Xiangqi

Xiangqi was my final project for ME318, Computer-Aided Product Creation. It is a modern update to a classic Chinese board game called xiangqi, also known as Chinese chess. It was inspired by my father, who taught me how to play the game when I was growing up. This version of the game reimagines the traditional use of written characters for tiles with my own drawings for new pieces, and uses my own design for a board that highlights the contrast between the red and black sides as being warring sides of a conflict.

The pieces were made from 6061 aluminum using a Haas VF2 CNC mill, along with the use of machinable Rigidax wax to assist with a part flip. The board was made mostly by hand from several pieces of Brazilian yellowheart wood, though the design on the top was laser engraved onto the surface. The gameboard was sealed with polymerized linseed oil for the final finish.

Despite some initial difficulties on the CNC with the project, the final result was perfect to me in that it nearly exactly matched what my original idea for the project looked like, and was the culmination of many hours spent on the design of the game, becoming truly confident on the CNC, and learning how to integrate and create a woodworking component to add to my final project.