First you need an old calendar or magazine. This will be the source of your letters and numbers. You may print out characters as well.
Cut out A-Z and 0-9. Additional letters will be needed for yes, no and goodbye.
Find an old surface to tape letters to. Some choose to make a temporary board by taping letters to an inexpensive card table. I don’t recommend doing this on good furniture. You may make a permanent board by gluing letters to an old piece of wood or cardboard.
Lay out the letters A-M in a slight arch and then a line below N-Z following the A-M curve above. Leave space between each character. Place YES in the upper left corner and NO in the upper right. Place the numbers 1-0 below the letters and spell out goodbye along the very bottom.
For permanent boards, those on cardboard, you may want to buy an acrylic varnish for a top coat. For wood just use a basic clear lacquer or varnish. These coatings will prolong the life of your board and allow the planchette to glide over the surface more efficiently. This suggestion is for inexpensive wood boards. For more expensive wood boards (cabinet grade wood) you may wish to carve, paint or burn the letters and numbers into the board, then top with varnish.
Finally you need a planchette. The device that centers over the letters and numbers during a session. The most commonly used home indicator is a clear drinking glass. You will use this upside down, placing fingertips on base of glass and letting the glass pass over the letters and numbers. Please take care in using glass with spirit communication. I’ve heard stories of smashing glasses.
“For a planchette or indicator in using a home made channeling board, I have heard that placing an ash tray upside-down is a very effective idea”. – Edward