By Lara Hill
Have Stencil, Will Shuffleboard
A game whose origins hearken back to 16th century England, shuffleboard is a low-intensity diversion of a sport that almost completely went into a steady decline in the middle of the last century, until it was revived in the mid-1980s, and has since enjoyed a period of steadily improving renown. Now, the game will probably never make ESPN primetime, and it's unlikely that any of us will be sporting designer gear with the name of a shuffleboard star anytime soon, but it is a pleasant enough pastime that seems to be ever popular among the senior crowd. Whether you play on a permanent concrete shuffleboard court or a roll-out court made of plastic, you can expect nothing less than a delightful time in the company of friends, acquaintances or chummy rivals.
Outside of a dedicated facility, it can be a little difficult to find a place to play some shuffleboard. This is unfortunate, really, because all you actually need is a nicely-sized hard, flat surface, and if you happen to be the owner of that surface, some stencils and a couple of paint canisters. Specifically, you may wish to avail of a durable shuffleboard stencil set. Since a standard deck shuffleboard court is 39 feet long by 6 feet wide, these stencil sets normally come in sets of three pieces, assembled together to build a court that adheres to official national standards court specifications. Well, do find one that is an official size, unless you don't mind, or actually prefer, a reduced court. There really is no more convenient method of painting a shuffleboard court on pavement, if you think about it. Would you rather painstakingly measure the court dimensions out with a ruler, and clumsily try to spray or paint the pigment in as straight a line as you can muster, or would you rather just lay down a few stencils and apply the paint without any headaches?
As with any stencil painting task, make sure you clear the concrete of rocks, dirt and other debris, so you don't end up accidentally painting on them. This not only benefits your painting process, but also improves the quality of your game. The ideal surface would be one that is extremely slippery, so the less imperfections there are, the better your game will go. Certainly, it won't be quite as perfect as a tournament level court, but it is the best you can get with parking lot pavement as your base. Once the area is clear, flatten the stencils out as best you can, and align them properly. You may want to bring some masking tape along just to hold the stencils in place once they are in position, so that they don't shift about while you are painting. Next, apply the paint. A marking wand may make the painting easier for you, so consider whether you'd want to invest in one. Lastly, wait about an hour or so for the paint to dry, and there you go, your very own shuffleboard court, for a very minute fraction of the cost of a permanent structure.
Lara Hill writes about unique arts and crafts projects. Pavement is an unconventional canvas for painting, but she enjoys art projects that are outside the box. Check out this durable shuffleboard stencil, easy enough even for beginners! To see a great selection of oversized stencils for sports and traffic, as well as the paint and tools needed to go with them, visit http://www.stop-painting.com.
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