Heart-ominos

NOTE: Assembly plans start on step 3. I encourage reading everything, ofcourse, but if you must skip something, skip this step and move to step 2 as it provides insights into the parametric models and notes about the plans.

Growing up, I played a lot of board games with my family. We had one night a week dedicated to playing them as a family. There was one in particular that we really enjoyed playing - Dominos. Dominos is more than just a game, it is also a bonding experience and requires more strategy than some may think. We later found a game called Tri-ominos and it was a blast, could be played by more people and was just all around fun while still bringing the same strategy as regular dominos, if not more.

Years later, I developed an idea to change the game a bit. I wanted it to be more of a two player game again and have different variations to it. It was after I found xTool that I realized I could create it the way I envisioned. So here it is, Heart-onimos. 

The idea behind this is very simple - line up two like numbers on a side with matching numbers on a side of a piece already played. If you create certain shapes, you earn bonus points. If you run out of tiles, you win. Simple, right? Not really…it can be very engaging and develop your strategy game quite a bit. Each piece is shaped like a heart and there are 3 numbers on each piece, which opens up a world of playability on a playing field. Speaking of which, one of the variations puts limits on the playing field. That version is my favorite as you may have a tile that COULD be played if the field was open but since there is a border, you are essentially blocked and can't play the piece. Frustrating and still, fun. 

How does this relate to valentines? Well, besides the hearts, that is? This is a game that helps to develop a bond with clear rules and lots of fun. It can be competitive and engaging without being annoying and aggravating. What better way to build that relationship when at home than sitting down to a solid game of engagement?

It took two weeks to develop the plans for this. I build everything from scratch and rarely use outside sources for developing my boxes or designs. However, xTool/Atomm recently released something that I thought would be perfect for this and help me out a lot - Parametric Models. 

If you don't know, there is a link under Creative Labs called Parametric Models. They have all sorts of different designs that will aid you in creating a perfect design for that hard to create item. For this, I used the lantern parametric model. So, how does a lantern transform into a heart? 

I had to first figure out the dimensions I wanted. When I had that, I removed the outer border, keeping the leg cutouts (of which I used the max of 24 but in the end I had 25 legs) and then replaced it with a heart border. I had to be sure the leg tab holes fell within the the borders of the heart. After that, I widened the center hole. This gave me a starting point on creating my game box. From there, it was a matter of creating the base and lid and then making sure everything fit together perfectly. 

That's the thing I really love about the parametric models. Even if you download them, you can manipulate and adjust them to meet your specific needs. And it truly is easy to do. As these plans indicate, I turned a lantern plan into a game box.

The plans are spread over 5 different canvases. Each color in the plans are set for different settings. 

Red are cut lines. Orange are scored lines. Black are engraved areas. Dark Blue are engraved areas. Purple is for Clear Acrylic Cut lines and used only for the Grid game board should you decide to use that part. Green and yellow are informative areas and set to not output.

I used four different mediums for this. 1/8 (3mm) and 1/4 (6mm) Birch wood, 3mm black acrylic and 3mm transparent acrylic. However, you can use any form you want as long as the legs of the plans are done on 1/8 (3mm birch) since the tab holes in the base and the top are cut for 1/8. Should you decide to adjust the overall size of these plans, keep in mind that the holes are cut for the legs included at 1/8 inch thickness and are very tight to put together. Adjusting the size may just skew this and make this impossible to put together. 

If you want, you can do the base, the top, and the lid in 1/8 inch birch instead of 1/4. This will make it so that you can limit your wood to just one size. As for the acrylic parts, that is not nescessary and can be easily replaced by wood. However, for the grid game board, that must be 1/8 in thickness. More on that in the optional step 9 below. 

Painting - I hate painting but this project called for colors and so I did it. I also despise masking and as you can probably tell by looking at my photos, I did not mask. I cut, engraved, and scored all on painted items. I will say this though, be sure to sand after one coat of paint and then spray on a second coat. This will make it easier to clean in the end.

