◆ Resin

Chess king mold

A 95 mm Staunton chess king with a cross, from a rigid two-part print. Cast it in resin, no silicone.

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3D render of a glossy black resin chess king with its cross between the two printed halves of its rigid orange and blue mold
Resin ~207 g

A Staunton king, 95 mm tall on a 42 mm foot: foot, bead, a long waisted body, a double collar, a flared crown under a domed cap, and a cross on top. It sets the height of the whole chess set from this library, the classic 95 mm tournament king.

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The mold is exactly what our two-part candle mold generator builds for it, set to resin: two rigid halves with rubber-band grooves, pry pockets, a pour funnel on top of the cross and a thin air vent. The body is turned round one axis and the cross stands in the seam plane, so each half takes one face of it and the tool's own seam check finds nothing stuck. The arms of the cross slope up to the upright, so no bubble sits in them while the resin rises.

A chess set needs two kings, one of each colour: print the mold once and cast a black and an ivory king. The zip carries both halves, the king master as its own STL, the tool's own print-settings sheet and a recipe file for the generator.

Shown as a 3D render of the printed mold halves pulled apart around the king they cast, not a photo.

Chess king mold at a glance: every printed part with its size, print time, filament, print settings and the three steps to use it
How this mold works

What you need

4
  • About 37 g of casting resin per king: the cavity holds 34 ml
  • Mold release spray or wax
  • Rubber bands or clamps
  • A craft knife and fine sandpaper for the sprue

How to cast it

5

  1. Print both halves as exported. Clamp-strength settings: 4 walls, 40% gyroid infill, no supports. Sand the seam faces flat if your first layer came out rough.

  2. Coat both cavities with mold release, working it into the cross. Close the halves and band them along the whole seam.

  3. Mix the resin and pour it slowly down one side of the funnel on the cross so the air can leave through the other side and the vent.

  4. Leave it to cure fully, as long as the resin's datasheet says, then open the halves at the pry pockets, never by pulling on the cross.

  5. Cut the sprue off the top of the cross, sand it square and trim the thin line along the seam. Release again and cast the next king.

Print details

6 h 50 minPrint time
~207 gFilament
2Printed parts
52 × 61 × 114 mmSize (W x D x H)
All print details
Print details
Cast materialResin
Printed parts2
Size (W x D x H)52 x 61 x 114 mm
Print bed needed61 x 27 mm, 115 mm tall
Filament~207 g
Layer height0.2 mm
Infill40%
SupportsNot needed
DownloadZIP: 2 printed parts (STL) + king master (STL) + print sheet + recipe
Added2026-09-26
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Made with the free Rigid box mold generator. Upload your own model and get the same kind of mold built around it, in your browser.

Download free on Thingiverse

Free download. Opens the Thingiverse listing in a new tab.

Free for personal use. Selling the pieces you cast needs a commercial licence (Pro or Founder); passing on the file itself is not permitted on any plan. Full terms.

New to casting? Read the candle mold guide.

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Questions about this design

Why does the cross of the chess king lie along the seam?

So that each rigid half takes one face of it. A cross turned across the seam would have its arms buried in both halves and would lock them. Along the seam, the cross is split down its middle into two 2.3 mm halves that pull straight off, and the seam line runs round its edge, where it sands away.

How strong is the cross on the resin chess king?

Strong enough for play: it is 4.6 mm thick in solid resin and joined to the cap through a round neck. Let the resin cure fully before you demold, open the halves at the pry pockets rather than by pulling on the cross, and it will not snap.

Can I cast an ice chess king in this mold?

Not well. Water expands as it freezes and pushes rigid halves apart, and PLA turns brittle in a freezer, so an ice king cracks the mold or leaks. Resin, plaster and wax all work in it; for an ice set, use a silicone mold, which flexes as the ice grows.

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