Crokinole Board

Build your own set. For the love of play.

A round wooden flicking board with a recessed center hole, eight pegs, and painted scoring rings. Doable for a confident woodworker with a router and patience over a weekend or two: medium difficulty.

Materials

1/2 inch or 3/4 inch Baltic birch plywood or a glued-up hardwood panel for the playing surface (at least 27 inch square)
Hardwood for the raised outer rim and the ditch wall (maple, cherry, or oak strips work well)
3/8 inch hardwood dowel for the 8 pegs (maple dowel is ideal)
Wood glue
Fine sandpaper (120, 180, 220 grit) and 0000 steel wool
Hard paste wax or a slick film finish (shellac or lacquer), plus oil or stain for the rim if you want contrast
Acrylic paint or a fine permanent marker for the scoring lines, plus a compass or trammel
Powdered shuffleboard wax or paste wax to make the surface fast
Optional: 24 wooden discs at 1 1/4 inch diameter and 3/8 inch thick, or buy a set of regulation discs

Cut list

1 playing surface: 26 inch (66 cm) diameter circle, flat and smooth
1 ditch ring: a 2 inch (51 mm) wide gutter around the playing surface, bringing the outer diameter to about 30 inch (76 cm)
1 raised rim: 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide lip around the outer edge, total board diameter about 30.5 inch (77.5 cm)
1 center 20-hole: 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) diameter, recessed 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep
8 pegs from 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) dowel, standing about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (12.7 to 19 mm) proud of the surface (builder's choice, there is no official peg height), set evenly on the 8 inch ring
Scoring rings (diameters from center): 8 inch (20.3 cm) for the 15 zone, 16 inch (40.6 cm) for the 10 zone, 24 inch (61 cm) for the 5 zone; line width about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm)
24 discs (if making your own): 1 1/4 inch (3.2 cm) diameter, 3/8 inch (0.9 cm) thick, 12 of one color and 12 of another

Steps

Cut your playing surface to a true 26 inch (66 cm) circle. A router on a trammel arm gives you the cleanest edge and a perfect center point. Mark and keep that center point, you will use it for everything.
Rout or drill the center 20-hole: 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) across and exactly 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep, with a flat bottom and a slightly rounded lip so discs drop in clean.
Build the ditch and rim. Surround the 26 inch surface with a 2 inch (51 mm) wide recessed gutter, then cap the outer edge with a 1/4 inch (6 mm) raised rim. The ditch catches discs that slide off, the rim keeps them from flying onto the floor.
From the center, scribe your three scoring rings: 8 inch, 16 inch, and 24 inch diameter. Keep the lines thin, about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), with a compass and a fine marker or a steady brush of acrylic.
Mark 8 evenly spaced points on the 8 inch (15 point) ring, 45 degrees apart. Drill 3/8 inch holes and glue in your dowel pegs, standing about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (12.7 to 19 mm) proud of the surface. Leave clean gaps between them so a disc can still thread into the 20-hole.
Sand the whole playing surface progressively to 220 grit, then knock it down with 0000 steel wool until it is glassy. Flatness and smoothness are everything here.
Finish the surface for speed, not grip. A few thin coats of shellac or lacquer buffed smooth, or a hard paste wax, both work. Avoid anything tacky or rubbery.
Wax the playing field with powdered shuffleboard wax or paste wax until discs glide fast and true. Finish the rim with oil or stain for a nice contrast and you are done.

Notes

Two things make or break a crokinole board: a dead-flat, fast surface and a center hole at the right depth. Keep the 20-hole at 1/4 inch deep so discs settle flat and clearly score. Cut the rings true from a single fixed center point so your peg circle and scoring zones stay concentric. Discs ride best at 1 1/4 inch diameter and 3/8 inch thick. Sand and wax more than you think you need to: the surface should feel like ice, not wood. The ditch and raised rim are not optional, they keep play clean and catch the inevitable overshoots.

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