Mancala board template
Set your cup size and spacing, or the size of your board, and print a full-size template with a centre mark on every cup and the stores outlined for routing.
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How the board is laid out
A mancala board has two rows of cups, one row for each player, and a bigger store at each end for captured seeds. Kalah has 6 cups a side and a store at each end, and Oware has the same two rows of six, with the end stores optional. Congkak boards usually have 7 a side. Pick 4 to 8 cups in each row.
The stores sit on the middle line of the board, their long side across both rows. A slot store is two holes joined into a long oval, the way the Pneumatic Addict build makes them: drill at the two end crosshairs with a bit as wide as the store, then rout or saw out the wood between, to the line. An oval store has one crosshair in the middle and is routed to the line.
Example: with the starting sizes (1 1/2 in cups 2 in apart, rows 2 in apart, slot stores 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in, 1/2 in of wood around everything) the board is 16 1/2 in × 4 1/2 in and prints on 2 Letter sheets plus the check sheet. With 7 cups a row it grows to 18 1/2 in.
Questions
How big is a mancala board?
There’s no standard size. With 1 1/2 in cups 2 in apart, this template makes a 6 cup board 16 1/2 in × 4 1/2 in; with 8 cups a row it is 20 1/2 in long. A Fine Woodworking forum build copied a 7 × 25 in board with 2 1/2 in cups 1 in deep.
What size Forstner bit for mancala cups?
Home builds use anything from 1 1/2 in holes (Pneumatic Addict) to 2 1/2 in cups (Fine Woodworking forum). Type your bit size as the cup diameter. The check sheet names the bit, and each cup big enough to hold the label is marked with it too. Drill a test cup in scrap and leave at least 1/4 in of wood under each cup.
How do I cut the stores?
For a slot store, drill a hole at each end crosshair, then rout or jigsaw out the wood between, keeping to the line. For an oval, rout to the line with a template guide or a dish bit, in shallow passes.
Can I fit the layout to a board I already have?
Yes. Pick My board size and type the length and width. The cups and stores are centred on it, and if they don’t fit with your edge margin, the page says how big a board they need.
How many cups should a mancala board have?
Kalah and Oware use 6 in each row, so 12 cups and 2 stores. Congkak boards usually have 7 in each row. Pick 4 to 8 under Cups in each row.
How do I print the template at actual size?
In the print dialog choose 100% or Actual size, and turn off Fit to page or Shrink to fit. Then measure the square on the first sheet. If it isn’t exactly 4 in (or 100 mm in metric) on each side, the page was scaled, so print again.