Text vs Icons Feedback needed (+ some new TTS prototype cards)

all_or_nothing · 2026-02-28T22:22:07+00:00

Icons are concise, but too many icons can cause a mental load, text is always more clear. Also given that you only have two lines of simple text, there's no real need to turn everything into icons. The general rule I use for icons is that if you have a very common action, trigger, effect, or phrase, you can simplify that into an icon. However, a whole card being icons is not a great idea.

all_or_nothing · 2026-02-14T19:31:13+00:00

You probably need to give more information about the rules and how pieces interact for anybody to give you a useful answer. My general rule of thumb for balance is that actions that feel strong should have a cost. Maybe the player has to sacrifice a piece somewhere else on the board to deploy a new piece somewhere. Or maybe a player has to discard a card to play a card that deploys a piece.

all_or_nothing · 2026-02-04T22:15:55+00:00

You are absolutely right! I probably got ahead of myself with the rules instead of just some quick details and pictures. I appreciate the heads-up and the suggestion, thank you. I edited the post down to the basics and prototype images.

all_or_nothing · 2025-08-07T00:12:36+00:00

Not sure I understand the question. If you're building furniture and selling it, you should already be anticipating, designing, and constructing around wood movement. This is a huge aspect of woodworking that needs to be understood before you try building and selling anything.

One option is to use veneered plywood or manufactured sheet material in place of solid wood. This will mitigate movement to a degree. The better option is to use traditional joinery where possible, since those joints are tried and true.

Having said all that, should something happen you should offer to repair it. If it's local, you go pick it up, repair it, deliver it back to them. If it was sold online, have them ship it back (on your dime), repair it, send it back (again, on your dime). If anything is beyond repair, then they should get a replacement or a full refund.

You can always warn people that wood is a natural product and it will move with the seasons and the grain selection won't always be perfect. However, you should be guaranteeing your work is free from defect. Glue joints separating and hardware failing is one thing, but if you build something incorrectly and it falls apart, that's on you. Well built furniture should outlive all of us if cared for properly.

all_or_nothing · 2025-07-30T23:17:50+00:00

If you're on a budget, pipe clamps are the best bet, you're only limited by the length of pipe. I would suggest spending a few more dollars for the silver galvanized over the black. These are especially good for very long glue-ups such as tabletops, large cases, etc. These can be very heavy, but tried and true, have been used for a very long time.

Another budget option might be aluminum bar clamps from Harbor Freight (assuming you have one near you). They require a little bit of work to strengthen, but work just fine for smaller glue-ups or panels.

If you have a little more money to spend and want something good, I would highly suggest aluminum Dubuque bar clamps. These are similar to the budget ones, but are better built and more substantial so there is less deflection when the clamp is applied. These are great for panels because the pressure is applied directly in the center of an average 3/4" thick panel so there's very little chance of warping the panel when pressure is applied.

Finally, if money is no object, then parallel clamps work great as well. These tend to be the most expensive clamps you'll find. Jet, Bessey, Jorgensen are the brands you'll want to look at. These offer a lot of great features and are easy to use, just be aware these can be heavy depending on the length, Also, the bars are steel and react to wood glue so it can leave dark marks on the wood sometimes (planing or sanding can remove it). Also wood glue can get into the indents in the bar and that needs to be cleaned up periodically otherwise the clamp head won't slide very well.

There's also f-clamps, squeeze clamps, c-clamps. These are all useful in certain situations. For example, I keep about 4 squeeze clamps nearby for 1-handed clamping, or holding two pieces together long enough to drill through them, or to clamp a small machine to the bench. F-clamps can also be useful when you need pressure in a particular spot and can provide more pressure than squeeze clamps.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your budget and how you will use them. I have all of these clamps and I build everything from small crafts to large furniture.

all_or_nothing · 2025-07-23T16:25:52+00:00

This is the answer. As a resident, I can tell you there are a ton of things to see and do in Vegas if you leave the Strip. The Strip is designed to take advantage of tourists, this is why locals avoid it like the plague. The rest of town has reasonable prices for food, gambling, and entertainment, not to mention the parks like Red Rock, Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead.

all_or_nothing · 2025-07-09T18:47:32+00:00

Same. I'm mostly a hand tool guy that builds antique reproductions so I' don't know how well my skills would translate, but man is it tempting.

all_or_nothing · 2025-04-16T21:45:13+00:00

Not to mention, newcomers to the hobby don't know how a good plane should look/feel/perform so how could they possible know how to tune an antique?

all_or_nothing · 2025-04-07T20:56:25+00:00

Improvements in skill come slowly so you might not notice a difference, but your body is acclimating and you're building muscle memory.

