Settlers of Catan Set

Jan 2020

OBJECTIVE

To create my own version of the popular board game "Settlers of Catan", and to learn about concrete and resin pouring.

SKILLS SNAPSHOT

SOLIDWORKS

SILICONE MOLDING

CONCRETE CASTING

RESIN POURING

DESIGN STEPS

Designed hexagonal tiles in SolidWorks to meet typical dimensions
3D printed two PLA plastic test tiles on an FDM Ender-3 3D Printer
Created two negative silicone molds by inlaying the test tiles
- Used Smooth-On Oomoo 25 silicone rubber for the first time
Used concrete to create 19 identical hexagonal tiles
- Experimented with different ratios of concrete to water
- Experimented with different methods for removing entrapped air

RESULTS

I was gifted a Settlers of Catan game partway through this project, so I left it partially completed since I felt I had learned what I set out to know about silicone molding, concrete, and resin pours.

FUTURE WORK

Use colored resin to fill the cavity in each tile with its corresponding resource
Seal tiles with a matte fixative spray to avoid a chalkysurface finish
3D print and paint port, settlement, city, road, and robber pieces
Making packaging decisions to protect the concrete pieces

SKILLS DEMONSTRATED

Silicone Molding
Concrete Casting
Resin Pouring

A typical Catan board with 19 hexagonal tiles

(Image credit: Destiny Games)

De-molding a dried concrete tile from the silicone mold

Removing surface bubbles with a grill lighter. I later purchased a small handheld torch to improve the process!