Pocket Pins

Hello, I am a Grade 11 student attending Northern Secondary School in Toronto. Bored of the same old bowling alley, or perhaps you’re looking for a new challenge? Pocket Pins is the perfect family-friendly game to mix things up! 

I used Fusion 360 to design my game.

I began by creating a rectangular base to serve as the miniature bowling alley. Then, I placed circles where the pins would be located and added a hole at the beginning of the alley to accommodate a joint for the ramp. Next, I extruded the sides of the rectangular base to form a barrier that would prevent the ball from falling off. I created holes into the base to accommodate the pins, ensuring that they would fit snugly onto the board. I selected the appropriate colors and applied fillets to the corners where necessary, creating a smooth and polished finish to the board.

To create the ramp, I began by constructing a 90-degree triangle and then adjusted the hypotenuse to follow a more gradual ramp-like shape. After extruding the sides, I filleted the track to ensure that the ball would roll down smoothly. Additionally, I added a pivoting joint that would fit into the hole on the board, and attached a mug-like handle to allow for an easy rotation.

To craft the bowling pins, I began by searching online for an image of a bowling pin and then converted it into an SVG file. I used the revolve tool to create a 3D model of the pin. After scaling it down to the appropriate size to fit into the holes on the board, I arranged them to mimic a real bowling setup. Finally, I colored the pins in white and red to give them an authentic bowling pin appearance.

Constructing the bowling balls was a straightforward process. I began by creating a circle and then I used the revolve tool to create a 3D model. To add some variety to the game, I created several unique variants of the ball, each with its own distinctive features. For example, one ball is hollow, another is made of a different material, etc. To give them a realistic look, I colored the balls black.

Finally, I organized all the pieces in their appropriate places. See attached PDF for game instructions.