3D TIC TAC TOE (Laser Cut & 3D Printed)

n this project, we will be creating a 3D tic tac toe game using a combination of laser cutting and 3D printing. This game is a fun and challenging twist on the classic 2D tic tac toe game and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. To make the game you will just need a few materials and after laser cutting & 3D printing the files, within an hour you can assemble all the pieces without any glue and start playing.

• 2MM MDF SHEET
• 3MM Acrylic Sheet
• Access to CNC Laser Cutting Machine & 3D Printer

The Pegs have reducing diameter so the Cross X's & Zeros O's do not fall. The pegs are 3D printed with PLA filament. Print 9 copies of the pegs from the file in the attachment, you also print the pegs in different colours. The pegs have 3MM extrusion at the bottom for fitting on the board. Some sanding might be required to finish the piece. If you can not 3D print, you can also make the pegs from wood or other material.

The game has 3 Sizes of Cross X, 5 each for each level. The cross piece has 8 side parts, top and bottom part. Start by fitting the kerfed side part to the bottom part and then fit the other side end. Do it all for all the sides and then fit the top part. All the pieces have tight finger joints and you should hear snap sound while fitting.

Same as the Cross pieces there 3 sizes of Zeros O. Fit the belt to one of the piece and join both ends and fit the top piece.

The game board is laser cut from a 3MM Acrylic sheet. But you can also use colour tinted, frosted acrylic sheet or even MDF sheet. The green lines in the file are engraved for the 3x3 grid. The board 9 cutouts for the pegs to fit and they dimensioned as per the laser kerf so the pegs fit tight enough that one can lift the board with pegs without falling. But some adjustments may be required due to change in the laser cutting machine.

Now it's time to play the game you made. The great thing about 3D Tic tac Toe is that the game can't end in a draw. Since it's played at 3 levels (x,y & z axis) it's more fun compared to traditional game. You can move to higher level one by one or you can also play at all the 3 levels simultaneously. You can make own rules for the game.

Some links to learn more about 3D Tic Tac Toe Game & Rules

https://youtu.be/FwJZa-helig?t=240

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5980d56fb8a79b3cf086de1c/t/599aa213cd0f681d5d9489fe/1503306260633/3D+Tic+Tac+Toe+Rules.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_tic-tac-toe

It took me a lot of trials and iterations in the kerfing pattern and tolerances to make all the pieces fit without glue. Lot pieces broke when they were bent. And making the belt for the zero's O was the hardest. You see all the failed pieces above that were made to achieve the final result.

All the dimensions in the files are in MM.

All the finger joints in the files have kerf tolerances of around 0.15 MM - 0.20 MM for tight-fitting. But due to different power & speed settings and different laser cutting machines, trial cuts should be done to make slight adjustments if needed.

These are some Instructables and resources that helped me in the project:

https://www.instructables.com/Laser-Cutting-Basics/

https://www.instructables.com/Curved-laser-bent-wood/

https://obrary.com/products/living-hinge-patterns

http://steammetry.com/5-useful-living-hinge-template-for-your-next-laser-cut-project/

http://www.cutlasercut.com/resources/tips-and-advice/what-is-laser-kerf

https://www.troteclaser.com/en/knowledge/tips-for-laser-users/bending-technique/

https://markforged.com/resources/blog/joinery-onyx