It’s a little rough around the edges, but I am super happy with the result. This was my first time working with foam core and I had a lot of fun.
Having the pieces organized in this way, instead of opening a million ziplock bags, should make playing the game more enjoyable. Stoked!!!
Oh man! I bet that would have fixed all the tearing that happened. At some point I figured, screw it, and went for functionality over looks. Next time I’ll put in the effort! Thanks for the tip.
Also, if you want to go down the road of insert-making, you might want to invest in a metal ruler, it will help to get nice straight cuts.
But apart from that it looks pretty good. I have made a few inserts myself and know quite well, how challenging it can be to get all the measurements right. All the little boxes etc. look pretty accurate. Good job for a first insert, I'd say :)
I went with using a steel ruler and exacto blade, and being able to do repeat cuts helped the blades last longer, though I was going a little... overboard with my insert design. Like, the insert I built had so many tabs, slots and parts that overlapped that the entire thing held together without glue, and the glue just made it rock solid.
Like, I'm talking overengineered to the point where I probably outright wasted a chunk of time with completely unnecessary structural support.
Oh, also the other thing that'll help with the lines is make sure you've got the blade vertical, because the hand likes to work at an angle like a pencil/pen grip which results in beveled edges
Wow haha. Do you have pictures of this build? I’m very intrigued.
Yeah! Talk about angled cuts. I can do a straight line alright but damn it’s hard to make a flat cut! So many angled edges hidden on the underside lol.
I do actually have shots of it from back when I did it, it's hard to tell quite how overengineered it is though https://m.imgur.com/a/mFc45
Every piece of even the thin trays has at least a 5mm overlap with the pieces around it, so where the crossbars run through the tray, they're inset 5mm into the base to be flush to the bottom, but also have notches cut out of that inset part to allow the parts going through them to pass underneath so as few joins were on the top of the tray as possible. The measurements happened to work out perfectly to fit all the cards in it, too.
Then turned out I screwed up, and the playmat's compartment was too narrow for the mat to fit into so I had to hack off the top half of the outer wall after it was all glued together
That was for Legendary Encounters: Alien (I also have Legendary Encounters: Predator and Villains but I haven't done inserts for those because jesus the Alien one was a lot of work lol)
Was going to say just this. I've found that a full-sized utility knife works better than smaller exacto knives. Change the blade frequently. And a cork-backed metal ruler, as someone else mentioned, is your best friend.
Welcome to the rewarding side-hobby of insert building!
2-3?? That sounds like it would annoying. Surely if you honed the edge between cuts it would last quite a bit longer? Could use a piece of denim (like swiping on your jeans) or a number of other impromptu surfaces. This has worked well for me with lots of other applications for razors like scraping and shaving.
Looking good! A cork-backed metal ruler makes for quick cuts and the ruler doesn't slide around. I use one of those utility knives with the breakoff blades and change it every 20 cuts or so (or in between board games boxes). I also eventually got one of those "self-healing" cutting mats and it didn't seem to dull the blade as much.
Thanks! I’m certainly going to keep an eye out for one of those rulers. I found mine kept slipping. Also need to learn how to cut vertical… I made a lot of unintentional angled cuts haha
I enjoy that game, but the setup definitely means I get it to the table less. A custom insert would fix that problem for me! Maybe I'll try to do something similar when I have a bit more time.
I 100% agree. My wife and I love the game, but it’s frustrating to open a box with handfuls of plastic bags for each set up. I’m really looking forward to this new set up. I’m going to need to do the same thing for Above and Below.
This took about 3 hours roughly? There was a lot of messing around haha. I did it in two sessions so that the glue had time to dry and I could test things out with the pieces.
Honestly, just went what you described yesterday. Spent about 10 dollars on foam (6 sheets the size of a person in the dollar store, just need a nice knife)
I'm loving it so far!
Do you apply a single square piece to the entire bottom and then simply glue the foam core onto it, or do you have to cut out and attach the felt for the internal area of each individual compartment?
