The Materials Standard

Cheap game accessories ruin components over time. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) card sleeves off-gas plasticizers that leach into foil card coatings, causing sticky discoloration within eighteen months. Low-density composite foam inserts degrade under box pressure, depositing chemical dust into card sleeves and miniature joints. Soft zinc alloy tokens dent and chip under routine handling.

Our Portland workshop operates on a strict material exclusion policy. We refuse to cut low-grade medium-density fiberboard (MDF) because its formaldehyde binding resins off-gas corrosive vapors inside sealed game boxes. We refuse to sell PVC film sleeves under any branding. Every material that enters our workshop inventory must carry verifiable laboratory specification sheets for density, moisture absorption, and acid neutrality.

Below is our complete raw material provenance ledger, defining the exact physical parameters of the goods we sell from 3.50 USD card sleeve packs up to 89.95 USD modular wooden crates.

Workshop Raw Material Ledger

Portland Stock Yard & Cutting Bench

Raw material stock comprising Baltic birch plywood, cast acrylic, and solid brass rod

Raw material inventory including 3mm Baltic birch sheets, cast optical acrylic panels, and solid turned brass round stock at our Portland workshop.

Material Specifications Matrix

Key chemical and mechanical parameters verified on our Portland receiving bench before laser cutting or packing.

Plywood Species Betula pendula (Baltic Birch B/BB)

Plywood Core Layers 5-Ply Void-Free Cross-Grain (3.0 mm)

Sleeve Polymer 100-Micron Biaxially Oriented PP

Plasticizer Status 100% Phthalate & PVC Free

Brass Alloy UNS C36000 Free-Cutting Brass

Acrylic Grade Cell-Cast PMMA (Optical Density 1.19)

Inquire on Raw Materials

Non-PVC Archival Safety Standards

Every card sleeve catalogued at boardgamestore.click is manufactured from biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film. Polypropylene is chemically inert, resistant to moisture permeation, and contains zero plasticizers, phthalates, or acidic stabilizers.

When printed game cards are stored inside PVC sleeves, the plasticizing oils migrate across the boundary layer into the card’s varnish and inks. Over time, the ink softens and sticks to the plastic, causing the surface art to tear off when the card is removed. Our 100-micron polypropylene film passes photographic activity tests (PAT ISO 18916), ensuring that collectible art cards remain pristine across decades of box storage.

The micro-sand matte finish on our sleeve backs is achieved through physical surface embossing during the cooling stage, not through chemical coatings that could rub off during shuffles.

Baltic Birch Plywood & Laser Tolerances

Interlocking Joinery Standards

Why 5-Ply Void-Free Birch Outperforms Foamcore

Most commercial box organizers rely either on extruded polystyrene foamcore or soft MDF. Foamcore crushes under the weight of metal coins and campaign manuals. MDF absorbs ambient moisture, swells by up to 10%, and off-gases urea-formaldehyde.

We build our inserts exclusively from 3.0mm B/BB grade Baltic birch plywood. Unlike standard domestic plywood which features three thick veneers with interior voids, our 3mm sheets contain five solid hardwood birch veneers laminated with moisture-resistant exterior-grade adhesives. When cut on our industrial CO₂ lasers with coaxial nitrogen assist, the edges toast to a clean caramel brown rather than charred black soot.

Finger joints are milled with a 0.08mm friction tolerance: parts press together with a rubber mallet and hold securely without requiring messy PVA wood glue, though hobbyists can apply a drop for permanent campaign durability.

C36000 Solid Turned Brass & Cast Acrylic

Our gaming currency tokens and rotary dial rivets are machined from solid CDA 360 brass bar stock (61.5% copper, 35.5% zinc, 3.0% lead for lubricity and chip formation). After CNC lathe turning and knurling, tokens are tumbled in walnut shell media and treated with a light chemical liver-of-sulfur antique oxidation before a microcrystalline wax seal is applied.

The result is a token that feels substantial in the hand, clinks distinctly on the table, and will never chip or flake like electroplated pot metal zinc tokens.

Our resource gems are dual-cast from optical-grade polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cast acrylic sheet stock. With a refractive index of 1.49 and a Shore D hardness of 85, they maintain high light transmission across years of table use without dulling.

Request Component Specification Visit Portland Workshop