I've just put together my first maneuver dials, the 3 from the starter set. I've noticed that one (the X-Wing) is really rigid and hard to turn, another is just slightly rigid, while the last one rotates freely. Is that normal or have I done something wrong? Any way to fix the two rigid ones without ruining the dials? I'm afraid the rigidness, in addition to making it hard to turn the dials during play, will also increase the friction and wear of the dials.

I've done two things to address dial issues. One, I've clear-coated all my dials (inside and out). Two, I've put thin washers between the two sides to prevent rubbing.

The tightness to spin will go away as you use them and the cardboard wears. So, welcome to x-wing and have fun!

Hey Carahue.

If you go the clear coat route. Hit Wilkinsons. They do a matt finish "fablon, talc, sticky back plastic, clear coat, call it what you will" roll for 25p (did check if you were in the UK) look in the stationery dept, they call it book covering material or some such, aimed at covering school text books. And it does smooth out the dial.

You can buy it in Rymans, but they want £3 a roll!

Thanks to both of you. I'll check Wilkinson. Guess I should have done that before assembling the dials as it'll probably be a pain to separate them. Maybe I'll just leave these as they are for now and only laminate future ones. I'll probably get another starter set at some point anyhow

Id imagine if you put a blunt knife (like a cutlery type one) and apply gentles pressure between the dial surfaces they will pop open as they are only sealed by friction.

Personally i'd prefer the dial a bit tight to too loose.

If you do try seperating them and my method wrecks your dial, its just a suggestion.. i'm not saying it will work

Strictly speaking, the tighter, the better. I know some people at the local league who have several Wave 1 dials that have become so loose that they will rotate during the motion of placing them down or flipping them over, changing the visible maneuver.

As other have said clear coating the dials is good. As for the washers, I use 5/16" nylon washers, which you can get at places like Lowes, Home Depot or any hardware store.

This here is the best tool for getting dials apart:

Lego Seperator

Strictly speaking, the tighter, the better. I know some people at the local league who have several Wave 1 dials that have become so loose that they will rotate during the motion of placing them down or flipping them over, changing the visible maneuver.

This would be my worry over time.

seperating them isn't so bad. I did it to add the clear coat to the basic set models after seeing a post in here about wear on the dials.

I've had this happen once or twice. I just slip my fingernails under the plastic connectors and loosen them a bit. If you can't do that, you can probably do the same with any thin wedge of plastic or metal. I wouldn't try the dials themselves as the cardboard can bend.

A good practice to get into with the maneuver dials is to put the "male" peg in and out of the center of each half a few times before finally assembling them. This loosens them up just enough to make them not too tight, but doesn't make them too loose over time.

I've found the earlier ships come with dials that can be really tight and you just have to use them to loosen them up, Newer ships tend to be far better.

When first assembling the dials, I take a pair of scissors and slide one half into the center, from the interior side of the dial, and apply slight pressure and turn it. My dials turn nicely and I can press the plastic parts together and not worry about it being too tight.

I dont play a lot, but I've had some of this stuff since it first came out, and I have had no issues with the dials fading or 'rubbing' off.

Just my 2 cents..

I cut the plastic cover that the models come in to make a little washer.

Cut a circle with scissors. Cut a smaller circle inside with your modelling knife. Place it on the dial before assembling. BAM! It removes friction yet keeps the dial tight .. and doesn't cost a thing.

I have a craft circle cutter... why didn't I think of that.. lol.. nice idea.

What would be nice is another app that lets you set movement on a tablet and lock it once moves are set, models would have numbers on their bases so there's no concern about cheating and no worry about lost dials, same app could track critical effects on each ship as well as stress and ion counters.

Things would be so much easier/nicer if FFG released acrylic dial, moment templates, tokens etc either seperart or in a nice new deluxe core set.....

Mmmmmm for FFG stuff to buy

As for the dials image rubbing off, its never been a problem for me as I rotate mine from the outside edge and I use the maneuver reference card the ships come with so I know what maneuver I want before I start rotating.

I have had my first core set since day one and show.minimal use even though they have been used alot.

It just comes down to how you use them and look after them.

putting something between the dial halves to make them rotate smoother and protect from wear is pretty much mandatory IMO for future protection and basic usage. I used to just trace circles from the plastic backing of the expansions using the cardboard punchouts but I have since gone back and put clear contact paper on the inside and front of all my dials.

You can get by without it, especially if you don't play that much, but I have a TIE Advanced dial that was starting to show wear even though it hadn't been used that much simply because it took more physical effort to turn it than the other dials for some reason. It's an easy fix and I recommend doing something similar, by whatever method you please.

... I have a TIE Advanced dial that was starting to show wear ...

You must have the only one!

As other have said clear coating the dials is good. As for the washers, I use 5/16" nylon washers, which you can get at places like Lowes, Home Depot or any hardware store.

Id imagine if you put a blunt knife (like a cutlery type one) and apply gentles pressure between the dial surfaces they will pop open as they are only sealed by friction.

Or slip two rules cards (like bombs or cloaking) between the two halves of the dial and rotate around the post. Worked well for me.

I use pre-cut semi-adhesive shelf liner to protect mine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Maneuver-Dial-Protectors-X-Wing-Miniatures-Game-Sheet-of-3-/221568108933?pt=Games_US&hash=item33967d0985