How Metal Dice are Made


 

While we love all dice at RPGTs – metal dice are our favorite. Why? Because they are an investment. There is just something about feeling your first metal dice set. Strong edges, heavy weight, stylish metals and colors. You can’t customize a plastic dice set to a character like you can with metal dice. They’re just perfect.

On top of that, they’re durable. Investing $40 in a metal dice set is exactly that; an investment. These dice will last until you are RPGing in your retirement community. Think of all the memories you’ll have associated with that dice set.

 

THE PROCESS:

Our dice are created through an extensive process. A single D20 can take up to 14 hours to produce!

INJECTION

 A non-toxic zinc alloy is injected at high heat (think molten) into a mold.

 

Metal Dice Injection Mold

SHARPENING/SANDING

After which point the edges are sharpened or buffed (the sharper the edge, the more random the roll – as in precision-edged dice) and the dice are prepared for plating

 Medal Dice Plating

 

PLATING

Here is where their metal finishes are determined. Gold, silver, copper, rainbow – plating is where the magic happens.

 Electroplated Dice

 

ENAMEL

Then, color is added. This is in the form of liquid enamel and these are injected, by hand, onto each surface. After each surface is covered, it takes 40 minutes of a high-heat treatment to cure the enamel and then rotate the dice to do the next surface. This is why a single D20 can take an entire day to create. The 20 faces each have to be hand-colored and cured individually.

Our dice are works of art.

 Metal Dice Enamel Injection

After curing

 Metal dice after curing enemal

FINISHED:

This produces our beautiful, candy gloss surfaces. Each dice is packaged into its own plastic bag to avoid scratching each other, and then they are paired all together and shipped to you!

 Finished Metal Dice Production

 

Performance

Ever bought the PERFECT set of plastic dice and then never ended up using it because that D20 just always rolled poorly? That’s because most plastic dice aren’t very well balanced and so you’re literally ‘rolling the die’ when purchasing that beautiful set that it’s going to perform well.

Since our dice are made of solid metal, they are very near to perfectly balanced, and far more than your average plastic set. They don't roll as far as plastic, which may seem less random, but rolling or shaking them in your hand is the actual randomness generator in both plastic and metal dice.

This makes them a great option for players who value true unpredictability from their dice rolls.

Keep in mind these dice are heavy. To get a proper roll, a little more force is required than your standard plastic or acrylic set.

 

The BEST rolling surface we’ve found (besides the standard dice tray) is the material (rubber) used in game mats (think MTG) and mousepads.

Avoid glass surfaces.