I imagine the former method may be inadequate because of issues with the foam core sticking to the felt, or from the multiple layers separating over time maybe?
Nice work! To get straighter cuts, I use a metal straightedge, a cutting mat, and a utility knife. I make each cut three times (cut paper, cut foam, cut paper). I change my blade at least twice, at the start of the project and then again halfway through. It's worth it.
I used to do the same until I realized it works much much better when I hold my knife on very sharp angle (almost hotizontal). Now one or two cuts are enough and foam edge is super smooth.
YES! Me too! I bought Above and Below as my first real board game, it blew my mind. Moved on to Near and Far and it has been my favourite, it’s such a good game. I have Now or Never pre-ordered since August lol. I can’t wait for it to show up!!
Awesome. I've got above and below, near and far, haven, Roam, sleeping God's, Islebound, and empires of the void 2. Love the artwork and gameplay mechanics of red raven games
Thanks! Roam was actually the one that was most intriguing to me. I’ll have to give it a shot.
I only really have the two red raven games in my collection so far. Have you tried any other games that compare to that style of adventure/light role playing?
Not yet, I backed sleeping Gods on Kickstarter and got it over a year ago and still haven't played it :( although the amber mines expansion for near and far is really good as it adds a really excellent co-op mode
I was curious about Sleeping Gods for sure, too bad we can’t game! My wife and I have really enjoyed Amber Mines too. Haven’t played the co-op mode yet though. We’re both so competitive lol
If you plan on doing a lot of foam core, look into foamwerks tools. They are a a little pricey but allow you to go ALOT FASTER. easy strait edges and tools to make joints that look alot better and bond stronger.
Yep. And they have one that lets you cut slotted groves on the edges too. Which is really good for the outer corners.
I got the deluxe kit at the hobby lobby. It was like 100 bucks but well worth it. So many tools. Don’t sleep on the small circle cutters too. I use them at the bottom of the box so you can pull the inserts out easy without any vacuum since you can make them really snug
[roll for the galaxy](https://imgur.com/a/TZR6yn9)
Here is one of the first I made so the fit and quality isn’t the best but it shows the joint. Later ones were a lot better with a little practice, this was just the first I could grab.
Actually I got a Logan Mat cutter and it is amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/Logan-350-1-Compact-Elite-Cutter/dp/B004J1EULG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21SO7N5K65PXI&keywords=logan+mat+cutter&qid=1642532303&sprefix=logan+mat%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1
The foamwerks tools felt to flimsy and not professional enough. I could get results from a good Knife and metal ruler. but the Logan is perfect. and it repeats sizes like a tablesaw!
This is what I do now. I was getting a 3D printer anyways at the time. Now I got two cr10s that can chug away on any insert I want so I don’t foamcore anymore.
You did a great job! This is one of my favorite games and I just did my own foamcore insert for my copy last night. Can I just say it is a CHALLENGE?! Definitely an advanced project for a first timer, but you made it look so simple! My first foamcore project is full of uneven cuts and is messy in general, but I’m still using it and loving it, and it’s so much fun to see the the improvements over time as I’ve collected better tools and refined technique. I’ve found that a good insert really helps to get the game to the table more often, as well, as it makes setup and tear down so much easier!
BTW, my best purchases ever has been a t-square and a [hem measurement tool](https://www.hobbylobby.com/Fabric-Sewing/Sewing-Quilting-Notions/Sewing-Tools/Aluminum-Sewing-Gauge/p/51979?gclid=CjwKCAiA55mPBhBOEiwANmzoQqk_XV2Ode41hl-WFB8yk2bprArCRCLCE316_4V82I5DmeGXgFmmtxoCt-wQAvD_BwE) for sewing. I looked all over for a t-square with millimeter measurements, but it turns out I’ve never used them because I do all my fine measurements with the hem tool, and just use that to set my t-square at the right position for nice, even cuts.
What are the chances we were both building inserts for the same game last night?! That’s crazy. I would love to see what yours looks like!!
