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LostMachine β Chess
Published: 2005-08-17 02:35:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 1757; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 85
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Description
These are for chess tables that I was commissioned to build 3 weeks ago. I was short on money for Burning Man so I told myself that I would finish them before the Burn.They wanted something that had a bit of retro futuristic feel to it but was also unique.
Most all the material was scrap metal, I did purchase some brass strips to make a boarder on the chess boards. I etched the businesses logo into the border using ferric chloride. The tops are made of 3/8β polycarbonate sheet sanded to 80grit with a palm sander then the board was airbrushed on top, there is a 1/16β sheet of acrylic on top of that that can easily be changed out when it gets messed up.
Each table has 44 high powered LEDs. All four tables draw about 6 amps at 12 volts and are powered by a car battery charger. There are swivel casters on the back two legs so that they can easily be brought in at night.
enjoy ; )
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Comments: 10
Nice man, are all four completely identical? I like the lighting affect, especially underneath the playing surface. Do you finish your steel with anything? I haven't seen any mention of any preferred method.
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All four are basically the same. I varied the amount of red and blue LEDs in the table tops, but other than that they are the same. For the finish, I used about 20 coats of an auto body clear coat. Every four coats I rub the surface down with 0000 steel wool to knock off the high spots. If they were indoor table I would have done half as many coats. I did 20 coats to create a thermal barrier between anyone touching the top and the metal.
Metal is an excellent conductor of heat and after sitting in the sun all day you would not be able to touch them. With the thick layer of clear coat your hand slowly absorbs the heat and you donβt get burned.
LM
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That's cool. It helps to have one basic pattern to follow, creates a more continous look. I really like the idea of the auto clear, I
wouldn't have thought about creating that kind of thermal barrier. Good call, mate!
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Very impressive piece. The metal really adds to the luminous effect of the LED's without taking away from it in any way. Sleek design that in its simplicity is absolutely breathtaking.
You ever worked with or contemplated using black-light and UV reactive plastic?
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Thanks.
I have worked with UV plastics in the past I like them but I donβt like buying them. All the plastic in the chess tables was scrap, either form a remnants bin of pulled out of a dumpster.
LM
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Nice looking pieces. I'd love to play a game on them. A great board for a mellow night at a coffeehouse.
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Excellent use of materials, and the way its lit up looks incredible. Just wondering if one LED goes out they all stay lit right?
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Thanks
If one LED goes out the rest will stay lit ; )
They are wired in parallel, in a closed loop on the inside.
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Excellent. It's so unique and unreal that I thought it was a fake 3d rendering at first.
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