3DAlienWorlds BLOG

Printing and assembling the samurai dice tower

While the Sumo Ring is being painted, we have a second design to show off today - the new Dice Tower Pagoda!

Printing this awesome dice tower takes a little time (there are some big roof pieces), assembly is very easy, and the whole thing can be printed without supports! So here we go with a printing and assembly guide for you.....

£ The base section is where we start, and this consists of 4 pieces. The small stone base makes up the bottom piece, and then the wooden post frame (printed upside-down) simply slots on top, then the wooden surround slots on top of that, and then the steps slide in from the side.

I'm planning to paint my stone section separate from the wooden pieces, so I won't be gluing them together just yet.

£ This cute little bamboo fence is in fact the dice tray for catching dice as they roll out from the tower. It doesn't need to be glued on, as there are small slots to fit the bottom of the steps.

If you print the normal version it includes some built-in supports (marked in green in the image above), and you should carefully remove these with clippers. My advice would be to grip with the clippers, then rotate around the piece from side to side. Take your time. This should neatly grind away at the support and then you can snap off the last strands.

A second version of this fence enclosure is also included, without any built-in supports. If you think your printer can manage the longer bridges, then why not try it and save yourself some time in clean-up.

£ With the base and tray completed, we can move onto the pagoda itself. The first level is printed upside down, and does not require supports. Simply slot into place on the base.

£ The roof for the first level is printed in two halves, or 4 quarters for smaller printers. The image above shows some built-in supports (shown in green), which should be removed with clippers.

£ The second level is similar to the first, and is also printed upside down.

£ The second level roof is almost identical to the previous level, and also includes some print supports (shown in green) which should be snapped or cut off during assembly.

£ Yes, you guessed it! The third level is another easy upside-down print!

£ The third and final roof level is comprised of two identical halves, which will form the dice bucket, and then a third smaller piece which forms the top.

Obviously, you don't want to glue the top piece into the dice bucket - it's designed to be easily removable during gameplay.

£ We're almost there now! The top spire has a base piece and top piece, and then 9 identical rings which print upside down. They glue together as shown in the photo.

Lastly, you'll need to print 12 of the bells which attach to each corner of each roof section. I'm going to paint mine separately, and glue on later.

Let's take a look at the finished dice tower...

£ It's not quite as imposing as the bigger 5-level Temple Pagoda, but would still make a fantastic centrepiece to any board! From base to spire tip, it's an impressive 430mm (17") tall, and is completely functional as terrain, too!

£ You can quickly pop the top off during gameplay, to roll dice down the centre! They'll roll neatly out of the door into the bamboo fence area.

£ If your tabletop is hard wood or some other surface that makes dice bounce and slide more than normal, you also have the option of printing an extra bamboo stick or two (included in the set), which can be glued across the fence's entrance. You'll often find this done in Japanese gardens and temples as a simple way of telling people to stay out, so it's quite an authentic touch.

£ Finally, you can use this model without the base section, both as a dice tower or just a terrain piece with a smaller table footprint.

This dice tower will be hitting the paint desk this week (special paint job planned for this!), and should be released later this month.

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