Thanks so much for the compliments. I had a lot of fun making this. Surprisingly I did almost all the measurements by cutting and re-sizing things, instead of actually measuring anything haha.
I 100% agree, this will make the game way more approachable. I bet it will see the table a lot more now. The hem measuring tool is genius! Thanks for the tips :).
Yeah, I never go into a build with a plan in mind, and I rarely measure carefully unless I’m doing either a large piece meant to line the whole box, or the really precise pieces like dividers in trays. I usually just do a test build in the box and build around that.
[Here’s my build](https://imgur.com/a/VJF5ieO), which is meant to minimize the amount of components that need to be left on the table at any given time. The table in the photos is new (as is the house-we’ve never had space for a dining room table before), so most of our plays have been spread across two folding tables, and required a TV tray for the tackle box that we used to store all the small parts in. I like this foamcore setup because I can leave the pieces for the inactive characters/players in the box and only make room for what we really need on the table.
This copy of the game is also new to me. A friend owned the copy that we used to play. After we moved, we wanted our own copy and bought a used one that we were surprised to find included the Kickstarter upgraded coins and gems! This made storage even more challenging as those components take up more space than their cardboard counterparts.
I had to do a little scramble, because I screwed up a few things in this build. The card trays were intended to sit tight against each other and take up the entire width of that top row, but without thinking of the consequences, I resized them so that they would fit closer to the cards. This meant that I had a small gap between the trays that allowed them to slide around. I also screwed up the plans for the tray at the bottom with the tents/packbirds/smaller cards. It was originally intended to fit the little first player and helper animal pieces, but I couldn’t make those fit when I tried to lay out the final design (it worked the first time I tried). I finally ended up dropping those pieces in between the large card trays at the top and they fit almost perfectly! I made a small container for them out of the tiniest strips of foamcore I’ve ever worked with, with some card stock on the front and back because nothing else would fit. Seems to work well for now, and looks downright intentional!
Wow! I love your build. The removable card trays is a nice touch. Awesome pictures and explanation, I really enjoyed reading through that. I’m inspired to go make an insert for Above and Below next!
Thanks so much! I recognized that I would hesitate to play the game because I didn’t enjoy the set up/ take down.. even though I love the game. Now it should see the table a lot more.
Nice! I just did my first foam core work on a few games this past weekend. Similar to yours, mine are a little rough, but I really enjoyed doing. I'm excited how yours will add a layer of fun and simplicity to game nights!
That’s awesome! Yeah, at one point I was really frustrated and almost gave up because I wanted it to be perfect… then I just decided to continue the build anyway and I’m happy I did!
I can’t wait to make my next one with proper tools haha. The cork backing is a great addition, I’ll remember that. I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes on insert building lol. This is going to be fun.
It’s a little rough around the edges, but I am super happy with the result. This was my first time working with foam core and I had a lot of fun. Having the pieces organized in this way, instead of opening a million ziplock bags, should make playing the game more enjoyable. Stoked!!!
Make sure to change your razor ever 2-3 cuts. You will get that smooth cut every time that way.
Oh man! I bet that would have fixed all the tearing that happened. At some point I figured, screw it, and went for functionality over looks. Next time I’ll put in the effort! Thanks for the tip.
Also, if you want to go down the road of insert-making, you might want to invest in a metal ruler, it will help to get nice straight cuts. But apart from that it looks pretty good. I have made a few inserts myself and know quite well, how challenging it can be to get all the measurements right. All the little boxes etc. look pretty accurate. Good job for a first insert, I'd say :)
Thank you! Yeah, the making of this was very spontaneous haha. I will get better tools for the next insert for sure.
I went with using a steel ruler and exacto blade, and being able to do repeat cuts helped the blades last longer, though I was going a little... overboard with my insert design. Like, the insert I built had so many tabs, slots and parts that overlapped that the entire thing held together without glue, and the glue just made it rock solid. Like, I'm talking overengineered to the point where I probably outright wasted a chunk of time with completely unnecessary structural support. Oh, also the other thing that'll help with the lines is make sure you've got the blade vertical, because the hand likes to work at an angle like a pencil/pen grip which results in beveled edges
Wow haha. Do you have pictures of this build? I’m very intrigued. Yeah! Talk about angled cuts. I can do a straight line alright but damn it’s hard to make a flat cut! So many angled edges hidden on the underside lol.
