How to Make Weighted Dice
Learn how to drill, weight, and backfill standard acrylic dice using lead-free solder and tinted epoxy resin for magic tricks and novelty crafts.
This guide shows how to make weighted dice in 45 minutes. Start with secure the die and select target pip; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap See 20-second demo if you want to understand it first.
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- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Hand pin vise or variable-speed rotary tool
- ✓ Small drill bit (sized to dice pip, ~2mm)
- ✓ Mini tabletop clamp or padded vise
- ✓ Fine-point tweezers
- ✓ Sandpaper (400, 800, and 2000 grit)
- ✓ Plastic mixing stick and cup
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Standard opaque acrylic 6-sided dice
- ✓ Lead-free solder wire or small tungsten/brass pellet
- ✓ Two-part clear epoxy resin
- ✓ Acrylic paint matching pip color (usually white or black)
- ✓ Rubbing alcohol and paper towels
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Clamp the die securely in a padded vise before drilling; never hold small dice in your fingers while drilling.
- • Wear safety glasses to protect against flying acrylic chips and resin splatters.
- • Work in a well-ventilated area when mixing and curing two-part epoxy resin.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Secure the Die and Select Target Pip
Choose the face opposite the number you want to roll most often (for example, drill the 1-pip to make 6 roll face-up). Place the die into a padded mini clamp with the target pip facing upward. Ensure the die is locked flat and level so the drill bit will enter perpendicular to the surface.
- • Die is firmly clamped with target pip centered and level
- • Clamping pads prevent surface scratching on the acrylic
- • Drilling the wrong number face instead of the opposite side
- • Clamping too loosely, allowing the die to twist
Drill the Cavity into the Pip
Align a 2mm drill bit directly inside the indented target pip. Drill slowly into the acrylic body, stopping at approximately 60% to 70% of the die's total depth. Clear plastic shavings periodically to prevent heat buildup and melted acrylic.
- • Clean, circular hole centered precisely within the chosen pip indentation
- • Hole depth reaches past the halfway mark without punching through the opposite wall
- • Drilling at high speed, melting the plastic into stringy burs
- • Drilling too deep and puncturing the opposite side
Insert Weight into the Cavity
Cut small pieces of dense lead-free solder wire or use a brass pellet sized to drop into the drilled hole. Pack the metal securely into the bottom of the cavity using tweezers or the blunt end of a drill bit. Leave at least 1.5mm to 2mm of space at the top of the hole for sealing.
- • Metal weight seated firmly at the deepest point of the hole
- • A clear 1.5mm gap visible between the weight top and the die surface
- • Overfilling the hole with metal so resin cannot seal flush
- • Using loose materials that rattle inside the cavity
Seal and Level with Epoxy Resin
Mix equal parts of two-part clear epoxy resin until clear and bubble-free. Dispense a tiny droplet into the cavity over the weight using the tip of a toothpick or mixing stick. Fill the hole until the epoxy sits just slightly convex (domed) above the pip rim.
- • Resin completely encases the weight with zero air pockets
- • Slight domed bead of epoxy visible over the drilled pip cavity
- • Underfilling the cavity, leaving a sunken depression after cure
- • Trapping large air bubbles beneath the resin layer
Sand Flush and Restore Pip Detail
After the epoxy fully cures, wet-sand the surface starting with 400 grit to flatten the plug, stepping up through 800 and 2000 grit for a smooth finish. Clean the surface with rubbing alcohol, then dab matching acrylic paint into the pip indentation with a toothpick. Wipe away excess surface paint with a flat paper towel, leaving the pip crisp and filled.
- • Face is entirely flat with no noticeable bump or depression over the plug
- • Pip paint looks identical in shape, depth, and color to unmodified pips
- • Sanding dry, which creates deep scratches and hazing
- • Smearing paint across the body without cleaning the top flat surface
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by DylanShark — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Hand pin vise or variable-speed rotary tool? A 2mm drill bit wrapped in heavy tape at the shank for hand-twisting
- No Lead-free solder wire? Small steel BB pellet or trimmed brass rod segment
- No Two-part clear epoxy resin? UV craft resin cured under a 365nm UV flashlight