Recommendation is to mask if you want this to truly shine.

NOTE: The settings provided are for the P2 and on the material selected (¼" Birch and 1/8" Birch) If using different wood and/or machine, you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.

These instructions are written with the idea that you have already painted the boards.

Using the settings above, cut/engrave the ¼" Base, top and lid. Then cut your legs. There are a total of 25 legs. 

The magnets are optional and not absolutely needed. If you decide to not do the magnets, you can remove the black engraved parts of this step.

When you cut the heart with the hole in the center, keep that center cutout to use later on the lid in step 8.

Assembly instructions for the game box is in step 8.
See Step 9 for the options for the grid and game top.

NOTE: The settings provided are for the P2 and on the material selected (3mm Black acrylic and 1/8" Birch) If using different wood and/or machine, you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.

The pieces are double layered. This provides them with a bit of heft and thickness to make them like good solid playing pieces. 

Note that I had a variety of different colors for the pieces. I wanted to simulate the look of the heart candies recieved around valentines. I did not want to waste an entire board on one color either so I took three boards and painted two different colors on each board. This allowed me to get 6 different colors. I also made sure to use as close to the same vibrant colors as the heart candies. Keep in mind that this is completely optional and you can paint or not paint as you choose.

I used black acrylic for the backs. No matter what you use for the back, and to make it easier for assembly on your part, be sure to use Dualtite double sided adhesive on one side. Then also be sure to download and use the heart Guide to allow for easy assembly of the heart pieces. (See pictures 3 and 4 of this step for the heart guide) You can even cut this out of the same material as your heart back pieces. If you do that, as I did, you just need to put the two pieces together by peeling the double sided adhesive of one and joining the two halves together. Be sure the interior of the guide is as lined up as possible to make assembly of the heart pieces easier.

When you have the heart pieces and the backs cut out, peel the double sided adhesive of the back off and put that down into the guide with the adhesive side face up. Put the heart piece with the words on top of that and press down. This will seat and seal the adhesive. Push it out the opposite side and then repeat until all the pieces are together.

NOTE: The settings provided are for the P2 and on the material selected (1/8" Birch) If using different wood and/or machine, you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.

Use the settings above to engrave/cut out your pieces. Each stand has 4 parts. It is recommened to make 4 stands so that each player has 2 stands to use. 

First glue on the front part (the notched piece with the 5 ‘V’s) to the backside. Be sure to line it up with the bottom so that the word “Heart-ominos” is fully shown. 

Next, flip the front over so it is lying flat on its face. Take the two sides and line them up. You want to ensure the flat end is facing to the bottom of the stand and the tab is facing to the notched tab insert on either side. Put glue along the small tabs and in the indent of the front piece as seen in picture 2 of this step. Insert the side piece and hold for a brief few seconds. 

Finally, put a line of glue along the joint where the side piece meets the stand at the back. See picture 4.

NOTE: The settings provided are for the P2 and on the material selected (1/8" Birch) If using different wood and/or machine, you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.

This is pretty simple but a bit time consuming as it is a lot of text to score. There are two parts to the instructions. I opted to put it on one piece of wood. Use the included settings to score and cut out one side, and then turn it over and score the other side. Keep in mind, you may need to sand the other side if there is over burn. Do this BEFORE you score the other side as sanding can obliterate or extremely fade scored lines. 

Be sure to use neoprene gloves here to prevent any transfer of grime to your painted surfaces. Soot from the edges tends to transfer easier with skin oils and so having these gloves on helps a lot.

I use alcohol wipes and constantly adjust the cloth so that the part being used is clean. I wipe each area down fully and make sure as much burnover/black marks are removed as possible. 

It is at this point that if you need to repaint something, you should do so. I came across one area that was scorched pretty good and while the cleaning did help, I still had to go over it with a sponge brush and paint to cover it. Even though I had the scorch mark, it still turned out pretty good. 

