Creating a Custom Hive Set

by dworley

12K8416

Intro: Creating a Custom Hive Set

Hive is a tabletop game I've been trying to get more people in the office to play.

There was some scrap acrylic in a bucket at the office. Some of it was pretty cool fluorescent green. I grabbed the acrylic and then Randy showed me how to SHOOT IT WITH A LASER.

It is not healthy to breathe the smell of burning acrylic. I stood anyway and watched every line of these designs burn.

You can learn how to make neat designs like these using my previous Instructable, Creating Vector Art for Tattoos or Iconography

STEP 1: The Vector Files

Included here in vector format are the pieces I created.

There's an Adobe Illustrator file and an EPS, both suitable for laser cutting.

The next step shows the result of cutting each piece out of the fluorescent acrylic.

STEP 2: The Pieces

This is what the pieces look like when they're cut and etched in fluorescent green acrylic.

16 Comments

Slaval 8 years ago

Hi, I was wondering if you have the vectors of the ladybug, mosquito and pillbug as well

namit 9 years ago

Check this out that our hackerspace made.

http://www.tog.ie/2015/02/hive-game-using-real-insects/

dworley 9 years ago

Wow! That's a fantastic idea. I need to make those.

lscott13 11 years ago

Pretty awesome looking set man. The iPhone has an app for hive if you ever can't find anybody to play with. It doesn't have the pillbug or ladybug though. Still it's pretty sweet when it dying to play a game and no ones around. You should post this on the challenge to win that zing laser. Would be one of the best ones on there.

dworley 10 years ago

Sadly, I cannot win any contest on Instructables. Well, rather, I can win but I cannot claim a prize.

Employees are ineligible!

Eye Poker 11 years ago

Hive is very much like chess without a board. Easy to learn and very fun to play.

Love the design work.

:)

code_neon 11 years ago

Very interesting sounding game, ill have to try it.

The acrylic fumes are not good, do you have an air assist/dust collection, and/or filters on your laser?

dworley 11 years ago

There's a fan, and the laser circulates air over it. The fan's exhaust goes out a window into an alley behind the office so there can be blowback.

code_neon 11 years ago

OIC. We had a very similar setup with the lasers I used in the past at school. The fan would blow out the window and dump all over the students walking into and out of the music building next door...Minus the lovely fumes we were putting out it was kinda funny...

NeuroPulse 11 years ago

Hello.

How about being more specific that "shoot with laser". And some pixtures of doing it.

Thanks

dworley 11 years ago

I don't want this Instructable to be about how to use a laser cutter. I'd rather just focus on the vector designs and the game pieces.

If you want to learn how to use a laser cutter and prepare artwork for it, StumpChunkman has a nice Instructable about it.

Geli12 11 years ago

That's just cool! Please make more hex based games!

cowstick 11 years ago

waiting for Settlers of Cattan set.

M.C. Langer 11 years ago

Awesome dude!!! Thanks for this amazing instructable!!!