@EnglishImperialist
Sure, just on a very practical level, getting a piece of vinyl and your magnet, take them to home depot and thest them on the metal you’re considering.
I didn’t much like the standard magnets and went with the rare earth type. Strength 35 is good, but 55 us great. I really like strong magnets for every thing but the chips, it’s nice to have a weaker magnet on those. I really like on ebay the 12mm x 0.5mm N52 Strong Round Disc Rare Earth Neodymium Very Thin Magnet.
It became a more expensive project than I anticipated, but still happy I did it. I ended up getting multiple copies of the game, then lots of loose used pieces and ordering bulk from websites, then magnitizing all those pieces…it was a lot, but a fun process. Because it’s in my living room, I tend to get decals and paint…it’s a fun hobby.
I spent a lot of effort cutting down my metal sheets to the size of the game, but I was thankful I had some leftover metal surface, it’s nice being able to put spare pieces, chips, and markers underneath the map.
A small glue gun is an important purchase. You’ll want to be able to control a small amount of hot glue while magnitizing the pieces.
One thing I’ve always wondered is if the Axis and Allies community has a standard for magnet orientation. It won’t matter until you try to put a plane on an aircraft carrier, or on a chip. Mine are standardized to my house, but what if I ever wanted to buy a customized magnetized piece…?
For magnets, I talked about the chips earlier.
I really appreciated having a craft/sewing ruler ($1 at walmart), it helped me plan ahead for magnet purchases, but these are what I liked…
12mm x 0.5mm disc for chips
3mm x 1mm Disc for fighters and tac bombers.
10mm x 1mm Disc for infantry originally
8mm x 1mm Disc for tanks, infantry, AA guns, and are just a bit wider than a cruiser
3-4mm wide x 2mm tall disc for hollow aircraft carriers.
4mmx 4mm Disc (set for each) for aircraft carrier that need drilling.
12mm x 1 mm Disc for flight stands and are just a bit wide for battleships.
3mm x 2mm x 1mm rectangle for strategic bombers.
10mm x 5mm x 1 mm rectangle I used on transports, many artillery, and mech infantry.
10 x 5 x 3 rectangle I have on destroyers.
10mm x 10mm x 1mm rectangle fit nicely inside or under factories, as well as custom air and naval yards.
20mm x 2mm x 2mm for submarines.
20mm x 10mm x 1mm are good for kamikaze markers.
Standard ceramic for nation markers, I like they are thick and easy to grab. Be aware, some are weaker than others.
This is just what I did, figuring all this out.
In retrospect, I do like that all the ships have different magnets, it helped me and friends identify which is what kind.
If I was doing this again, financially I’d probably put the 8mmx 1mm disc’s on most everything (except carriers and planes, and maybe chips). Just one big bulk rate purchase.
But again, get a mm ruler and see what’s good for you.
Enjoy!