Clean all parts, the pieces, the base, lid, and top and the stands. 

I put this as a separate step unlike the pieces and the stand due to the complexity and time involoved. 

When assembling this, keep this in mind: “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.” This is a famous quote by Helen Keller and to me it means to keep persevering and you shall prevail. I say this because the legs on this thing are a beast but if you keep at it you will get it to go together.

Before starting this, make sure you have a couple of clamps. Two will help you out more than you know. 

The first part is pretty straight forward. Put the legs into the base. Not the top. Assembly is much easier if you are starting with the base. Some of these are difficult to put in but they should be tight. If you cannot get one to fully seat, place a small piece of wood on top and gently tap it into place. Keep each piece upright and if any lean at all, push gently to get it to stand straight. If, after you have all the legs in, some have the tabs not fully seated into the base, turn the base over and lay it on a flat surface and go around with a hammer and gently tap the bottom to help “push” the pieces in. It will take effort and patience but you can do it.

Once that is done, take the top piece with the opening in it. I started at the bottom and inserted a few pieces into the tab holes. I was able to get about 3 seated partially in before this became difficult. Once you have the first 3 to 5 pieces in, clamp the top to the bottom and begin working you way up one side, partially seating each piece. When you get close to the top where the heart starts to curve down into the “V” at the top, clamp that area and move back to the bottom and work your way up the other side. When you get to the same point, the first pieces you started at the bottom should be easier to fully seat. When you have those seated (at least ½ way) remove that clamp you placed first and move it to the top of the side you left off on. This will allow you to finish seating the last few pieces. Once you think you have all of them at least partially seated, check all the way around to ensure there is no piece that is not. If there is, push back and forth on that piece to get it to seat into the tab opening. 

At this point, remove the clamps and turn the entire piece over. Repeat the hammering from earlier, gently, to help fully seat all the legs. 

When this is done, congratulations, you have done the most difficult part of this project. It took me about 20 minutes to do this so don't feel discourage if it seems to take too long. Patience is key here.

Next, turn the assembled base over and glue in magnets (if you optioned for these) in the engraved holes. Just a drop of glue will work. Once that glue dries, place a magnet on each so you have the polarization right. This will allow you to glue them into the lid with the correct orientation to magnetize to the base.

After the assembly here, I went back and spray painted the entire thing again to ensure a nice even coat. Although I failed miserably in that, I was able to get a coat of paint onto the inside of the legs at this point and it covered the magnets a little too. 

Finally, I wanted the lid to fit into the top using the piece that was cutout of the top from step 3. For this, I used 2 machinist blocks to lay the piece on inside the game box. You can use whatever you want, but be sure that the piece comes atleast to the edge of the game box opening. Then I put glue onto that piece, a good bit of glue. I lined up the lid with the game box and pressed down to seat the glue fully. NOTE: Do not put glue all the way to the edge. Squeeze out could cause the piece (and the lid) to be glued to the game box. After a few seconds to a minute, remove the lid and set it top down on a flat surface. Place a heavy item on it and allow to cure for a while. 

Congratulations, you have made the game box. 

This step are about the different options you have for this game board.

The first is the lid. I set this entire project up with the intention of having a grid on the lid for one of the alternative play styles. If you opt for this, be sure to do the following:

