'll get to play them someday. Onto the very top of that shelf I placed every game I own that included the word 'Munchkin' on the box (there were four) in the hopes that nobody will ever notice them and want to play them.
• I moved all of the competitive games I own with no solo possibilities onto the top shelf of the regular game cabinet, which allowed me to stack them a bit higher. With my eldest refusing to board game and my group dissolved, these don't get taken down. Again, one day in the future I hope to be able to play them again, so I'm not getting rid of them.
• I then consolidated all of the solo-only games (Legacy of Dragonholt, etc), the solo-friendly games (7th Continent, etc), and the solo-by-virtue-of-coop games onto the now cleared out lower shelves. This gave me a bit more room and I was able to get what I have safely onto the shelves.

Thoughts:

• One thing that makes organization hard for me is that I have to be careful about which boxes I lay down and which I stand upright. Indiana has very high humidity, and setting a box with a board or flat cardboard components upright is almost guaranteed to result in those components being warped after a year. That means most of my games have to be stacked flat.
• I could save a bit more space by setting aside a section of book shelves just for games that have large books (Core Space, Conan) rather than paper manuals. I will do this.
• There is still no way in hell that I'm going to fit Sword & Sorcery: Ancient Chronicles or Conan the Conqueror on my shelves when they arrive.
• I could reclaim three full shelves if I could find a better way to store my miniatures, but I've been brainstorming that one for ten years to no avail.

For my Shadows of Brimstone figures, I took some thick foam, cut out holes, glued it to poster board, and then stack them as trays in a plastic tub. To be honest, though, I'm not really sure if I'm saving any space. What it does do, however, is provide a relatively safe way to store them.

Enamel pin set for all you boardgame geeks

Game reorganization, day 2:

• I got around to sleeving the rest of my Hero Realms cards. There was a delay with the sleeves in the Kickstarter from from a couple of years ago, so I'd put the game on the shelf until they arrived. They got here maybe six weeks ago and were still sitting there. By getting them sleeved I was able to turn two boxes and a stack of sleeves into one box.
• I need to play Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords. I have two copies, one mine, one borrowed. The one that is borrowed has all of the expansions with it, while mine does not. It's an indefinite loan, but it's been sitting there over a year. I could clear one large box by getting it played.

My Game Brain podcast session is up as of this morning. The full podcast name is Game Brain Matthew Robinson and his gaming group. I hope you enjoy it.

Love Game Brain! It's one of my go-to podcasts, along with So Very Wrong About Games and Board Game Barrage.

Decided to play through my Legacy of Lo Pan expansion to BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. I love the original game, but have always felt the first part where you're running around town doing quests and building your character is way more fun than the end game where you turn the board over and fight Lo Pan in his fortress.

The expansion goes some way in addressing this by turning the game into a campaign in which you're traveling through time trying to resolve quests to advance the story. I believe there are 7 main quests you have to resolve to get to Lo Pan, and each of these quests could be their own 44m-1hr play session. Since these quests are all fought and resolved on the Chinatown side of the board, you're getting several play sessions worth of goofing around in that first section before the final showdown, which sounds like a blast.

I've got it set up but may not get any real play time in until this weekend. I'll throw a review up in the solo gamers thread once I have some impressions.

Interesting. Gale Force 9 is doing an Aliens game now.

It offers coop and one versus many (with one of the expansions). So I'm guessing solo capable too.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:58 pm It offers coop

AI board game generator. You provide a title, it comes up with a box and rules.

https://www.generativeboard.games/

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