I built a three dimensional chess board. The entire concept is that the different levels hold an individual section of the board. All differing in the number of spaces. This will increase the difficulty of the classic game of chess. All connecting through a center axis (center dowel), separate dowels extend outward to form a perch for each platform to be attached to. Each platform consisting of a different number of spaces, are made of clear yellow acrylic. This gives the board a more modern look.

The length of work given to work on this project was about two months time. Assigned as an engineering project in my high school.

Step 1: Brainstorming Ideas

I originated the idea from the interest in chess and the making of unique chess boards. Last spring I made a 3D chess board. Which was a great protect and went exactly to plan (check my bio to view it), so that of course sparked my interest in stepping up the game in making another cool and creative board.

I got a lot of ideas from the internet... The TV show The Big Bang Theory and the movie Star Trek have both used 3 dimensional chess boards in them. So I knew I wanted to build something similar, but much more complicated. To make the game of chess even harder then it already is.

I spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas for this board. Most likely took up the most time of the actual project.

Step 2: Making and Developing the Plans

These are my drawings of my plans to make the board.

Basically I needed to decide what sections of the board would go where, so I separated different spaces and made up the height that they would be played on. I spent a lot of time deciding all of the plans and if this board would actually work and would be able to be played. So I used these drawings and built it. I would call the final piece a prototype. Because when building I believe I should have planned some parts of the design better and possibly used different materials to construct the board. Which of course would cost more money for the supplies and more class time to rebuild a better final product.

But I believe the plans for the board can be used to make this product. Drew the plans as self explanatory as possible.

Step 3: Materials and Machines Used

Materials List:

yellow clear acrylic
1/4 inch dowels (3)
1/2 inch dowels (1)
yellow paint
wood glue
epoxy glue
sharpy marker
sand paper
Clamps

Machines Used:

hand drill
scroll saw
band saw
drill press

Step 4: Building

In building the chess board I took fairly simple steps in the process... Taking the center axis ( the 1/2 inch dowel), I drilled holes through the marked areas that each platform would be placed. Drilling all the way through the dowel so that the 1/4 inch dowels would fit through each hole. securing them with wood glue.

Next I painted it all yellow to match the color of the acrylic used for the spaces.

I had cut out each fitting piece of the board (the acrylic) and made the separating lines clear with a sharpy marker. I wanted to laser engraving each space on the board but did not have enough time due to the influx of people wanting to use the laser engraving for their own projects. But anyway, I used the sharpy marker. It still did it's job separating each space... I attached each section of the board onto it's platform using epoxy glue. And secured them using clamps. After drying the end result was a good model of what I actually wanted to build.

Step 5: Final Product/The Finished Prototype

I am still happy with how this project turned out in the end. I think I may have put too much complexity into the design and just couldn't make it right. Still a good prototype of the real deal. Had I had a little more time I think it would have came together a bit nicer. But happy with the project, had some fun, and invented a different way of looking at and playing the game of chess.