Imaginarium Dice

Handmade in Switzerland

Dicemaking supplies in Switzerland

First of all, this is NOT a dicemaking tutorial. With the abundance of video tutorials out there, I see no reason to start making them, aside from perhaps making some in French, if there is a need for it later down the line. But I think what is already out there is enough to get you started. I learned mostly through Die Würfelschmiede's tutorials, experimenting, messing up (a LOT, and sometimes spectacularly), and had a lot of fun this way. Since then, there are even more videos available to teach people the basics, so this list isn't about teaching you how to make dice. This is about where to find supplies if you live in Switzerland.

So, you've decided you want to try to make dice, but stuff looks very, very complicated to get ahold of. And what you find is frightfully expensive. You're not dreaming, tracking down supplies around here is an absolute nightmare. Most of the supplies you will find first in the country aren't even the stuff you're looking for.

So here’s what I have been using for a while now! This list is what I have come up after over 14 months of trial and error in the quest to find the ideal dicemaking supplies considering what is available to us locally, and what we can actually get shipped from abroad. I do not claim to know of every supplier, nor do I claim to detain the Truth of dicemaking supplies. This is just what I use, know, and love.

Also, quick disclaimer: while this page is full of links to products and websites, I am not affiliated with any of them and do not get any kind of compensation or advantage if you purchase through these. I'm just trying to spare you a massive headache, save you some time, and hopefully some coin. (But if you're one of my suppliers and you want to send over some stuff, please feel free to do so, I really won't mind! xD)

Jokes aside, let's get into it.

1. PPE

First, you want your PPE. Do not make dice without proper PPE. Do not pour dice without PPE. Do not sand dice without PPE. Do not polish dice without PPE. I repeat: Do not make dice without proper PPE. Resin is nasty. Fumes are nasty. Particles are nasty. Get PPE.

2. Mixing tools

You've got your PPE. Now you want the basics to equip your workbench. That's what I personally use, and the reasoning behind it, but to each their own.

  • Sandwich paper: Galaxus. 4.- (cheaper in Migros). I'm SUPER clumsy, so I put this on my workbench to make my life easier. It's also covered in contact paper. But between using a ton of paper towels and IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol. Not beer.) to clean messes, and just tossing a small sheet of paper.... you get the idea.
  • Waxing spatulas: 10.-/box of 200. Perfect for stirring your resin and silicone. While silicone stirring sticks exist, I hate the cleanup, so what I do is wipe the wooden sticks really really well and reuse them as long as I can. I can usually get 3-4 sessions out of them before they get too spiky to be safe.
  • Paper cups: MBudget. 3.-/pack of 50. These, too, I reuse until they're completely unusable. While silicone cups do exist, the amount of tape I used to clean them out didn't make sense anymore, so I switched back to paper.
  • Silicone cups: Kandydip.de. 3 EUR/cup. While I do not use these, listing reusable options still makes sense, and they were suggested by dice.monkey***.
  • Silicone mat: Kandydip.de. 6 EUR/mat. This specific link was provided by dice.monkey***.
  • Paper towels: MBudget. 3.-/pack of 2. Make sure you're at least a roll ahead at all times. Accidents happen, and you do NOT want to be out of paper towels.
  • Isopropanol 99,9%: Gerstaecker. 8.-/L. Very nice for tool cleanup. I use it to clean my resin prints, too.

3. Pressure pot

Okay, so you've got your PPE. You've got your mixing implements. But now you need the stuff to actually get dice made. So let's start with our most important tool (apart from our master dice): our pressure pot!

For a rundown of how to convert a paint tank into a pressure pot, check out this video by Die Würfelschmiede. It's got everything, including a complete supplies list to convert it, as well as recommendations for silicone, and resin (also listed here because it's what I use now, thanks to them). Note that not everything listed in the video description will ship here, but if you have people in Germany who can drive things accross the border for you, then you can just get things off of their list. Or you can bring your compressor and lid to a good hardware store and let them pick out fitttings of the right size.

  • Vevor Paint Tank: 95 EUR. Link provided by dice.monkey*** (Thank you so much!). Does ship to Switzerland, and seems to already include shipping. They recommended getting fittings here.
  • Airbrush compressor: Galaxus. 190.- (No longer available, listed to give you an idea of what I have). Super silent (40-something dB), has 2 modes (4 bar with auto switch off, or 6 bar). Takes longer to fill the pot than a big compressor does, but it won't make your neighbours hate you, which is always nice.

