What in the world did I get myself into?

First of all, if anyone is viewing this that has never played Settlers of Catan - CHECK IT OUT

Catan is a fantastic board game that I've been playing with various groups of friends for a few years.  Oddly enough, I had never actually owned the game myself.  My friend Ben recently received the latest version as a gift, and we started playing it again.  I have to say I was disappointed with the construction of the most recent version - it just didn't fit together well.  For whatever reason I was compelled to discover a way to find a better version of the game or improve upon the construction of the board.

I assumed there had to be a sturdier version of the board available.  Many game companies put out special wooden editions, which would be the perfect solution. Mayfair Games has indeed put out special editions, both a wooden and 3d version.  They looked to be pricey and scarce.  While I was searching, I found a different, more interesting solution.  Many people had similar complaints, and went about creating their own solutions.  Some used magnets or glue to attach pieces to a sturdier surface or painting the pieces on plexiglass or wooden hexes.  Many others created their own pieces out of clay and resin.

The last option was appealing to me.  For whatever reason, I wanted to try it.  I've never done anything remotely similar to this, so it's going to be a complete learning experience.

The first step was research - it turns out several people have done this, and have posted pretty outstanding guides.  Without them, I'd have not the slightest idea where to begin.

Scurvy Jake has an extremely detailed guide and a gorgeous board.

 

Dave Becker posted a four-part guide to the entire process, and provides links to many similar projects, making it a one stop shop for inspiration.

Finally, Kevin Sims has taken the entire project one step further (or likely thousands of steps).  In addition to making a truly beautiful board, he's constructed wooden cases for all of his pieces as well as a massive chest to hold his entire collection.

If my board looks anywhere near half as good as any of these, I'll be ecstatic.