CNC Chess Stools

I made these stools for an artwork about Chess called Orthogonal/Diagonal. The functional joints in the stools also highlight the idea of the orthogonal and diagonal movements on a Chess board.

Step 1: Prepare Files for CNC

I designed the stools in Rhino, but could have used a 2D Vector program such as Illustrator.

Step 2: Measure and CNC

The design uses 3/4"/18mm Baltic birch plywood, it's important to measure the actual thickness of your plywood and adjust the width of the joints in the files. The goal is to achieve a friction fit. This way you can always disassemble them later for easy transportation. I would recommend first cutting two test slots to see how they fit together.

I used a ShopBot and a 1/4" spiral down cut cutter and sanded the finished pieces. I selected T-Bone Fillets for the inside corners.

Step 3: Assembly

Use a mallet and a piece of sacrificial board to hammer together the legs, then the seat. Stain or oil as desired.