| Project by Brian Shourd | posted 479 days ago | 1509 views | 17 times favorited | 10 comments |  |
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This is a basic dice tower that I made for this Winter’s woodworking competition here on LJs.
For those of you unfamiliar with what a dice tower is, it’s just a pillar with some tumbling platforms in it that you throw dice into. The dice clatter through the tower, then spill out the bottom, effectively randomized. The main reason that you would use one is to keep the dice in a convenient location, so they don’t spill across the board game, or tumble off the table (and then there is the nice argument about whether it counts on the ground or not). Here is a video of this one, so you can better see (and hear) it in action:
If there is one thing that I’ve noticed, it’s that kids love these things. It has a nice theme, in that it looks somewhat like a castle, which is fun. There is the randomness of the dice, and of course, the clickity-clack sounds.
I’d be lying if I said this was only for my daughter, though. She’s actually much too young to play with dice, but our weekly gaming group will get some good use out of it until she is old enough.
The wood used is (I believe) quarter-sawn sycamore. This was my first time working with sycamore, and I found it very pleasant to use. The grain is completely unlike any other wood I’ve used before, and it looks more like little cells than it does like usual wood grain. I hope you can see some of that in these pictures.
Thanks for looking!
-- Brian
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10 comments so far
a1Jim
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87330 posts in 1749 days
#1 posted 479 days ago
Unique project very well done.
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
DaddyT
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#2 posted 479 days ago
This would be cool for the Magic the gathering game!! Well done! I had never heard of one of these things
-- Jimi _ Measure twice, cut once.......@#%#$@!!!......measure twice, cut....
marter1229
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#3 posted 479 days ago
What a great idea!
-- It's all fun, Terry******N. Idaho
BTimmons
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#4 posted 479 days ago
I know some D&D nerds that would love to get their hands on something like that.
-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.
xwingace
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#5 posted 479 days ago
It’s nerdtastic, I love it!
-- I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.
Brian Shourd
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#6 posted 479 days ago
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Nerdy is the name of the game in this household.
-- Brian
Maveric777
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#7 posted 479 days ago
Weird how Nerd has turned cool now a days. Heck.. I love woodwork, Harleys, video games, and beer… Guess that makes me 1/4 nerd! Woot! <~~~ Nerd word I use a lot meaning I’m excited…lol
All kidding aside I think this is a killer project! In fact my very best friend still gets together with a group and plays D&D on a regular basis. I may have to use your idea as a big surprise gift for my bro… Very cool!
Thanks for sharing!
-- Dan ~ Texarkana, Tx.
Bryan_M
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45 posts in 1215 days
#8 posted 479 days ago
Nice job! I’m a D&D nerd and have built a few similar towers for myself and my friends. People do love them. The one I built for myself can be cheated though…bwaahahahahaha! :)
oskarman
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30 posts in 482 days
#9 posted 478 days ago
very cool idea and even better execution.
clieb91
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#10 posted 478 days ago
Great build I like the styling of the castle. I built my whole group rolling trays to use. Have not tackled the tower yet, but maybe.
CtL
-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."
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