4. Molds

You've got your pressure pot. You've got your master dice. Now you want to make molds and you need silicone. It's frightfully expensive, and there is (to my knowledge) no good source of plat-cure silicone in the country. Asking around in shops, I was told to "just use bathroom-joint silicone" (don't even try). Silicone was a major paint point for me (still is), but I know where to get it from now.

  • SI30GB: Bredderman/HP-textiles. 107 EUR for 5kg, + around 40 CHF for shipping. They also have smaller kits (around 30 euros for 1kg). I like this silicone a lot as it's relatively affordable. It's quite sensitive to temperature and cure inhibition though, so be mindful of that.
  • Troll Factory type 18: 65.-/kg. While I have not tested this silicone myself, it was suggested by dice.monkey***. It might be a good option if you do not wish to import silicone from abroad, even though it's more expensive.

And for the rest of the mold making materials, this is what you need (I'll be listing things for slab molds, as this is the kind of mold that I use):

  • Cookie cutter: Migros. 10.-. Also to pour make molds in, but round. I use the large on in the set, and kept the others for actual cookie making. There's also square ones. Great for slabs too.
  • Vaseline: Galaxus. 7.-/100ml (lasts for ages). Vaseline is reliable, and cheap. A little goes a long way. (You can also use talcum powder instead)
  • Contact paper: Galaxus. 5.-/roll. To stick dice on. This is not the specific one I use, because I've had my rolls of contact paper for ages. Some silicones react badly to certain glues, so be aware of that.

5. Casting stuff (resin etc)

Molds are done. Now it's time for the fun stuff! First and foremost, you want to know your options when it comes to resin. I used to list some resins available in Switzerland here, but they were really bad, and just added some confusion, so... I removed that bit.

The resins I *do* recommend, both available from hp-textiles (Germany, will ship here, recommend getting a few kits at once to save on shipping costs):

  • E25DM: Around 65.- for 4kg. I absolutely love it. It's quite thick, though, so I really wouldn't use it without a pressure pot. 25 minute pot life, and around 12h to demold. I can usually pull it at about 8 hours, sometimes even sooner if it's really warm.
  • E40D: Around 45.- for 3kg. Very liquid. 40 minutes pot life, 24h to demold. It's a great resin, but I tend to prefer thicker resins for suspension.
  • Alternative E25DM seller: dice.monkey*** has let me know that a Swiss website now stocks this resin (but more expensive).
  • Alternative E40D seller: dice.monkey*** has let me know that a Swiss website now stocks this resin (but more expensive).

You've got resin, but now you want to color your resin and make it pretty and fun. Aside from all the random pigments, inks, clay slices, flakes, foils, etc... you can find on some websites, the tubed acrylic paint you can (and should) experiment with, or the old eyeshadow you might want to salvage (perhaps using resin - without the hardener - as a binder, and making a paste out of it), these are the supplies that I use and love:

  • Piñata alcohol Inks: Boesner. 6 CHF (15ml) or 20 (118ml). Awesome for the petri method, especialy the white. If you have to only buy one, get a large bottle of white (Blanco Blanco).
  • Chromatic Castle: This is where you can get some AMAZING flakes, mica, and much, much more. They're made by fellow dicemakers, and their stuff is amazing. They're based in the UK.
  • SolarColorDust: Definitely a luxury, but lots of fun stuff there. Keep an eye out for the grab bags, those are definitely worth it.
  • Resin 8: UK website, sells a lot of things from pastes to tints, and (most importantly) silica sand for flower drying. And they ship here.
  • Iridescent wrapping paper: Migros. 7.-/roll. It looks rainbow out of resin, but inside of resin the blues and green really pop. It's awesome, and a single roll will last you ages.
  • OOAK Artist Emporium: This is another source of Mylar. Haven't gotten around to ordering from them yet, but they seem to have a nice selection.
  • Alternative source of alcohol ink: This website stocks both Piñata inks and Octopus Fluids inks. Link was provided by dice.monkey***.
  • Creartec Resin Tint: 5 CHF/ 10 ml. Available from Boesner. I haven't tried these myself, as this link was provided by dice.monkey***.

