What this template makes: Tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe Basic

A two-layer board with the squares cut out and ten pieces: X and O, hearts, paws, stars or figures, with the name below or on a header.

A plain base and a frame with the nine squares cut out, with a step if you like. X and O pieces, hearts, paws, stars, moons or drawn figures with the detail engraved. The name below or on a header with a drawing on each side.

How it goes together

Two layers glued together. The base is plain and the frame, with the nine squares cut out, is glued on top: each square becomes a pocket as deep as the frame, and the piece sits in it without sliding. The pieces are the same material, so they end up flush. With a step, the base shows around the frame.

The piece is sized against the square, as a percentage: make the board bigger and the pieces grow with it. What is left around it is the gap to get your fingers in and lift it; under 3 mm a side it is fiddly.

Each player picks a piece: X, O, heart, paw, star, moon or a drawn figure. The heart and the star can be hollow. They all come out in one piece; the paw is the only one made of parts, and if it gets so small that less than 2 mm is left between the toes, the template tells you.

The text goes below or on a header. Below, it is one line engraved on the frame, under the squares. The header makes the board taller: the text in the middle, on one or two lines, and an engraved drawing on each side. The drawings are engraved as an outline, not as a filled silhouette, which would come out as a blot.

The figures are drawn by hand. They go in the folder src/adornos/tateti/: the silhouette in red, which is cut on the piece, and what is inside in black, which is engraved. The same figures work on the header.

Frequently asked questions

Tic-tac-toe: what size can it be?

Every measurement is typed in millimetres and the drawing is redone as you type; the joints and the holes are worked out from whatever you put in.

Does it work for MDF, acrylic or plywood?

For any sheet your laser can cut: MDF, plywood, acrylic or thick card. Material thickness and kerf — what the beam eats away — are set in the panel, and the drawing is redone with them.

What format does it download in?

SVG or DXF, your choice, in millimetres and at 1:1 scale. It opens as is in LightBurn, RDWorks, LaserGRBL, Inkscape, Illustrator or CorelDRAW, with nothing to scale or convert. Cutting and engraving come on separate named layers — “Cut” in red and “Engrave” in blue — so you set the power for each without separating anything by hand.

Do I have to pay to use it?

Tic-tac-toe is free to use and adjust: you can see exactly how your design will come out before deciding anything. Downloading the file needs the Pro plan, or one of the trial downloads that come with the free account.

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