DIY Marble Toss Game | Pretty Handy Girl
, , , , , , , ,

Building a DIY Marble Toss Game with Dremel Fortiflex

DIY Marble Toss Game | Pretty Handy Girl

The summer is dragging on and the kids don’t have any summer camps for the next few weeks. That means: 1) I need to find a way to keep the kids entertained. 2) I need to keep them from pushing me over the brink of insanity. 3) I need to keep them from pushing each other off a cliff.

engraved-marble-toss

I came up with a fun marble toss game that will keep them busy. It was an easy game to make and I used some of the scrap wood laying around my workshop. Feel free to substitute materials and make modifications.

I enjoyed using the Dremel Fortiflex to carve the intricate letters and numbers. I have to admit I’m enjoying working as a brand ambassador for Dremel and testing their tools.

Let’s get your marble game face on!

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

Optional: White pin stripes

Cut list:

  • 1 – 1/4″ x 10.5″ x 24.5″ plywood (face)
  • 1 – 1/2″ x 23″ x 9.25″ plywood (for side supports)
  • 2 – 1×3″ cut to 8.5″ (for base supports)
  • 1 – 2×4″ cut to 8.5″ (for upper support)

Tools Used:

Instructions:

Begin by drawing a horizontal line across the 1/2″ plywood.

mark-triangle-half

The angle will be approximately 22Ëšdegrees.

22-degrees

Use the Dremel Ultra-Saw (jig saw or circular saw) to cut your plywood board in half diagonally.

cut-on-line-ultra-saw

You should have two identical triangles for the side supports.

split-plywood

Trace or draw progressively smaller circles on the 1/4″ plywood board. Use a Dremel Trio to make quick cuts around the traced holes. Alternatively you can drill a hole on the edge of a circle and insert a jig saw blade to cut the circles.

cut-holes-TRIO

Time to break out the Dremel Fortiflex and have some fun! Find a sturdy location to hang the mounting bracket for the Dremel Fortiflex motor. Ideally you want it high enough to hold most of the weight of the shaft, but still give you enough room to move the tool around your work surface.

dremel-forti-flex-set-up

The Fortiflex is a precision rotary tool that fits in your hand and is controlled by a foot pedal. The tool responds to the slightest pressure changes from the foot pedal.

depress-foot-petal

Print out your letters on the computer. Rub pencil on the backside of the print out. Position the words on the face of the game and trace around the letters with a ball point pen.

press-pen-transfer

Remove the paper to reveal the outline transfer.

pencil-transfer

Be sure the Dremel Fortiflex is unplugged. Use the chuck key to tighten the chuck around a small engraving tip.

attach-dremel-bit

Plug in the Fortiflex and turn it on. Depress the foot pedal and outline your letters with the small engraving tip. Next add number values for your holes. (I randomly chose 50, 100, 250 and 500 for the values.)

etching-marble-toss

Change to a larger engraving bit to fill in the letters.

bevel-circle-edges

The sanding bit works beautifully to clean up the circles and sand a slight bevel around the edges.

sand-hole-edges

Paint a stroke around the circles and paint your score numbers.

paint-board

While the face is drying, paint the side supports and the 2×4 with chalkboard paint.

chalkboard-paint

Paint the sides of the face with 1.5″ bands of chalkboard paint for score keeping. Use painter’s tape for perfectly straight lines.

paint-side-stripe

Add white pin striping if you desire.

Assembling the Marble Toss Game:

Insert a small drill bit into the Fortiflex. Layout the 1×3 boards on the base of the game.

Slide the front 1×3 back until it sits flush with or below the top of the side support. Line the second 1×3 up with the back of the side supports. Notice the location of the 2×4 support just below the top of the side supports:

DIY Marble Toss Game | Pretty Handy Girl

Pre-drill holes into the side supports. Drive screws through the holes and into the 1×3 and 2×4 boards.

pre-drill-holes

The assembled sides and supports should look like this:

attach-top-support

Run a bead of wood glue onto the top of the side supports.

glue-on-top-rails

Lay the face onto the side supports and center it from side to side. Secure the face with finish nails.

DIY Marble Toss Game | Pretty Handy Girl

Putty the holes and touch them up with chalkboard paint.

putty-paint-holes

Time to play a game! Each player takes turns tossing all the marbles through the holes (one at a time.)

Marble-toss

The other player marks chalk marks next to the holes as each marble goes in.

tossing-marble

 

After both players have tossed all the marbles, tally up the totals to see who earned the most points.

DIY Marble Toss Game | Pretty Handy Girl

This is a great way for your kids to practice their addition.

top-view-marble-toss

Have them repeat until it’s time for dinner. (LOL, a handy girl can dream, right?!) What are you doing to keep your kids busy for the rest of the summer?

You can also find more projects showcasing the Dremel Fortiflex on DremelWeekends.com. Finally, for more information and videos, visit  the Dremel website.

PHGFancySign

Disclosure: As a brand ambassador for Dremel and a #DremelMaker, I was provided with the Dremel Fortiflex to use for a project and product review. I was also compensated for my time, but I was not told what to write or what project to complete. All opinions and ideas are mine. As always, I am very particular about the tools and products I chose to work with and will always let you know the details of my involvement with a brand.

 

 

8 replies
  1. Chloe
    Chloe says:

    Just desire to say your article is as astonishing.
    The clarity in your submit is just nice and that i could assume you are knowledgeable in this
    subject. Well with your permission let me to snatch your feed to stay updated with impending post.
    Thanks a million and please keep up the gratifying work.

    Reply
  2. Suz
    Suz says:

    This is just so cool! You do such fun things! We are outside all the time and play some really antique board games. I even bought marbles for a home made game I got at a garage sale. We just make up silly games sometimes.

    Reply
  3. Hitler ( Gay man 2026 Arbor Crest Ct, Charlotte, NC 28262 )
    Hitler ( Gay man 2026 Arbor Crest Ct, Charlotte, NC 28262 ) says:

    Hello from paradise! Anyway, I can swim all year long! Anyway, enjoy Lake Norman! HA HA HA! So, I bought a Dremel and used it in a way I would never think about using it. There was a murder at my home committed by the City of Charlotte, North Caroline! They ripped the door off our home and murdered John Clawson! TRUTH!!! I decided at that point to leave the east coast and move out of North America! The CMPD is crazy they wanted the items in our home for some reason! I destroyed almost everything with the Dremel! I went through a bunch of circular blades! I enjoyed cutting the legs of the patio furniture! The patio furniture was removed from the curve by someone! Good luck using chairs with legs missing! HA HA HA!!!! I am looking forward to Charlotte, NC going bankrupt!!! HA HA HA!!!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.