6. Sanding and Polishing

You've cast your dice. You're happy. But someone said you have to finish your dice. Now you're a bit less happy. This is the section on sanding and polishing (ugh).You've got three options: Zona papers with water (and a pottery wheel, ideally), or using a Dremel (or Dremel-like power tool) with polishing compounds. Or you could use a vibratory tumbler.

Option 1: Zona Papers

PSA: Lapping film isn't the same as polishing papers. You'll see lapping film on a Swiss website, you'll be super happy you found Zona papers locally, and you'll get bits of plastic...to polish plastic...with water... Just. Don't. It's awful.

Also: Don't forget your gloves and a mask for particles!

As far as tools to help with Zona polishing go, I haven't been able to find a full-sized pottery wheel for under 800 CHF in the country. But there's some cheap, tiny ones available on various websites. If it comes with a chinese plug, you'll need an adaptor, that I have also listed.

  • 3M WetOrDry Polishing Papers (Zona): MetalClay (UK website). Around 50 CHF for 4x6 large sheets, including shipping.
  • Alternative source of Zona Papers: While these do not currently seem to ship to Switzerland anymore, this link was given to me by dice.monkey*** (who is also a Swiss maker), so maybe it's worth a look from time to time in case they do ship again.
  • Mini Pottery Wheel: From Amazon.de. One amongst others. This specific link was provided by dice.monkey***
  • Adapter: Digitec. 21.-. Don't be an idiot like me. I got the “universal travel adapter” in Migros, it only has 2 plugs and it’s 3x as expensive as the right adapter. (In case it comes with a chinese plug or whatever).

Option 2: The Dremel

Or, in my case, the Proxxon. The nice thing is, it's easier on your hands. The less nice thing is: it's MESSY, and dice go flying if they snag. (Remember the goggles I linked in the PPE section? WEAR THEM. And protect your lungs, too.)

Option 3: The Tumbler

This is pretty close to the Dremel in terms of materials (same sandpaper, same polishing compounds), except that instead of doing step 1 by hand, you can toss the sanded dice in the tumbler for 24+ hours with step 1 compound, and then just use Step 3 compound with the dremel.

  • Tumbler: Amazon.de, 150 CHF + 30 shipping. You'll need an adapter for the power plug.
  • Porcelain media, 3mm: Las-oberflaechentechnik.ch. 40 chf for 2kg.
  • Porcelain media, 5mm: Same as above, 40 chf for 2kg. I recommend using a mix of 3mm and 5mm spheres for nicer movement.

7. Inking

At this point, your dice are almost done, and it's time to paint the numbers. I have tried many, many acrylic paints over the years, and have settled on 3 brands that I actually like when it comes to inking dice.

  • Jacquard Lumière: patin-a.de, around 5-6 EUR per pot. Those are the nicest metallics I have ever used for dice, they're wonderful. Flowy and super pigmented. You can do very thin coats easily because it adheres very nicely.
  • Solo Goya Acrylic: vbs-hobby.ch or Galaxus. Prices vary depending on format. This link is for a set with a lot of different colors. Galaxus has big bottles also. Very nice if you're looking for flat, matte colors. Creamy texture, application is pretty much "fill numbers".
  • Citadel Paints: I only use the base paints (layer paints need 2 coats and I can't be bothered), and usually only if I can't find or mix a shade I like in the stuff I mentionned above.

DICEMAKING COSTS TRACKER: I have made a spreadsheet to keep track of purchases, raw costs per set, hourly wage, and (most of all) the total cost of materials, including shipping, customs and taxes. Since I spent a week making it, and it is *very* specific to Switzerland, I thought I would make it available to other Swiss makers. It can be re-tailored to other countries stuff, but being in Switzerland means customs costs are quite specific. I've filled in some things for each category to provide examples, but feel free to replace things with your own. You will need to make your own copy for you to edit anything. As it is quite complex, please read the instructions provided with it before editing anything, should you wish to use it. Spreadsheet link

I hope this was helpful. If there's anything I missed, or any other supplies you're curious about, just reach out, and I'll add them here.

*** Links provided by @dice.monkey ! Thank you so much for your input!