Singularity Chess

[drventure]

My brother hooked me up with this idea a few months back.

I don't have any tools right now (or a place to work), but when I've visited my parents, my dad and I have been cobbling on it.

Basically, it's called a "Singularity chess board".

http://abstractstrategygames.blogspot.com/2010/10/singularity-chess.html



Played with normal chess pieces but they all move very oddly.

My interest in mainly in just how you might construct the board.

Should be interesting.

[maffewl]

That gives me a headache to even think of playing... i.e. a bishop would move one direction and then change to the opposite direction at center board.  Mind blown. 

[drventure]

Even better, it's possible for a dark bishop to pass through the center and become a white bishop.

[brad808]

I just got the same look I get when I load up a game in mame and the instructions are all Japanese. I sort of understand what's going on just by looking at it but it seems overly complicated until you play a few games.

[CoryBee]

I love chess so +1 but....but what

[drventure]

the rules are pretty much the same as chess, except you have to imagine that the curved areas have 4 "sides" and 4 "corners" just like regular squares, just warped. Once you see that, all the pieces basically move the same, through the sides or through the corners.

[yaksplat]

If I had to guess, the top is veneer and cut out with a compass holding an xacto knife.

[drventure]

If I had to guess, the top is veneer and cut out with a compass holding an xacto knife.

Most likely. So what did I do? grab some 3/4 hardwood planks and start cutting on a bandsaw. 

The pieces didn't come out too bad though.

[Nephasth]

I was thinking scroll saw... Gotta make me one of these someday.

[PL1]

The hard parts about the scroll saw are:
1. Keeping a consistent arc, and
2. What about the kerf?

I'm thinking the easy way is woodgrain vinyl on a plotter with a cutting attachment.

Make a plotter file that consists of concentric circles and straight lines.

Run the pattern twice -- once with a lighter shade, once with a darker shade.

Remove the parts for each pattern that you don't need.

Use transfer tape to keep the pieces in the correct position as you transfer first one shade then the other to a base board and squeegee the whole thing smooth.

Trim and frame the base board.

Apply sealant as desired.


Scott

[drventure]

Yeah, but that'd be wood grain vinyl. 

What I did was put a pivot nail to one side of the board, then used some scrap ply and drilled holes at 1.5" intervals from the blade.

Drive the nail through my hardwood, then just pivot it through an arc as I cut.

The trick was getting the blade to track properly. At first, it jumped quite a bit and ruined a few cuts, but once we got that adjusted, it was fine.

The kerf is a little bit of an issue. I had to hand sand several of the pieces to get them to fit right, but otherwise, I used a then blade on the band saw so it wasn't as much of an issue.

[Nephasth]

 

[PL1]

Yeah, but that'd be wood grain vinyl. 

Fair-enough -- easy non-vinyl version:

Start with stainable board.

Use Dremel Circle Cutter and Straight Edge Guide and a pointed bit like the Dremel 125 to outline the spaces with a very shallow cut.

 

Fill the pivot point.

Prep the board for staining.

Stain the whole board the lightest desired color and allow it to dry.

Mask off the parts you want to remain light colored.

Stain the next darkest color and allow it to dry.

Repeat as desired.

Seal with thin coats of polyurethane.

That better?


Scott

Edit: On second thought. maybe a 105 Engraving Cutter would be a better bit for this job.

[drventure]

Ok, now you're just showing off 

Yeah, I did it the hard way. The exacto knife and self stick veneer approach would probably be my preference in retrospect.

Or mill it all out of 320 stainless and copper 

[yaksplat]

Or mill it all out of 320 stainless and copper 

My rotary table is ready.