Dragon Chess Set - Premium Folding Board - No CFS

Hello everyone, Blaerov here.

Today I want to share one of my largest functional projects so far: the Dragon Chess Kit.

This is a complete 40 x 40 cm chessboard that folds into its own storage case. It was designed to be strong, portable and printable on regular FDM machines, including smaller printers.

The complete project contains 125 printed parts.

https://youtu.be/2U6C7yqoGeQ

THE FOLDING BOARD

The board is divided into four printable quadrants. Once printed, the quadrants are joined using pressure-fit couplers.

Each quadrant is designed as a structural tray rather than a simple flat panel. The angled perimeter edges, internal ribs and triangular reinforcements provide additional rigidity and help the assembled board remain square.

The two completed halves are connected by self-contained printed hinges. Simply place the hinge elements in position and insert the printed locks. No metal pins or external hinge hardware are required.

When opened, the board measures 40 x 40 cm. When closed, it becomes a sturdy storage case with a separate internal side for each army.

THE PLAYING SURFACE

The 64 black and white tiles are printed separately and installed over the four quadrants.

This makes the project single-color friendly. You do not need an AMS or another multicolor system: simply print each component group in the required color and assemble the board afterward.

TPU FEET

The board uses four removable TPU feet.

They clip directly onto the corners, provide grip and support the open board during play. They can also be removed before storing or transporting the set.

DRAGON CHESS PIECES

The project includes two complete armies:

16 white pieces 16 black pieces 32 dragon pieces in total Every chess role has its own personality, proportions and silhouette. The pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, queen and king were individually designed as members of the same dragon family.

The hierarchy is intentional: pawns are compact, minor pieces have their own recognizable profiles, and the king and queen have the largest and most imposing designs.

Paired pieces also use opposite orientations for asymmetric elements such as tails, preventing the army from looking like a collection of identical mirrored copies.

FDM-ORIENTED DESIGN

The dragon figures were designed specifically for FDM printing.

Beards, wings, tails and body contact points are integrated into the sculpture to reduce unsupported overhangs. Most pieces can be printed with minimal supports or no supports, depending on your printer, material and profile.

Always check the sliced preview before enabling supports globally.

MATERIALS

The demonstrated build was printed using:

PETG for the rigid board components PETG for the tiles and chess pieces TPU for the removable feet PLA can also be used for the board, tiles and pieces.

Use a calibrated profile for your material and printer. Pay special attention to first-layer compensation and dimensional accuracy on the couplers, hinge locks, tile edges and other pressure-fit components.

Do not scale individual mating parts. All connecting components must remain at the original model scale.

BASIC ASSEMBLY

Print the four reinforced quadrants. Clean the mating surfaces and coupler openings. Join the matching quadrants using the pressure-fit couplers. Align the self-contained hinge elements. Insert the printed hinge locks. Install the 64 black and white tiles. Clip the four TPU feet onto the corners. Print both complete dragon armies. Store the white pieces on one side and the black pieces on the other. Fold the board and engage the front latch.

PROJECT CONTENT

Four reinforced board quadrants Pressure-fit quadrant couplers 64 separate chessboard tiles Self-contained hinge components Printed hinge locks Front closure components Four removable TPU feet Complete white dragon army Complete black dragon army 32 dragon chess pieces 125 printed parts in total Illustrated printing and assembly manual PRINTING NOTES

This is a large project, but every component is organized so it can be produced on standard FDM printers.

The complete build can be printed over a weekend, depending on your printer, chosen settings and available machines. With several printers working simultaneously, the production time can be reduced considerably.

Before final assembly:

Remove brim, strings and first-layer flare. Dry-fit every pressure-fit component. Confirm that all four quadrants sit level. Check that the hinges move freely before forcing them. Verify that every tile sits flush with its neighbors. Handle the dragons by their bases or main bodies.

FINAL RESULT

The finished project combines a full-size chessboard, a folding storage case and two complete dragon armies in one functional FDM-printable design.