How To Build A Chess Board or Checkerboard

45612 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by tvarch, Feb 26, 2008

alexfranke

Discussion Starter · Feb 2, 2007 (Edited)

Hi all,

I just put a new article online detailing the method I use to build chess boards (usually out of scrap pieces of lumber). I was encouraged by some friends to get this all down.

It's my most detailed article yet, at over 5,100 words and with 64 step-by-step photos (even more detailed than my software articles!), so I'd appreciate any input you all have!

http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/ChessBoard/

I still need to get my wife to copy edit it for details (handy to have a copy editor under the same roof!) and add metric units to go along with the English units, but at least it's out there now!

Let me know what you think!

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Daren

· #2 · Feb 2, 2007 (Edited)

That's pretty neat. Or you could cut the board pieces on the bandsaw with a rip fence, square them up on a stationary belt sander and glue them to a substrate grain oriented. Then carve the pieces...forget carving the pieces, the board took 1/2 day, I will never tell how many hours I had in the crudely carved pieces. I was a bid job,

and I am no carver.

The customer wanted all eastern red cedar, pieces and all. The board is a lid to a box that stores the chess pieces and a set of checker pieces also made from erc. I used red heartwood for 1/2 the chess/checker pieces and white sapwood for the other.

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alexfranke

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 2, 2007

Very cool. Yeah, I can't even imagine trying to carve the pieces... Those look great, though!

jodiemeglio

· #4 · Feb 2, 2007

Hmm.. I need a chess board, I'll try your directions out.

C&D Woodcraft

· #5 · Feb 4, 2007

2

Alex,
Nice tutorial. I bet it took about 5 times as long to document the process as it does to build it. I like the idea of attaching the blocks to a backer sheet, that would have saved mine. I made a full chess set about 15 years ago (pieces and all). The board has crack down the middle, it's tight during the summer but opens up in the winter.

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boxer

· #6 · Feb 5, 2007

Daren. While you did a great job on that project, that has got to be the ugliest chess board I've ever seen. Not the workmanship, but the choice of all erc. I would have hated doing that project. Not that I could, anyway.

PS: I'll bet it smells nice though.

Daren

· #7 · Feb 5, 2007 (Edited)

boxer said:
that has got to be the ugliest chess board I've ever seen.
.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder brother.:laughing: It was a custom order set, that is exactly what the customer wanted.

boxer

· #8 · Feb 6, 2007

You are correct on the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". And the customer is always right (even when they're wrong):yes: . I guess I'm more of a fan of contrast, so the second board you posted is right up my alley. I hope you understand I was not criticizing your workmanship in any way. Heck, all I can do is make boxes, and am probably the least talented member on here. I wish I could make a chess set. I love the game.
Boxer

Stumpcarver

· #9 · Feb 6, 2007

Nice Work

Making one carved into a coffee table top. still have a ways to go though.

irate:

alexfranke

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 6, 2007

I bet it took about 5 times as long to document the process as it does to build it

Yeah, pretty much. Except this time I was stopping every few minutes to take a picture, so this one took a a bit longer than the others. Plus, I do a lot of waiting for glue to dry on these things, so it's a great project when you have small kids at home and only get to spend 15 minutes at a time in the shop.

I liked the idea of using grain direction to differentiate between white/black squares in the ERC board, but I can't think of an easy way to do that short of cutting out 64 individually perfect squares... ugh.

Making one carved into a coffee table top

Please post a pic when it's done!

Daren

· #11 · Feb 7, 2007

alexfranke said:
I liked the idea of using grain direction to differentiate between white/black squares in the ERC board, but I can't think of an easy way to do that short of cutting out 64 individually perfect squares... ugh.

I couldn't either :laughing:, that's how I did it.

TexasTimbers

· #12 · Feb 7, 2007

Personally I think the ERC board looks goo too. To each his own.

pianoman

· #13 · Feb 24, 2008

When I make chess boards I glue contrasting wood strips together... totaling 4 strips. Then cross rip the glued strips . You can make whatever size squares you want. Put the board together in 4 pieces 2 at a time. Run each half through the planer at a slight angle and then glue the two halves. Then put a boarder around it . I hope that is not confusing...all the grain points the same direction...making a board is almost like playing chess!!!

pianoman

· #14 · Feb 24, 2008

You know... just flip each cross ripped piece 180 degrees making 4 sections ... kind of hard to explain I guess... works for me!!!

tvarch

· #15 · Feb 26, 2008

very nice tutorial. you did an excellent job.
How did you make the sled for the ryobi table saw?
I have the same saw and would like to have a sled but haven't figured out a good way to do it. Did you drill through the sliding table?
thanks
tvarch

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