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Looney Pyramid Holder for Singularity Boxes
🕑 Added 2020-06-13 22:55:24 +0000 UTC
It should come as no surprise that I find game systems fascinating, and Looney Pyramids are undoubtedly one of my favorites. For anyone unfamiliar, check out Pyramid Arcade which represents the culmination of the system into a big compendium box (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/187988/pyramid-arcade).
At the core are sets of 3 nesting pyramids that come in a bunch of different colors.
With these simple little pyramids, a ton of different games can played. The games listed in the Pyramid Arcade are a great jumping off point, but check out this list for a bunch of others: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/20/looney-pyramid-games/linkeditems/boardgamefamily?pageid=1&sort=rank
Some of my favorites pyramid games include: Zendo, Homeworlds, Martian Chess, and Pikemen.
There have been a bunch of games designed to combine Looney Pyramids with other game systems including playing cards and the Piecepack. For me, the ultimate gaming trifecta is the Singularity Deck, the Piecepack and Looney Pyramids.
The overlap of these systems has been an important design consideration for many of the projects, including the colors of the Singularity Deck and the sizing of the cloth grid boards.
Additionally, the size of the large pyramid was also a consideration when determining the best dimensions for Singularity Boxes. Designing the boxes around the size requirements of the original BitBox specs, Looney Pyramids, the Singularity deck, and the limitations of 3D printing turned out be quite the challenge. As is common with a lot of design, what looks like a simple box ended up requiring a ton of iterations. Anyway, the point of this post was supposed to be on the Pyramid Holder itself, so let me get back on focus.
Here it is!
Bottom of the Pyramid Holder.
The holder sits inside a size small Singularity Box where it fits 30 Pyramid trios (a nesting set of 3 pyramids);15 pyramids in 2 layers. This is enough to fit all the pyramids that come in the Pyramid Arcade; 3 sets of 10 colors.
For me personally, my plan is to store 5 sets of 6 colors, as this is better for games like Zendo. The pyramids sit tip down which makes them easier to grab as it keeps the smaller pyramids nested in the large one.
Ideally, the whole thing could lift out of the box to create a bank of pyramids, however there is not quite enough room for 3 rows of pyramids and a handle. This means the holder needs to placed in the box before the pyramids should be placed. Despite this, placing and retrieving the pyramids out of the box is pretty easy.
Once the pyramids are in the box, the accessory tray goes on top. This helps keep the pyramids secure and gives a nice spot to put dice, tokens or other accessories.
Topping it all off is a custom lid for the box, with a minimalist design reminiscent of the nesting pyramids.
A cool feature of the lid design is that it also provides an interesting way to display the box. You can hook on a set of pyramids and place the box on its end which makes a somewhat bizarre, but intriguing, decoration that I think fits the futuristic aesthetic of the pyramids particularly well.
Rocket Ship Mode!
The holder and the tray will be exclusive to the patreon for 2 months, before going on Thingiverse. The custom lid will stay exclusive to the patreon forever. In the Drive go to Singularity Boxes -> Looney Pyramid Holder to grab the files. The holder fits inside the "Small" size box.
If you're curious here are all of the iterations of just the lid:
Comments
Hi Spencer. A bit of sanding on the inside of the lid does help, particularly on the inside corners. I find it's a tight fit for me at first, but it gets smoother pretty quickly as any printing inconsistencies get worn down. A little finger groove on the lid is a great idea though and should make it easier to get on and off! I'll mess around with the lid model and let you know when I get a "finger groove" version up.
Ess
It's printed, and I love it! My only gripe is with the lid; it's very difficult to pry off of the top of the box. I'll probably sand down the interior to reduce some friction--hopefully, that's enough. I'd suggest a little semicircular thumbnail tab on Singularity Box lids, though--just to help provide purchase when trying to remove them.
Ess
I'm finishing up the print of the small Singularity Box. It's the biggest thing I've ever printed, and it's turning out great! I'm excited to put my pyramids in it. Thanks, Matthew!
Ess
I've had the plate for about six months and haven't had sticking like this before. I typically print with a bed temperature of 65℃ for PLA. At any rate, I don't mean to turn you into my 3D printer troubleshooter; sorry! Thanks for adding the bezels. I'm sure it'll work better next time around.
Oh wow, that really is sticking hard. In my case letting it cool for about 30 minutes in enough for the part to pop off. I do recall when I first got my glass plate, the prints stuck to it too tightly at first, but after a little while it settled down a bit. Don't know how new your plate is, but that might contribute. I went ahead and added a version of the accessory tray with a bezel to also make it easier to get off.
Ess
I'm printing on Creality's glass bed and let it cool for a couple hours before trying. I got it eventually by giving it a couple taps with a hammer. 😬 It was probably harder because I only had about 3/4 inch of height printed, so I couldn't really get much leverage. I expect if the full thing printed properly, I'd have been able to get it off more easily. Thanks for the bevel and the help!
Hmmm. What bed temp are you using? Are you letting it cool before trying to take the part off? One of the best upgrades I made was getting Creality's glass build plate for my printer. When heated, stuff sticks to it super well and when cooled down, the prints just pop off on their own. That said, it shouldn't be that hard to get the print off the standard plate so maybe the bed leveling needs to be tweaked. I'm mostly just spit balling though. I went ahead and added a version with a 2mm bezel on the bottom which should make it easier to get off. Let me know if that helps.
Ess
I started printing it today, but unfortunately the print got interrupted because the filament got tangled. That did leave me with a design issue, though: unlike most things I print, the corners of the pyramid holder go straight down to the build plate, with no bevel on the corner. This is currently making it very hard for me to remove the incomplete print from my build plate, as I can't slip anything beneath the first layer and the plate. I don't normally have this issue with other prints. Did you have any trouble with sticking like this?
Glad you like it! Let me know how the print turns out.
Ess
This is an amazing design! I can't wait to print it.
Since I know not everyone has a 3D printer, I have been looking into ways to do giveaways for the 3D printed projects. Once I figure out the best way to do this, while staying within Patreon's guidelines, I'll let everyone know.
