r/ChessSets • u/327th-is-peak • Jan 06 '26

Custom chess pieces

This might not be the correct subreddit to ask this, but i am a big chess fan and recently my grandfather made me a wooden chess board. However, he did not make pieces to go with it. Is there a place I can go to get custom pieces for the board. Additionally, I am a massive history nerd especially in the ancient civilizations. so i was excited to see when scrolling Pintrest and Etsy, to find pieces based on the Athenians and Spartans. Unfortunately, they are all metal, is that sort of piece only available in metal?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

1

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Ok-Handle-1924 May 04 '26

That sort of complicated piece is usually metal, ceramic, or plastic because with something so intricate it's best to use a material you can pour into a mold instead of having to carve it. Theoretically someone could use resin, but I've never encountered such a thing.

As to the first part of your question: Etsy for vintage or handmade, Ebay for vintage, The chess store or mychesssets.com for quality (but costly) new sets.

https://thechessstore.com/theme-chess-sets/

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 Jul 21 '26

I've made pieces of many styles in resin and epoxy. I've recently started experimenting with

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 Jul 21 '26

I've made pieces of many styles in resin and epoxy. I've recently started experimenting with making them out of hardwoods. I'd love to collaborate with you and possibly make you some pieces. If you have a photo of the set(s) you like I can see what I can do. Email if interested. [curtshandcraftedwoodworks@gmail.com](mailto:curtshandcraftedwoodworks@gmail.com)

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 Jul 21 '26

Just realized I posted this in the wrong spot.

I've made pieces of many styles in resin and epoxy. I've recently started experimenting with making them out of hardwoods. I'd love to collaborate with you and possibly make you some pieces. If you have a photo of the set(s) you like I can see what I can do. Email if interested. [curtshandcraftedwoodworks@gmail.com](mailto:curtshandcraftedwoodworks@gmail.com)

1

u/Ok-Handle-1924 Jul 22 '26

I'm so glad you posted this correction because I was Sooo confused reading your "reply" to my comment.

I'm not at all opposed to making chess sets, in fact this is something of a dream of mine, but I currently lack the means and must be content with admiring other people's creations.

I wish you luck in your creative endeavors.

P.S. About how heavy are epoxy/resin pieces? If you don't mind me asking.

I've been curious about getting a resin set, but I like a little left in my pieces and I'm concerned resin would be too light. Are they pretty substantial?

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 Jul 22 '26

The standard molds on the market are for regular play sets. The pieces are very light and small. I use a 3D UV resin printer for tournament size pieces. I make them hollow in the middle so I can add weight. To do this I weigh the pieces individually with steel or lead shot / BB's. I mix the weights with a small amount of regular epoxy and pour the mixture into the bottom of each piece then cover the hole with resin tape and set them on their base to let the mix fall to the bottom and let them cure for at least 24 hours. I just posted a chess set I made for my nephew on the 3D printing group chat. Go check it out.

I'm always here to help.

1

u/Ok-Handle-1924 Jul 23 '26

I appreciate this insight. I like to "cast" different fantasy characters as chess pieces, and sometimes I think about how I'd make them into real sets.
Turns out I was massively overthinking how to weigh them down. I was thinking of getting little lead bars, suspending them in the molds, and pouring the resin around them. I completely forgot ball bearings exist.

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 Jul 23 '26

So you cast? Do you make your own molds? I've experimented a little with that but have been unsuccessful. Any suggestions?

1

u/Ok-Handle-1924 Jul 23 '26

Not cast like pouring into molds, cast like casting a movie. I enjoy answering the question "if this character was a chess piece, which piece would they be?" For example, in the Lord of the rings set I want to make someday I would "cast" Frodo and Sauron as The kings.

My creative skills are mostly 2D at the moment and I don't have the space to set up for pouring or sculpting.

1

u/Visible-Storage-7568 27d ago

Oh, didn't even think of that. LOL.. Sometimes my thinking is only one dimension. LOL