A buddy told me I should get 1.5", professional grade. Does anybody have any sugguestions as far as brand and/or type of board to get?
I thought I posted this question last night, but I can’t find it. Perhaps I forgot to submit it?
I know this isn’t what you’re looking for, but isn’t the answer “It depends on what you’re looking for”?
Do you play darts now? (If you don’t play now, maybe you don’t need a professional grade dart board, just something to get you by)
Where are you going to put it? (Darts can cause a lot of damage)
I play for fun, I’d never enter a tournament. I have one at home that automatically keeps score for me, etc. You have to use plastic tipped darts. It’s what a lot of the bars are going to now. Plus when you get drunk and miss, it won’t damage the wall behind the board. 
For practice or messing around with friends at home, get a thick bristle board. Go to any sporting goods store and they are around $30-$40. Unicorn is a good name but too expensive except for everyday bar use. Look at one of them and get something close.
Good lighting and decent darts will help you the most.
Spackle… lots of spackle.
On a related note, be careful in putting the dart board up; if you’re not the most gifted in projects involving tools, measuring, use of hands etc, get someone who knows what they’re doing.
A cautionary tale.
When we decided to put up a good-quality dartboard in our apartment I figured that this would be a simple endeavor and we would be enjoying a spirited game of cricket in no time.
My girlfriend (now wife) was very exacting about the measurements as the project required and I was left with the task of mounting the board.
You know of course that with a dartboard, you can’t simply hammer a nail into the wall and put your dartboard on it since the board has to be firmly set in place. Therefore this project required the use of a drill and the insertion of these metal thingies with some sort of toggle gizmo (note expert use of terminology) in order for the dartboard to accommodate the ongoing absorption of flying projectiles and the concomitant extraction of said objects.
To get to the point, we drilled the holes, inserted the long metal rods with the toggle thing and started a-twistin’ and a-turnin’. Resistance. Something from inside the wall was seriously impeding progress. Good! I figured, this would provide a better foundation to affix the board.
I could hear the faintest of cracking sounds but figured that this must be the insulation (!) and would be of no consequence.
After some more vigorous attempts at inserting the rod –BLAMO!!!- the dry wall gave way and big hole about the size of dinner plate materialized.
Then followed the profanity-laced commentary on events and then a repositioning of some of the living room artwork in order to cover the gaping maw that remained there until we eventually moved out.
The dartboard found a lonely home in the back of one of the closets and we never spoke of this incident again.
FIN
I have a soft-tip electronic board now, but I was looking to get a bristle board. Looks like the biggest difference between them is the size and shape of the wire.
I plan to put it in the living room, and am going to put a sheet of masonite behind it. I haven’t bought the backboard yet, but I came up with this clever equation to cut it into an octagon, where Y is the original length and width of the board (probably 4 ft), and X is the distance from the edge to snap the chalk line:
2^(1/2) * X = Y - 2 * X
Looking to sell a dartboard?
Excuse the double post.
I used to work construction in college. Well, energetic material test setups, which was basically construction. That was a pretty good story, though!
It is rare to miss far to the sides, far more common to miss high or (most common of all) low. (beginners trying to throw too hard, using arm instead of wrist) Thus for maximal wall protection to area ratio, a rectangular backer extending perhaps a foot above, and 3 feet below, and only 8" or so to the sides would be my suggestion. You can bevel the corners and it will be an octagon, just not a regular one.
Pygmy Rugger and Kevbo, where were you guys when I needed you??
The dartboard made the move to the new place with us but I have yet to work up the courage to try for Round 2. There is a nice little spot in the basement / living room that would make for a good gaming area though I haven’t yet worked up the nerve.
Mind you, I’m -obviously- not much of a handy man. More times than not I’ve taken to fixing things like the occasional broken chair with a supply of mismatched nails and an appropriately sized rock.
I guess I could try to duct tape the board up but this strikes me as lacking in the refined aesthetic toward which I strive.
Good advice, I think that’ll fit better in the area I want to put it. Maybe I’ll use a piece of 4’ x 4’ masonite, and turn it diagonally, then cut the sides off.
…^
…/
…| |
…\ /
Something like that…
I ordered the EDGE, mainly because it was the cheapest one that was staple free and had “razor thin embedded spider web”, which seems like it was usefull. Oh, and a moveable ring so it wears evenly (20 gets aimed for an awful lot).
minlokwat, I’ll post back here again with any tips I discover after mounting that I think may help you. Good luck with round two! It’s always easier the second time, and most likely, the second hole won’t be nearly as big! Perhaps only the size of a saucer plate this time. 