Team: Lena & Singrhu
The chess piece making process
1.choosing the chess piece/type of piece: choosing the piece was challenging to make sure we chose one that did not have overhangs, and that can be broken down between the two mold making options to produce pleasing results.
- File conversion for CNC & 3D printing: the file conversion was the challenging step as it required skills with meshworks and fusion 360 which users had to learn “on the spot”.
- 3D printing/CNC machining: the 3D printing process was straightforward and less time consuming as users were more knowledgeable about the process by this point. The CNC machining was simple as well once the right file format was created in g-code. The resulting carved mold did not turn out as hoped for, but the resulting pieces were easily post processed into the desired shape. Both 3D printing and CNCing took approximately 30 minutes each.
- Silicone Molding:
The silicone making was fairly straightforward. It involved making a cardboard low-fidelity box around the positives and sealed with glue to make sure the silicone is contained and does not leak. Two parts of the plastil (A & B) were mixed together and poured over the CNC and 3D molds.
- Casting: the casting process was easy and straightforward similar to the silicone making. The plasticizer and the raw material were mixed thoroughly and poured into the silicone molds.
- Post processing:
In the post processing we used paper sanding, dremel machine, and scissors to cut off the extra pieces, smooth out the shape and make it look more aesthetically pleasing.
Cost Analysis:
3D Printing:
We had initially printed our cat design that we decided later not to do which totaled up to be $1.34. The full ghost and half ghost that we printed for this project used a total of 16.29 grams of material, totalling up to be $0.33. The total cost of the raw material for the 3D printed pieces is $1.67. The time it took for all the prints to be made, including the discarded cat prints, is 4 hours. Assuming that the machine cost for a 3D printer is $1/hour, the total machine cost for the FDM prints is $4. The total cost for making the 3D printed parts in this project is $5.34.
CNC Machining:
We used one birchwood block with dimensions at approximately 6 x 5 x 3 inches which is approximately $1. The entire piece took 30 minutes to cut, a 3-axis milling machine generally costs $40 per hour, so the CNC machine cost for this project is $20. The total cost for making the CNC part of this project is $41.
Silicone Mold:
The silicone mold used cost $300 for the entire bottles, which weighs about 8 kilograms. We used approximately 200 grams to create both of our molds which costs approximately $7.5. We also used cardboard and hot glue to create the molds which cost approximately $0.5. The total cost of making the silicone molds is $8.
Plastic Cast:
As our piece is relatively small, only approximately 10mL total of plastic pouring liquid was used when making our casts. We made a total of 8 chess pieces, so approximately 80mL of the material was used. At a price of $77 per 5L, the total price of the plastic cast we used is $1.23. We also used plastic cups and popsicle sticks which totaled to around $1. We also used really small amounts of dye which costs around $0.05. The total cost of making the plastic casts is $2.28.
Post-Processing:
We used the dremel for approximately 1 hour, which is approximately $0.50. The total cost of post-processing for this piece is $0.50.
The total cost for creating all 8 of our chess pieces is $57.12.
