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How to make quick and easy Treasure counters


Big Ned

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Hey guys,

I’m back with another guide, this time is how to make a treasure counter for your games, mainly treasure hunt but you can use your imagination.

I know what you’re thinking:- “But Nate, I’ve not got time to make another counter, I’ve got to much painting/modelling/playing to do”.

Well I’ve got news for you, I timed how long it took me to make on of these and from drawing the pieces out to having an assembled and playable counter was 45 minutes. That’s what it took me, an experienced (Read: old) modeller but, I can’t see it taking anyone much longer.

Anyway, here’s what we’re aiming for at the end.

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What you’ll need for this is:-

A strip of 1mm plasticard or balsa wood, 6mm wide and at least 100mm long

A 30mm base

Right, I’m going to assume that you’re using plasticard like I did, if you’re using balsa wood then there’s some steps you can skip.

Step 1

First thing you need to do is texture the plasticard on one side. This is easy enough, all you need to do is get a fine tooth saw and drag the strip across it a few times, try give it a little bit of a wiggle as you pull it across as this will give a more natural look to the wood grain. If you have a couple of different sized saws (like I do) use more than one, again this adds to the variation and created a more natural look.

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Step 2

Now it’s time to start marking out the pieces. On the untextured side you need to draw out the following components for your treasure crate.

4x 20mm x 6mm

2x 4mm x 6mm

6x 8mm x 2mm

Here’s the most material efficient way of doing this.

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Step 3

Cut ‘em out

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Step 4

Next it’s time to start putting everything together.

Start by gluing down the base, if you line it up right, the bases of the crate should cover the slot in the base and eliminate the need for filling.

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Then glue the sides on

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Then the top

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Then the reinforcements, I recommend putting the side ones on before gluing the top ones into place.

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By now you should have a nice playable counter, leave it to dry for a little while and then come back and finish the base.

Step 5

Add sand/stones/whatever to the base to match your crew/board.

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Step 6

Prime and paint your counter however you like.

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And there you have it, a nice treasure counter for you games. As you can see it’s not going to break the bank and it’s not going to take away too much hobby time, probably 2 hrs tops. In fact, it took me nearly as long to write the guide!!!

Well there you have it. I hope this guide will be helpful to some of you.

If you liked this article and missed my previous one about making dynamite counters you can find it here.

http://www.wyrd-games.net/showthread.php?37873-Making-cheap-easy-and-effective-dynamite-counters-(A-step-by-step-guide)

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Thanks guys I'm glad you like it

What about a tutorial on making other types of crates?

For other crates it'd be mostly a case of altering the dimensions.

And I'd, instead of wrapping the reinforcment timbers around the midde, I'd glue them along the edges of the crate, and mitre the edges to look more authenitic.

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Thanks guys I'm glad you like it

For other crates it'd be mostly a case of altering the dimensions.

And I'd, instead of wrapping the reinforcment timbers around the midde, I'd glue them along the edges of the crate, and mitre the edges to look more authenitic.

I get that, but I'm having trouble visualizing the steps. That's why I asked.

Now to make an ultimite guide and make boxes full of TNT sticks. :P

That was the initial point of my question. I wanted to see boxes full of dynamite.

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Unmotivated in that it's a very low on the priority list for me, I'd prefer to just saw some resin crates in half, make them half-buried as tokens, and get to something that needs more attention. Like the 4 armies still left to paint and their bases (that's what the wood grain is for, magnetic Ramos bot bases). Or Infinity terrain. Or Malifaux terrain. Or other things :P

VVV: Well I do too, that's what large terrain is for :3

Edited by Pierzasty
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Now to make an ultimite guide and make boxes full of TNT sticks. :P

Beat you to it, I added that to my wifes Papa Loco model still need to upload the photos. It was really easy.

Back on topic though, I like that one but I believe the easiest way to make a treasure counter is to just use the ones from Reaper seen here mounted on an appropriate size base.

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Good little tutorial. I may try this one.

Stuff like this is good for a little project while you are waiting for paint to dry on a batch of minis or other bases, etc that you sanded to dry.

I tried the dynamite tutorial as well, but have not had a chance to grab fuse wire. They are in project limbo right now.

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Beat you to it, I added that to my wifes Papa Loco model still need to upload the photos. It was really easy.

Back on topic though, I like that one but I believe the easiest way to make a treasure counter is to just use the ones from Reaper seen here mounted on an appropriate size base.

Same as the easiest way to have a fully painted crew is to buy one from ebay. ;)

This guide is aimed at the hobbiest who likes to undertake little projects (< 2hrs start to finish), or for the newer gamer who never realised how easy this sort of thing actually is to do.

But, I do these projects because I enjoy doing them, I like the challenge of working out how to make something, then making it.

Most times I take something like this on I take photos of the steps along the way and I write a guide if it's a success and I think it could be iseful to others.

I guess it's comes from the fact I'm an old school gamer coming from a time where there was no pre-made terrain or tokens so everything had to be scratchbuilt. *shakes cane at youngsters*

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Same as the easiest way to have a fully painted crew is to buy one from ebay. ;)

This guide is aimed at the hobbiest who likes to undertake little projects (< 2hrs start to finish), or for the newer gamer who never realised how easy this sort of thing actually is to do.

But, I do these projects because I enjoy doing them, I like the challenge of working out how to make something, then making it.

Most times I take something like this on I take photos of the steps along the way and I write a guide if it's a success and I think it could be iseful to others.

I guess it's comes from the fact I'm an old school gamer coming from a time where there was no pre-made terrain or tokens so everything had to be scratchbuilt. *shakes cane at youngsters*

No offense intended. Scratch building is definitely a worth while and valuable part of the hobby unto itself.

A lot of people dont realize how easy things like this are, especially if you happen to have a good model train store near by.

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No offense intended. Scratch building is definitely a worth while and valuable part of the hobby unto itself.

A lot of people dont realize how easy things like this are, especially if you happen to have a good model train store near by.

None taken. I feel like scratchbuilding is a dying art, especially with all the firms offering premade stuff. I've got premade stuff myself (most of my Malifaux terrain is from Sarissa Precision), bit I still like to keep my oar in with little projects like this.

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------

Good little tutorial. I may try this one.

Stuff like this is good for a little project while you are waiting for paint to dry on a batch of minis or other bases, etc that you sanded to dry.

I tried the dynamite tutorial as well, but have not had a chance to grab fuse wire. They are in project limbo right now.

If it's fuse wire whoch is sticking the project, there should be nothing wrong with using a thick thread. supergluing it to the top of the dynamite. Then, when it's dry, painting PVA glue over the thread and twisting it into shape.

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Another option for texturing the "wood" is use a wire brush. This will give more variety to the "grain" and do away with the risk of uniform lines you get when using the saw blades. Thats way I distress the planks on my western buildings now.

If have a old kiwi shoe shining kit laying around, the brush from it is perfect.

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