The recent acquisition of a 3-D printer in PLTW means the opportunities for creativity are virtually limitless–and naturally students have started with a Simpsons-themed chess set.

PLTW instructor Sue King said, “It took 29 hours to make the whole family, including the cartoon family’s dog.” After printing, the pieces had to run through a “bath” process. (see video right)

She also said the production time creates a bit of a wait for other projects. “We have to just wait. There a lot of kids who really want to make something with the 3-D printer.”

Teodoro Garcia, creator of The Simpsons chess set said: “I started to think about animated cartoon family that went with the criteria and my brother gave me the idea of The Simpsons. My brother is big fan of the show, and I wanted to do something that reminded me of my brother. I got the design from the character and what role they played in the show. Homer is the King because he’s the father. Marge is the Queen because she is the wife. Lisa is Bishop because she’s the smart one. Bart is the rock because they both have flat heads. Maggie is Pawns because she the youngest in the family, and Santa’s Little Helper is the knight because he’s a dog and he watches over the family.”

All together there are 28 pieces.