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.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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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