check : Custom Chess Set
IPD501 Project at UPenn
Spring 2014
The chess set is a classic playground for designers and artists; there are several in MOMA's permanent collection from the likes of Man Ray, Lanier Graham, and Takako Saito. We worked in teams of four to design and manufacture our own custom chess sets and boards for IPD501: Integrated CAM/CAD/CAE.
We chose to use clear acrylic for the white pieces and 6061 aluminum for the black pieces. At the time, I had been experimenting with poured epoxy inlays for live-edge furniture and suggested we try the technique to add accents to the board, king and queen pieces. My team agreed and made me responsible for those components.
MILLING POST OPS ON ROOK
BLACK KING, QUEEN, BISHOP
WHITE QUEEN, BISHOP, KNIGHT
To make the parts, I first used our ProtoTrak CNC mill to machine inlay pockets into stock material. Then, after mixing charcoal powder into the clear epoxy we used for composite layup to turn it black, I flooded the inlay pockets with the epoxy and let it cure in our small vacuum chamber to remove air pockets. The last step was post-machining on the mill and our Haas TL-1 CNC lathe to expose the inlay and finish the parts.
COMPLETED CHESS SET
This was my first experience programming and operating a CNC lathe, and I was pleased with how the inlay turned out, especially on the chess board. Our chess set was on display in the engineering school lobby for some time, and later I used the same inlay epoxy technique to add a logo to the battery carrier of the RC boat my team made at the end of the semester.