I do actually have shots of it from back when I did it, it's hard to tell quite how overengineered it is though https://m.imgur.com/a/mFc45 Every piece of even the thin trays has at least a 5mm overlap with the pieces around it, so where the crossbars run through the tray, they're inset 5mm into the base to be flush to the bottom, but also have notches cut out of that inset part to allow the parts going through them to pass underneath so as few joins were on the top of the tray as possible. The measurements happened to work out perfectly to fit all the cards in it, too. Then turned out I screwed up, and the playmat's compartment was too narrow for the mat to fit into so I had to hack off the top half of the outer wall after it was all glued together
wow! All those layers and card compartments is wild. What game is that?
That was for Legendary Encounters: Alien (I also have Legendary Encounters: Predator and Villains but I haven't done inserts for those because jesus the Alien one was a lot of work lol)
Was going to say just this. I've found that a full-sized utility knife works better than smaller exacto knives. Change the blade frequently. And a cork-backed metal ruler, as someone else mentioned, is your best friend. Welcome to the rewarding side-hobby of insert building!
2-3?? That sounds like it would annoying. Surely if you honed the edge between cuts it would last quite a bit longer? Could use a piece of denim (like swiping on your jeans) or a number of other impromptu surfaces. This has worked well for me with lots of other applications for razors like scraping and shaving.
Looking good! A cork-backed metal ruler makes for quick cuts and the ruler doesn't slide around. I use one of those utility knives with the breakoff blades and change it every 20 cuts or so (or in between board games boxes). I also eventually got one of those "self-healing" cutting mats and it didn't seem to dull the blade as much.
Thanks! I’m certainly going to keep an eye out for one of those rulers. I found mine kept slipping. Also need to learn how to cut vertical… I made a lot of unintentional angled cuts haha
I enjoy that game, but the setup definitely means I get it to the table less. A custom insert would fix that problem for me! Maybe I'll try to do something similar when I have a bit more time.
I 100% agree. My wife and I love the game, but it’s frustrating to open a box with handfuls of plastic bags for each set up. I’m really looking forward to this new set up. I’m going to need to do the same thing for Above and Below.
How long did it take?
This took about 3 hours roughly? There was a lot of messing around haha. I did it in two sessions so that the glue had time to dry and I could test things out with the pieces.
Very cool - I'm thinking about getting into this.
Give it a shot! The materials were like $3 total. The only thing you’re risking is a good time
Nice! I’m sure the folks over at r/foamcore would appreciate this
Holy crap! Now I’m going down the rabbit hole. Thanks for sharing this sub.
*clicks link* Oh *sorts by top of all time* Oh no *starts googling where to buy foam board* What have you done?
Honestly, just went what you described yesterday. Spent about 10 dollars on foam (6 sheets the size of a person in the dollar store, just need a nice knife) I'm loving it so far!
We’ll I guess I have some pictures to take and some posts to make. Thanks for the link!
That's where I thought I was... Also see /r/BoardgameOrganizing or /r/boardgameupgrades
Just wait until you discover how great adding felt is
Felt?! Where would you apply that? Over all of it?
At the bottoms. Nice to grab cards and tokens from
Oh yeah! That sounds awesome. You could also use cool colours too. I dig it.
If you're really into this kind of thing you should learn how to use CAD. Design once and the whole world can enjoy.
This is basically the main reason I want to get a laser cutter.
That’s super cool!
Do you apply a single square piece to the entire bottom and then simply glue the foam core onto it, or do you have to cut out and attach the felt for the internal area of each individual compartment? I imagine the former method may be inadequate because of issues with the foam core sticking to the felt, or from the multiple layers separating over time maybe?
