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3D Miniature Chess Pieces made with a Laser Cutter

by Steve Crayons on September 18, 2015

Table of Contents

3D Miniature Chess Pieces made with a Laser Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: 3D Miniature Chess Pieces made with a Laser Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Start with an acrylic bar 3/8" thick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Cut the profile of the piece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 3: Cut out a box that completely surrounds the piece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 4: Remove everything within the box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 5: Examine the part you just cut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 6: Lay the piece on its side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 7: Remove the top "padding". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 8: Place the piece back into the cut out box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 9: Cut the profile again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 10: Remove the piece out of the box again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 11: Enjoy your new miniature pawn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 12: Use the same procedure to make the other pieces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 13: The front and side profiles can be the same or different. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 14: Several views of the first cutting step of the pawn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 15: Several views after the second cutting step of the pawn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 16: Bishop // 1st cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 17: Bishop // 2nd cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 18: Queen // 1st cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 19: Queen // 2nd cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 20: King // 1st cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 21: King // 2nd cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 22: Rook // 1st cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 23: Rook // 2nd cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 24: Knight // 1st cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 25: Knight // 2nd cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 26: Etch the surface of the pieces to create a frosted look. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Intro: 3D Miniature Chess Pieces made with a Laser Cutter
I'll show you step by step how I made minature chess pieces (~3 cm tall) by laser cutting acrylic. For this project I used an Epilog 40W Mini 18 laser cutter. Most cuts
were done at 100% power and 3% speed. I attached the PDF files of the vector profiles I used.

File Downloads

Chess Profile PDFs.zip (7 MB)

[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Chess Profile PDFs.zip']
Step 1: Start with an acrylic bar 3/8" thick

Step 2: Cut the profile of the piece.

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 3: Cut out a box that completely surrounds the piece.

Step 4: Remove everything within the box.

Step 5: Examine the part you just cut.

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 6: Lay the piece on its side.

Step 7: Remove the top "padding".

The bottom padding holds the piece level. The top padding is not useful and only add more material for the laser to cut through.

Step 8: Place the piece back into the cut out box

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 9: Cut the profile again.

Step 10: Remove the piece out of the box again.

Step 11: Enjoy your new miniature pawn.

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 12: Use the same procedure to make the other pieces.

Step 13: The front and side profiles can be the same or different.

Step 14: Several views of the first cutting step of the pawn.

Step 15: Several views after the second cutting step of the pawn.

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 16: Bishop // 1st cut

Step 17: Bishop // 2nd cut

Step 18: Queen // 1st cut

Step 19: Queen // 2nd cut

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 20: King // 1st cut

Step 21: King // 2nd cut

Step 22: Rook // 1st cut

For some reason I did not remove the padding before taking these photos.

Step 23: Rook // 2nd cut

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 24: Knight // 1st cut

Step 25: Knight // 2nd cut

Step 26: Etch the surface of the pieces to create a frosted look.
I made these pieces in 2012 when I was a grad student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Many
thanks to my then-advisor Prof. Jennifer Lewis who always let me explore my creativity even it clearly had nothing to do with my graduate research.

Related Instructables

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Pieces from 1 Ancient version How to Play
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Wooden Dowel Chess Board & Chess by
Learn with me board) by chess board by
by slylee Pieces by Annielulu
as I Make himalion Begreataddie
Wooden Chess Pamplemousse42
Set at
TechShop. by
John_TS_DTW

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/
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Comments
3 comments Add Comment

bravoechonovember1 says: Sep 18, 2015. 10:04 AM REPLY

awesome first i'ble! welcome to the community!

also have you entered any of the contests? there are currently two you could enter: epilog7 and

bravoechonovember1 says: Sep 18, 2015. 10:04 AM REPLY

firsttime2015.

tomatoskins says: Sep 18, 2015. 8:46 AM REPLY

I love non traditional laser cutting like this!

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Miniature-Chess-Pieces-made-with-a-Laser-Cutter/