Laminating All Overlays?

Joined
Apr 5, 2019
Messages
77
Reaction score
49
Country
llUnited States
I was wondering what people thought of laminating all overlays in the game. I was going to do it, and the wife even offered to cut them out but with the Plexiglas I think its overkill...right?
 

von Marwitz

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Messages
14,355
Reaction score
10,204
Location
Kraut Corner
Country
llUkraine
Personally, I play on the original boards without plexiglas cover and without any lamination. The same goes for overlays. To my taste, all these additions create extra glare which I dislike and, in case of plexiglass, make LOS checks more imprecise.

von Marwitz
 

Eagle4ty

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
6,913
Reaction score
5,094
Location
Eau Claire, Wi
Country
llUnited States
One of my buddies has done this as well as laminating his boards. It works like a champ and he is able to use normal scotch tape to fasten them to the boards. Personally I do not as I usually have a plexiglass cover over my maps and have found a nice double sided tape to adhere them to the boards with no adverse effects to either the boards or the overlays when removed (similar to a Post-It glue backing). The more people you meet in ASL you'll find they all have special idiosyncrasies that fit their view on playing the game and their kit. If it suits your needs and doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the game or ruin your kit, go ahead and proceed with your plan. I have found that most of the overlays are pretty sturdy and printed on decent paper and even an occasional scuff on the back side is rare (I don't use that side often anyway - though it's only been 30+ years of playing).
 

Mister T

Elder Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
4,204
Reaction score
1,680
Location
Bruxelles
Country
llFrance
There is an overlay bundle in the MMP pipeline, so my advice would be to wait before it is released.
 

DWPetros

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2016
Messages
218
Reaction score
502
Country
llUnited States
I like instead color copied, enlarged (1.3 x ) maps, transferred to 11 x 17" heavy stock paper (each half map requires one such page), trimmed with Exacto blade, then placed underneath thin, non-glare plexiglass. Best approach in my opinion.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2019
Messages
77
Reaction score
49
Country
llUnited States
I always think, "how much time is this going to take, will these components ever realistically need to be replaced, is it better just to buy a new copy with those hours worked or to put in hours and hours protecting it. I thought about laminating everything. I have a small one at home for 8.5 x 11 and a big one at the school i work at for Everything else. I just think you can go way over board with this stuff but I think honestly, some people like to organize/laminate. I have only heard the word "kit" used in the way ASL does when I was in the ARMY and we had our "kits", which was the IBA, weapons, chest rack, thigh holster, etc... That right there should tell you something about the way ASL rolls. :)
 

Michael Dorosh

der Spieß des Forums
Joined
Feb 6, 2004
Messages
15,733
Reaction score
2,765
Location
Calgary, AB
First name
Michael
Country
llCanada
Spend your money on color copying before each game instead. If you pick a scenario in advance, take the maps to Staples, Kinkos' whatever, blow up the maps by 20%, do the same for the overlays. Tape them together on your tabletop, and you have the bonus of not just bigger hexes, but overlays that don't move and the ability to draw right on the map - roadblocks, VP objectives, set up areas, etc. Discard when finished. Still much cheaper than a night at the movies.
 

Ric of The LBC

Elder Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2017
Messages
1,881
Reaction score
1,838
Location
Peoples Republic of California
Country
llUnited States
One of my buddies has done this as well as laminating his boards. It works like a champ and he is able to use normal scotch tape to fasten them to the boards. Personally I do not as I usually have a plexiglass cover over my maps and have found a nice double sided tape to adhere them to the boards with no adverse effects to either the boards or the overlays when removed (similar to a Post-It glue backing). The more people you meet in ASL you'll find they all have special idiosyncrasies that fit their view on playing the game and their kit. If it suits your needs and doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the game or ruin your kit, go ahead and proceed with your plan. I have found that most of the overlays are pretty sturdy and printed on decent paper and even an occasional scuff on the back side is rare (I don't use that side often anyway - though it's only been 30+ years of playing).
Which tape do you use?
 

olli

Elder Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Messages
8,270
Reaction score
1,829
Location
Scotland
Country
llGermany
I scanned all of mine and laminated those
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,593
Reaction score
5,556
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
I am looking for double-sided removable tape.
There exists double-sided with one side permanent ant the other removable, but for some games (not ASL), you have double-sided overlays that you want to preserve and thus have removable glue on both sides of the tape...
 

Kijug

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
418
Reaction score
390
Location
Texas
First name
Matt
Country
llUnited States
Personally, I play on the original boards without plexiglas cover and without any lamination. The same goes for overlays. To my taste, all these additions create extra glare which I dislike and, in case of plexiglass, make LOS checks more imprecise.

von Marwitz
Ditto. Too many times with plexiglass I thought there was an extra unit underneath that stack because of the dark shadow and "about that thick". I don't care for plexiglass. Raw boards, raw overlays. I prefer the original boards also, since they don't move as easy. However, I've since made a two-board (ASLSK board) holder with pockets on the side for chits (but I'm limited to one/two-board scenarios.) Works great.
 

Pitman

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
14,104
Reaction score
2,371
Location
Columbus, OH
Country
llUnited States
I was wondering what people thought of laminating all overlays in the game. I was going to do it, and the wife even offered to cut them out but with the Plexiglas I think its overkill...right?
I bought a hot laminator from Staples and laminated all my overlays. Very happy that I did so.
 

Faded 8-1

Elder Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
1,887
Reaction score
831
Location
Ohio
First name
Mark
Country
llUnited States
Lamination scares me. I'm afraid they will start to come apart in a few years and look raggedy like an old drivers license.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2019
Messages
77
Reaction score
49
Country
llUnited States
How old are you that you still have a drivers license that is laminated...LOL...Nowadays they use this stuff called plastic. J/K but my grandpa came to America in the 60's from West Germany and he had a drivers license that was made from cloth. Once he was pulled over for speeding by a NJ State Trooper, He pulled out his cloth and gave it to the officer. The officer just looked at it, gave it back and said "SLOW DOWN!!" So funny!!!!
 

von Marwitz

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Messages
14,355
Reaction score
10,204
Location
Kraut Corner
Country
llUkraine
How old are you that you still have a drivers license that is laminated...LOL...Nowadays they use this stuff called plastic. J/K but my grandpa came to America in the 60's from West Germany and he had a drivers license that was made from cloth. Once he was pulled over for speeding by a NJ State Trooper, He pulled out his cloth and gave it to the officer. The officer just looked at it, gave it back and said "SLOW DOWN!!" So funny!!!!
Great story! ?

Indeed, back then - and for quite some time thereafter - our drivers licences were made of some paper reinforced with some sort of fabric. This wasn't exactly cloth, but in colloquial German it was called "Lappen" which indeed translates to cloth or rag.

Nowadays, we're down to plastic as well. Up to not too long ago, there was no requirement to renew the driver's license, so until then many older Germans still carried their "Lappen" long after plastic was the standard issue.

von Marwitz
 
Top