Carrom Board

Build your own set. For the love of play.

A flat plywood board with rounded corner pockets and a tall rebound frame: a satisfying weekend woodworking build, moderate difficulty, roughly one to two days plus finishing time.

Materials

• Birch or marine plywood for the playing surface, at least 8mm thick (12mm is the tournament feel)
• Hardwood for the frame: maple, oak, or any tight-grain wood, milled to about 6.35cm to 7.6cm wide (2.5in to 3in)
• Wood glue and a handful of small brads or finish nails
• A thin sheet of plywood or hardboard for the closed back (gives the frame something to nail to and keeps the board flat)
• Wood filler for the corner pockets and any nail holes
• Fine sandpaper: 220 grit and up, plus 400 for the final pass
• Clear gloss polyurethane or lacquer for the surface (you want it slick)
• Carrom powder (boric acid powder) to dust the surface so coins glide
• A drafting compass, ruler, and a fine black paint pen or thin masking tape for the lines and circles
• 29 wooden coins/discs and one striker: turn them or buy a coin set if you do not have a lathe

Cut list

• 1 playing surface: 73.5cm to 74cm square (about 29in x 29in), plywood at least 8mm thick (the ICF minimum). Many tournament boards run a thicker 12mm for feel, but that is shop practice, not a rule
• 1 back panel: same outer footprint as the assembled frame, thin plywood or hardboard
• 4 frame rails: hardwood about 6.35cm to 7.6cm wide (2.5in to 3in) and roughly 18mm to 25mm tall, mitered at 45 degrees so the inner opening matches the playing surface
• 4 corner pockets cut into the inside corners: round inwardly, 4.45cm diameter (1.75in)
• 9 coins per color (18 total), white and black, diameter 3.02cm to 3.18cm (1.19in to 1.25in), thickness 7mm to 9mm
• 1 queen coin, red, same diameter and thickness as the other coins
• 1 striker, smooth and round, diameter no more than 4.13cm (1.63in), weighing no more than 15g

Steps

1. Cut the playing surface square to 73.5cm to 74cm. Sand it baby smooth, working up through the grits. This surface is the whole game, so take your time here.
2. Cut your four hardwood frame rails and miter the ends at 45 degrees so the inside opening matches the playing surface exactly.
3. Before assembling, cut a 4.45cm (1.75in) diameter rounded pocket into each inside corner. Cut it round inwardly into the frame, not bulging outward. A hole saw or a drilled hole cleaned up with a round file works great.
4. Glue and nail the frame rails around the playing surface. Keep everything dead flat and square as it dries. The frame should sit a little proud of the surface so coins rebound off the inside wall.
5. Attach the thin back panel across the bottom to lock the frame and surface together and keep the board from warping.
6. Fill nail holes and smooth the pocket edges with filler, then sand everything flush.
7. Lay out the lines with your compass and ruler: a 17cm diameter outer circle centered on the board, a 3.18cm centre circle in the middle, two base lines down each side closed by 3.18cm base circles at the ends, and the four corner arrows pointing at the pockets. Paint them thin and black.
8. Seal and finish the playing surface with several coats of clear gloss, sanding lightly between coats and finishing with 400 grit so it is glassy. A slick surface is everything.
9. Dust the finished surface with carrom powder before you play so the coins and striker glide. Set the 19 coins in a circle with the red queen in the center and go.

Notes

The surface is the soul of this build, so chase smoothness and flatness above all else. Verified ICF/Indian Carrom Federation regulation numbers: board 73.5cm to 74cm square (about 29in), playing surface at least 8mm thick, frame 6.35cm to 7.6cm wide (2.5in to 3in), corner pockets 4.45cm (1.75in) diameter cut round inwardly, outer circle 17cm diameter, centre and base circles 3.18cm diameter. Coins are 3.02cm to 3.18cm diameter and 7mm to 9mm thick. The striker is no more than 4.13cm diameter and no more than 15g. Keep the frame height modest so the striker rebounds cleanly and never pops over the wall. Finish slick, dust with powder, and you will have a board that plays like a real one.

Made with love by Moehr Games. Build it, play it, pass it on.