How to Build a Cribbage Board
Cribbage dates back to the 17th century. According to the American Cribbage Congress, an English poet, John Suckling, is credited with inventing and naming the game.The game is believed to have evolved from an earlier game called Noddy. English settlers packed their cribbage boards when they came to settle in America and the game has grown in popularity. While you can keep score with pencil and paper, you need a cribbage board to play the game properly. Cribbage boards are available in many different shapes and sizes, but they all reflect the same total 121 points required to win a game.
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Things You'll Need
- Block of wood 5/8 inch thick
- 1/8 inch brad-point drill bit
- Drill press or hand drill
- Transparent tape
- Wood awl
- Sandpaper: 80, 180 and 240 grit
- Polyurethane
Instructions
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1
Design the layout of the cribbage board you want to make and prepare a 1-to-1 scale drawing. A very basic two-player board will have two rows of 30 holes on each side, plus a short row in the center of the board with four holes. More elaborate boards will accommodate four players by having four rows on each side as opposed to two rows. Another popular design is the racetrack layout that has all 120 holes running clockwise around the board. With this design only one row is required per player.
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Transfer your layout to the block of wood by taping the layout to the wood. Use clear tape so you can see the details of the layout. Use a wood awl and punch a pilot hole through your layout into the wood. The pilot hole will help you position your drill bit so make sure that the awl makes an adequate indentation. Make sure all holes are marked before removing the layout.
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3
Drill all holes 3/8 inch deep using a drill press or hand drill and a 1/8 inch brad-point drill bit. The spurred cutting head of the brad-point drill bit will minimize splintering and give you a clean hole. If you use a hand drill, put masking tape around the drill so you can easily see when you are 3/8 inch deep. If you are using a drill press, set the stop so you cannot go deeper than 3/8 inch. On a drill press, you can also clamp a wood guide to the drilling table so you only have to move the wood horizontally when you move to the next hole.
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Sand off all sharp edges along the top and bottom of the board starting with your 80-grit sandpaper. The rounded edges will show less wear and tear. Sand the flat surfaces to a smooth finish starting with an 80-grit and gradually moving up to 240-grit sandpaper
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Wipe the board clean with a soft cloth and vacuum out the holes to eliminate any loose sawdust. Paint the board with a self-sealing polyurethane. Allow at least 24 hours and sand with a 240-grit sandpaper to remove any obvious blemishes. Paint a second coat of polyurethane.
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Tips & Warnings
If possible use hardwood such as oak or maple. It will withstand wear better and the grain will add character to your board.
Cribbage pegs are available from many sources online. If you would like to make your own, 8-gauge copper wire sanded down on one end and painted with acrylic paint on the other, makes great pegs.
If you have to use a hand drill, be careful to ensure that the holes are drilled straight, with the drill held perpendicular to the wood.