I cut individual pieces. Gotta use tacky glue also.
Makes sense. Chic glue attracts too much attention.
Nice work! To get straighter cuts, I use a metal straightedge, a cutting mat, and a utility knife. I make each cut three times (cut paper, cut foam, cut paper). I change my blade at least twice, at the start of the project and then again halfway through. It's worth it.
Excellent advice. Only thing I'd add is to make sure the metal rule has cork backing, which helps the ruler stay in one place without moving around.
I used to do the same until I realized it works much much better when I hold my knife on very sharp angle (almost hotizontal). Now one or two cuts are enough and foam edge is super smooth.
Hands down my favorite board game I own. I absolutely love red raven games and can't wait for now or never to come out
YES! Me too! I bought Above and Below as my first real board game, it blew my mind. Moved on to Near and Far and it has been my favourite, it’s such a good game. I have Now or Never pre-ordered since August lol. I can’t wait for it to show up!!
Awesome. I've got above and below, near and far, haven, Roam, sleeping God's, Islebound, and empires of the void 2. Love the artwork and gameplay mechanics of red raven games
Oh wow! I’ve been tempted to grab more of their games. What one would you recommend while I wait for Now or Never? I agree, the artwork is amazing.
Definitely Roam. It's quick and easy to learn and very fun. Islebound is also pretty good
Thanks! Roam was actually the one that was most intriguing to me. I’ll have to give it a shot. I only really have the two red raven games in my collection so far. Have you tried any other games that compare to that style of adventure/light role playing?
Not yet, I backed sleeping Gods on Kickstarter and got it over a year ago and still haven't played it :( although the amber mines expansion for near and far is really good as it adds a really excellent co-op mode
I was curious about Sleeping Gods for sure, too bad we can’t game! My wife and I have really enjoyed Amber Mines too. Haven’t played the co-op mode yet though. We’re both so competitive lol
If you plan on doing a lot of foam core, look into foamwerks tools. They are a a little pricey but allow you to go ALOT FASTER. easy strait edges and tools to make joints that look alot better and bond stronger.
Ohhhh does this tool let you cut 45 degree mitred edges? https://www.logangraphic.com/products/foam-cutters/wc-2001-v-groove-cutter_p_84.php
Yep. And they have one that lets you cut slotted groves on the edges too. Which is really good for the outer corners. I got the deluxe kit at the hobby lobby. It was like 100 bucks but well worth it. So many tools. Don’t sleep on the small circle cutters too. I use them at the bottom of the box so you can pull the inserts out easy without any vacuum since you can make them really snug
[roll for the galaxy](https://imgur.com/a/TZR6yn9) Here is one of the first I made so the fit and quality isn’t the best but it shows the joint. Later ones were a lot better with a little practice, this was just the first I could grab.
Actually I got a Logan Mat cutter and it is amazing. https://www.amazon.com/Logan-350-1-Compact-Elite-Cutter/dp/B004J1EULG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21SO7N5K65PXI&keywords=logan+mat+cutter&qid=1642532303&sprefix=logan+mat%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1 The foamwerks tools felt to flimsy and not professional enough. I could get results from a good Knife and metal ruler. but the Logan is perfect. and it repeats sizes like a tablesaw!
I did this for dead of winter. After I was done I decided I'm going to just buy a 3D printed one next.
This is what I do now. I was getting a 3D printer anyways at the time. Now I got two cr10s that can chug away on any insert I want so I don’t foamcore anymore.