1. Place your lid with the magnet engrave holes facing down into your machine. I used the P2 and put the point of the heart into one of the slat holes at the bottom. Then I eyeballed it to as straight as I could.
2. Load up the green lined heart on canvas 5. Line it up using your camera over the heart on the screen. Use your close up camera at the circle indicated parts of picture one to ensure that they line up perfectly. If you cannot get it lined up at all the points, you may need to adjust your piece in the machine to be a little straighter and then go through the steps to align again. Once you are satisfied, run with the above setting #1. (NOTE: The green line is set to ignore so you will not need to worry that it will do anything.) This will engrave the items needed on your lid in the appropriate spots.
3. Take a piece of clear acrylic with Dualtite double sided adhesive on it. You want atleast a 11.75"x15" piece. However, I encourage you to get atleast 13"x15" if possible. I had to special order a piece this size just for this. If all you can get is a 11.75"x 15" or longer, then you can still do this. Under this size and you will not be able to. That is why you may want to do this step in something other than acrylic.  Wood is easier to get to a size than acrylic. Lay this in the machine and line it up where you see as much of the surface as possible. 
4. On canvas 5 there is a purple grid heart. Take this and move it over your acrylic (or material of choice). Use your close up camera for the top and bottom and ensure that the cut lines fall within the range of the piece you are cutting on. Double and triple check these areas for accuracy. 
5. IMPORTANT IF USING ACRYLIC FOR THE GRID: If cutting acrylic, it will bow due to the thin parts and the heat. Watch this carefully for flare ups. It is a good idea to have something heavy, like a machinist block, on hand. Once you start to see the acryllic bow, you will want to place a heavy object on it. Pause the process and place this object on the acrylic. DO NOT block the laser or put it in the laser path as this can and will prevent this part from being cut. If you have to wait for the laser to be clear of where you are placing the heavy item, then do so. The heat and the weight will keep the acrylic from bowing too much. Even so, you may still have some bowing. If you do, use a thin line of glue after seating it in the next step at those bowed points.
6. Once you have the grid cut out, peel the dualtite from the back and then gently and slowly place over the lid. DO NOT PRESS DOWN. Line it up on all sides and then, when you are happy with where the grid lays, press down to fully seat it. Be gently moving the grid as too much pressure can snap the thin lines.  When done correctly, the parts you engraved will appear through the grid centered in the triangles they are located at.
7. Not a step, just a note as to why you want the grid to be of 1/8" material. This will allow the pieces, which are ¼", to stick up enough to grab and manipulate on the game board. If the grid and the pieces are the same thickness then it makes the pieces stick into the grid and hard to get out.

Another option is the lettering/hearts. I opted to add the “Heart-Onimos” on the legs and a few hearts around the piece in black acrylic. You can use any material you like for this, just be sure that you have dualtite on the back to make it easier to assemble/add on. Since I opted to cut them from black acrylic, I cut these out at the same time that I cut the heart backs out in step 4 above. Then peel the dualtite from the back and place them where you want them. I put the letters on the legs and the hearts along the base at the bottom. You do not have to do this step or if you do, you don't even have to use the hearts or letters. You can decorate this anyway you want.  

The final option is the back of the game pieces. I used my F2 for this but you cold do this with the P2 if you choose too but the settings will be different. On the F2, I used my guide from the assembly of the pieces and just put a simple heart on. I used the IR laser and Power: 80 Speed: 400. It took just seconds for each one to engrave. Keep in mind that this setting was to engrave black acrylic. If using a different material for the back, you will want to adjust your settings accordingly. 

I really enjoyed the challenge this project presented to me. As I stated at the start, I had come up with this idea years ago but never had the ability to create it until xTool. It turned out so much better than I imagined and plays wonderfully. My wife and I played it earlier and it was so much fun. 

I hope you enjoy this project as much as I enjoyed creating it (and playing it). While it does take a while to cut, engrave, and assemble, I feel it is so worth it in the end. 

What do you think of it? Any suggestions on improvement of it. Ideas for other game play styles? Things that I could add to make this better in the long run? If you have a suggestion, post it in the comments. If you make this, I would love to see your version. Post your creation in the comments as well. 

Also, if you like this project, check out my other projects I have available. Most are free, although I do have a few premiums as well. You can find them here:
https://www.atomm.com/profile/15190?utm_source=Social_Share

Happy Valentines Day and…

As always, Happy Crafting!!!