Here is a plan to help you make a chess set whose chessmen are made from used standard parts (nuts and bolts fasteners).
254mm (10'') x 254mm (10'')
Standard parts are widely used and you can find them easily in the workshop, junkyards or in local hardware store. You can join the parts together with metal glue, or by welding, brazing or soldering. If you do not have any fasteners of the recommended dimensions, adjust the dimensions and design of the pieces to the standard parts at hand.
You can make chessmen out of metal with different colors, or you can paint half of the chessmen in black, to obtain a difference between “black” and “white” chessmen. The chess board can be made from one or two pieces of sheet metal attached with hinges (in this case, the board can be folded and packed into a box more easily). The fields can simply be drawn and painted or made by cutting small squares of thin copper sheet to be glued to the board. If you are satisfied with the result, we recommend that you make a nice wooden box to complement your chess set.