Dice Trays

[Staggerwing]

Soooo... DYI question:

For those of you who have (or have used) dice trays:

What is the minimum edge height you think is still sufficient to keep the dice from 'jumping the fence' during NORMAL tosses. (there's always 'that guy'...)

What about needed area? 8" x "10? More? Could less work for those with limited table space?

What about inner tray surface material? Just basic craft felt? Thin fabric? Thin foam rubber? just wood/MDF/Craftplex? any other possibilities?

[Nefaro]

I think 1.25" depth, from the felt to the rim, is about perfect.  I wouldn't want it to be as low as 1".

Minimum 8"x 8" if you expect to use dice pools.  You can certainly go a bit smaller on this if table space is a big issue and you're using dice the size of the small d6s (12mm?).  But I think below 8" it starts getting noticeably cramped, especially if you're tossing & sorting multiple dice or multiples on the larger side (16+ mm).

From what I've seen of others making their own, just some craft felt is fine for the bottom & maybe the sides if you feel like it. 

Part of the advantage of dice trays is how they quiet your rolls, but still make a little noise.  I think felt has the ideal balance in that respect.

[mirth]

We were talking about this in the counter clipping thread

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2246685/thiskidgotmoxie

[Nefaro]

We were talking about this in the counter clipping thread

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2246685/thiskidgotmoxie

Dice trays.. in a counter clipping thread!?

  :hide:

[mirth]

Madness, I know.

[Bison]

I looked at some various wooden boxes and shadow boxes at Hobby lobby, I didn't pull the trigger because I'm bringing back a few dice to test out the box.

[ArizonaTank]

I have a 1" barrier.  It is too low.  About 1 in 20 rolls bounce out.

[bbmike]

I like the blue one I bought from Easy Roller Dice.

[Staggerwing]

Thanks for the tips Nef.

We were talking about this in the counter clipping thread

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2246685/thiskidgotmoxie

i know. I didn't want to derail that thread because it means so much to Barth.  ;)

I have a 1" barrier.  It is too low.  About 1 in 20 rolls bounce out.

Would 1 & 1/2 inches be enough?

I like the blue one I bought from Easy Roller Dice.

That looks nice! How tall is it?

[BanzaiCat]

The one I have is this one, sans the dice:

https://www.amazon.com/Da-Vinci-Wooden-11-5-Dice/dp/B0010YAEI8/ref=sr_1_8?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1493419300&sr=1-8&keywords=dice+tray

11.5" wide, about 1" deep. Never had issues with dice bouncing out.

[bbmike]

Thanks for the tips Nef.

We were talking about this in the counter clipping thread

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2246685/thiskidgotmoxie

i know. I didn't want to derail that thread because it means so much to Barth.  ;)

I have a 1" barrier.  It is too low.  About 1 in 20 rolls bounce out.

Would 1 & 1/2 inches be enough?

I like the blue one I bought from Easy Roller Dice.

That looks nice! How tall is it?

Don't have it with me but it's almost 2" deep if I recall correctly. I love using it.

[Nefaro]

That Easy Roller one looks nice.

I would just prefer one that is around 8" across.  Probably 9" at best. 

Table space is always at a premium.  Even if you have more than enough for your game sprawl, it can still be difficult fitting the larger dice trays close enough, in the middle of everything, with having to lean towards it to read dice after each roll. 

Plus I'd prefer having a couple smaller ones on opposite sides of the table, rather than a bigger one in the middle that everyone has to reach & lean for.

The one I have is this one, sans the dice:

https://www.amazon.com/Da-Vinci-Wooden-11-5-Dice/dp/B0010YAEI8/ref=sr_1_8?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1493419300&sr=1-8&keywords=dice+tray

11.5" wide, about 1" deep. Never had issues with dice bouncing out.

I have that one, plus two other different types.


I actually measured that one after this topic came up.  From felt bottom to top lip is ~1.25" depth.  Which is just about perfect as long as you're not slinging a handful of dice from a long distance.

[Nefaro]

I've been using this Ultra Pro one more often than the wide-sided wooden ones lately.


https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Dice-Rolling-Tray/dp/B01CVKKYZW/


It's too damn long for my tastes, but it fits on the table more economically than the two wooden ones I have (the round one, above, and a slightly smaller hexagonal which is my 2nd fav).  Since it's fairly narrow.


Probably just need to grok the wooden picture frames next time I go to the local Hobby Lobby & see if there are any DIY candidates of my preferred dimensions.

[Jack Nastyface]

I made a dice tray recently from stuff I picked up from Michaels (Canadian version of a Hobby Lobby).  You can often get the same stuff at better dollar stores.  The sides are about 1 - 1/2 inch tall.  If they are shorter you get some roll-outs (as mentioned above) and if they are bigger then it sometimes makes it harder for everyone to see the roll out (depending on the size of the table, where they are sitting, etc).

I bought the box (about $5), two sheets of craft foam ($1.25 each) and one sheet of a felt-like cloth ($.50).  I lined the inside walls and bottom with foam (glued with a PVA white glue, like Elmer's) and then lined the bottom with felt.  Total project costs = $7 because I already had white glue.  You can, if you want, remove the lid from the woodbox and turn it into a tray.

[Staggerwing]

^Jack, that is exactly what I was thinking. I found some cheap boxes on Amazon that came in yesterday. I got a few different sizes to try out. Now I have to wait for the felt to arrive. AFA the lid, I was thinking of glueing a small block of wood or some kind of knob to the outside as a prop so that the lid will sit flat when all the way open. That way it can be used as a place to store the extra dice or to keep track of rolls or chits for those games with lots and lots of them. Also less stress on the tiny screw holes for the hinges.