Carrom is a simple, elegant game played with discs. The board can be made of any flat surface, but here I’ll describe what is carrom. You will also learn about how to set up a carrom board from scratch.
Carrom is a board game popular in many parts of the world, especially in India. The game is played with small disks called carrom men and a larger striker disk. The game object is to use the striker disk to strike the carrom men into the four corner pockets of the board.
A carrom board is a fun, easy-to-learn game that people of all ages can enjoy. A new game to add to your collection or try something different; carrom is an excellent option. Setting up a carrom board is quick and easy, and in this blog post, we’ll show you how.
Carrom Board Game Definition
Table of Contents
It is a tabletop game like billiards. This game involves hitting disks with a striker to get them into pockets. The pocketed disks are worth different points according to the type of disk being pocketed.
Manufacturers can make these tiles or wedges from wood, plastic, or metal, and the material used will impact the weight and feel of the carrom board.
The Indian Carrom Company was established in 1909 by Ghulam Muhammad Sadiq in Dabhel, Gujarat state, India. He saw a young boy playing marbles on a wooden floor and decided that a special board would be more suitable for this popular traditional game.
His first product was an eight-pocket board with incised markings as pockets. The disks represented by these early manufacturers were made of wood and painted red and black on one side.
In 1948, Muhammad Sherif took over the company from his father and improved on the design to include nine pockets instead of eight, a technique still in use today. At this time, he also added another outer circle on the carrom board for shooting practice.
By 1951, the first non-wooden disks – plastic disks – were being utilized for improved durability of play. These new disk colors included orange, pink, yellow, and blue, which made it easier for people to distinguish between players and allowed manufacturers to expand their color schemes, and increased interest in the game.
How to Set Up a Carrom Board
You will need some plywood, paint, or varnish (or both), and a glue gun for the carrom setup. One color should be the color you’re going to paint, and another color should be used as a border (and possibly corner pieces if you want them). Think of using blue for that purpose because it seems like a good idea at the time.
You can make any size square, such as 10cm x 10 cm (4″ x 4″). It’s probably best to keep them reasonably small (10cm / 4″), or your carroms might be a little challenging to get out of the squares.
First Step:
Cut four pieces of plywood, one for each side of the square. Make sure you’re using good-quality plywood because it’s going to get much pounding from the discs. You may use skinny plywood like these processes, but thicker stuff will make a stronger board.
Second Step:
Drill four holes in each board slightly larger than your screws (in my method, use drywall screws). The boards should fit together with no gaps between them. But if you screw things together and find problems, later, it may be easier to make another cut or two with your jigsaw. Just keep taking small cuts until everything fits nicely; gluing it all up is the last step.
Each board should sit about 1/4″ away from the next, allowing for some paint around them; this will let room to slide the discs into their holes without interference. The distance that you drill your screws will depend on the distance separating your squares. The distance between this method is 8cm (3-1/8″).
Third Step:
Make sure you know exactly where each of the four corners of one square is by using a sharpie or marker to make marks on each of the boards where they meet. This will help when you get to painting since any errant strokes can be corrected with another coat if necessary. Indicate which edge belongs in front of the square with an arrow to know which side is the top.
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Fourth Step:
Once the board is assembled and prepped for painting, you can block off one square at a time and put blue painter’s tape over the lines so you wouldn’t paint them. You can use any color tape because we’ll be covering it with paint later on anyway. You may choose to leave the lines unpainted or use a solid color that doesn’t need to be taped off yet. It depends on your competence and your level of confidence. It is easier to enter all those corners and nooks when you use a darker color.
Fifth Step:
Paint your squares in whatever fashion pleases you; let them dry completely before removing them from their frames. If any square gets black residue on them when you remove the tape, rub it off with your fingers.
Sixth Step:
Screw each square to its counterpart on the next board once your squares are painted. There will be no space between them. Make sure all four corners have screws in them since this is where they will need to be most rigid. Then screw the entire thing together at the top edge, so it’s permanent and doesn’t come apart when somebody slams carrom into it.
Final Step:
Use another layer or two of paint to protect your work from spills (and provide an exciting color scheme). You can cover the lines for a more classic look but leave them visible in some spots for effect; let your imagination run wild! You may get a carrom board by searching where to buy carrom board near me.
Now you’ve got a beautiful classic carrom board to pass down through the generations; I will not tell if you don’t (or do). That’s all about what is carrom and how to set up a carrom board!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can we use face powder for the carrom board?
- No, face powder is not a good choice for a carrom board. Still, if you want to sprinkle some face powder, it may work but damage the carrom board soon.
- Can I use baby powder for the carrom board?
- Yes, you can use baby powder to help keep your carrom board clean and dry. This type of powder is made with corn starch which is healthy. Now, sprinkle some baby powder and use your dry hands to buff the board.
- Can I use talcum powder in carrom?
- Yes, you can use talcum powder to help the pieces slide more easily on the board.
Robert Scott is an expert in dice games. His favorite game is Yahtzee and obviously loves to try new dice games on his lawn. You would love to know how his skills and knowledge can make you a better dice player. Of course, Scott’s explanation of gameplay differs from other traditional game wikis.