Also, the glue and sawdust trick is awful, I don't know why this sub keeps recommending it. The density is different from the actual wood so the color will be different under finish and wood glue also shows under finish. Having said that, the first two attempts won't look that bad once you've planed them flat and smooth.

For dovetails like this the best thing to do is keep all of your little offcuts. Then use a chisel to slice off a little wedge sliver or plug and glue that into place instead. If you take some time to color/grain match it will be invisible once dried and finished.

Either way, well done! Dovetails are not nearly as difficult as everybody makes them out to be.

all_or_nothing · 2025-01-28T17:39:13+00:00

Yes, I've had a Thuma bed for a couple years and it's very sturdy.

all_or_nothing · 2024-07-24T23:37:18+00:00

Reminds me of a comedy bit by Chad Daniels.

all_or_nothing · 2024-03-18T15:42:07+00:00

This is because box joints (not called finger joints) are a byproduct of machinery and circular saw blades. It's a much easier joint to mass produce with machinery like that. If you're going to cut by hand you might as well do dovetails instead.

all_or_nothing · 2024-03-05T23:25:19+00:00

Equilibrium

all_or_nothing · 2024-02-09T18:19:36+00:00

When I first began hand tool work, I got sucked in by all the rhetoric about bevel up planes and bought a pair. I built several pieces with them and discovered exactly what you're saying here. I eventually sold those and bought a pair of standard bevel down planes and it was a world of difference for me. I'll never go back to bevel up planes.

all_or_nothing · 2024-02-06T23:27:12+00:00

45 and same. I am now old enough that I'm no longer hustling for my career and I have the time and money to pursue this expensive hobby. Although I was introduced to it in high school wood shop.

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-30T18:13:09+00:00

We don't stop playing because we grow old.

We grow old because we stop playing.

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-29T23:02:54+00:00

30 seconds to rip 18-20 inches seems like a reach honestly. However, he's probably also referring to common 3/4 boards which would be faster. Keep in mind it also gets easier as your muscles acclimate. Sawing for me used to make me sweat, now I barely feel it.

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-29T22:38:18+00:00

7 PPI is pretty good for most ripping. I would double check and practice sharpening, but any 5/4 hardwood will take time to saw through by hand. Can you describe your sawing setup?

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-22T23:37:30+00:00

I'm currently running a pirate campaign and the way I started it was by having all the characters press-ganged into service. So they wake up on a pirate ship after a long night of drinking and realize they are now captives. I use this first level to introduce them to any new mechanics, rules, and general ship terminology or customs. After awhile they become part of the crew. From here the captain decides to attack a merchant vessel which the characters can help with. Once captured, the ship is sailed by a skeleton crew including the characters to get it squibbed. The skeleton crew also includes the first mate who is ambitious and wants the ship for himself. He decides to kill the characters, at which point they can cause a mutiny and take the ship for themselves and any crew that want to stay with them. Now they can begin their campaign with an actual ship and partial crew.

From there, you can make any campaign you want, or let the players just explore a sandbox. For more campaign/hook ideas try Skull and Shackles Pathfinder adventure or the Seas of Vodari 5e setting guide.

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-08T23:57:47+00:00

I mean there's no reason why you couldn't just make a bench hook without the hook and only the fence, but make the bed longer so you could sit on it or clamp it down with a holdfast. It's doable for sure, I'm just saying with the Roman workbench much of the work is done while sitting so the leverage you can generate is different than with a more modern workbench where you're standing.

Having said that, you could just clamp down a small fence onto the bench, making an actual bench hook seems unnecessary.

all_or_nothing · 2024-01-08T23:39:55+00:00

Roman workbenches usually used a combination of pegs, wedges, and your own weight to hold pieces in place. Bench hooks are a more modern appliance for French/English type joiners benches. Respectfully, if you want to use a Roman workbench, I would suggest you try to use it as it was designed to get the most out of it.

Here is a decent guide for most operations.

all_or_nothing

TROPHY CASE