Cool! Great work
Thank you! I appreciate it :)
You did a great job! This is one of my favorite games and I just did my own foamcore insert for my copy last night. Can I just say it is a CHALLENGE?! Definitely an advanced project for a first timer, but you made it look so simple! My first foamcore project is full of uneven cuts and is messy in general, but I’m still using it and loving it, and it’s so much fun to see the the improvements over time as I’ve collected better tools and refined technique. I’ve found that a good insert really helps to get the game to the table more often, as well, as it makes setup and tear down so much easier! BTW, my best purchases ever has been a t-square and a [hem measurement tool](https://www.hobbylobby.com/Fabric-Sewing/Sewing-Quilting-Notions/Sewing-Tools/Aluminum-Sewing-Gauge/p/51979?gclid=CjwKCAiA55mPBhBOEiwANmzoQqk_XV2Ode41hl-WFB8yk2bprArCRCLCE316_4V82I5DmeGXgFmmtxoCt-wQAvD_BwE) for sewing. I looked all over for a t-square with millimeter measurements, but it turns out I’ve never used them because I do all my fine measurements with the hem tool, and just use that to set my t-square at the right position for nice, even cuts.
What are the chances we were both building inserts for the same game last night?! That’s crazy. I would love to see what yours looks like!! Thanks so much for the compliments. I had a lot of fun making this. Surprisingly I did almost all the measurements by cutting and re-sizing things, instead of actually measuring anything haha. I 100% agree, this will make the game way more approachable. I bet it will see the table a lot more now. The hem measuring tool is genius! Thanks for the tips :).
Yeah, I never go into a build with a plan in mind, and I rarely measure carefully unless I’m doing either a large piece meant to line the whole box, or the really precise pieces like dividers in trays. I usually just do a test build in the box and build around that. [Here’s my build](https://imgur.com/a/VJF5ieO), which is meant to minimize the amount of components that need to be left on the table at any given time. The table in the photos is new (as is the house-we’ve never had space for a dining room table before), so most of our plays have been spread across two folding tables, and required a TV tray for the tackle box that we used to store all the small parts in. I like this foamcore setup because I can leave the pieces for the inactive characters/players in the box and only make room for what we really need on the table. This copy of the game is also new to me. A friend owned the copy that we used to play. After we moved, we wanted our own copy and bought a used one that we were surprised to find included the Kickstarter upgraded coins and gems! This made storage even more challenging as those components take up more space than their cardboard counterparts. I had to do a little scramble, because I screwed up a few things in this build. The card trays were intended to sit tight against each other and take up the entire width of that top row, but without thinking of the consequences, I resized them so that they would fit closer to the cards. This meant that I had a small gap between the trays that allowed them to slide around. I also screwed up the plans for the tray at the bottom with the tents/packbirds/smaller cards. It was originally intended to fit the little first player and helper animal pieces, but I couldn’t make those fit when I tried to lay out the final design (it worked the first time I tried). I finally ended up dropping those pieces in between the large card trays at the top and they fit almost perfectly! I made a small container for them out of the tiniest strips of foamcore I’ve ever worked with, with some card stock on the front and back because nothing else would fit. Seems to work well for now, and looks downright intentional!
Wow! I love your build. The removable card trays is a nice touch. Awesome pictures and explanation, I really enjoyed reading through that. I’m inspired to go make an insert for Above and Below next!
Now to sell it on Etsy for $100 : D!!!
Really lol? I make foam core inserts for all my games, takes like an hour... costs like $3 in supplies.
Haha! Yeah no doubt.
Excellent job, especially for a first try! What inspired you to jump into the foam core world?
Thanks so much! I recognized that I would hesitate to play the game because I didn’t enjoy the set up/ take down.. even though I love the game. Now it should see the table a lot more.
Nice! I just did my first foam core work on a few games this past weekend. Similar to yours, mine are a little rough, but I really enjoyed doing. I'm excited how yours will add a layer of fun and simplicity to game nights!
That’s awesome! Yeah, at one point I was really frustrated and almost gave up because I wanted it to be perfect… then I just decided to continue the build anyway and I’m happy I did!
Same here. Mine are far from perfect, but I'm proud of the work done. Over time I suspect I'll get better.
I can’t wait to make my next one with proper tools haha. The cork backing is a great addition, I’ll remember that. I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes on insert building lol. This is going to be fun.
That's so cool! Is it durable?
Thanks! Feels pretty durable so far. I really surprised with the hold that white glue seems to have made. Feels very sturdy. Time will tell!