Custom Chess Set

The Full Story

This chess set was so much fun to design and fabricate. I have been playing chess since I was very young with my grandfather and being able to design and build a fully custom set was a personal and challenging experience.

If you are interested in the full process of how this product was designed an fabricated, please see the Full Project Documentation Link below!

Full Project Documentation

The Process

1

Ideate & Conceptualize

Ideate & conceptualize the chess set including how large it would be, how the board would be integrated into the box, where the pieces could be stored, and how the handle would be integrated. I ended up deciding to make it half the size of a standard board size, for the sake of travel.

2

Model & prototype box & board

I used Fusion 360 to make a model of the chess set to make sure the pieces would fit together when fabricated. I used the model to create a file I could laser cut. Then used cheap wood to laser cut the box and board pieces to fabricate a prototype, testing ways to get the board to slide in. I settled on some simple support beams that would be glued in the right places, leaving the perfect tolerance for the board top to slide in and out easily

3

Design and model playing pieces

Each piece was custom designed in Fusion 360, starting with a sketch of style and size. Once I knew the board size, I was able to determine how big the pieces should be to fit into the playing squares.

4

Print pieces and fabricate final box and board

I 3D printed the pieces in PLA filament using PRUSA machines, at about 50% infill to give them some weight. I Laser cut the final box and board pieces, then hand stained the set before using wood glue to assemble the box and support beams for the board inside the box.

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