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I posted this on “knots” but this is probably the more appropriate forum:
I have a set of very nicely made chess pieces that drive me crazy because the difference between the “black” wood and the “white” wood is too slight. Chess should be an intellectual rather than perceptual challenge, so I’d like to make the white pieces whiter and/or the black pieces blacker.
I don’t know what the woods are. The black pieces are a fairly uniformly dark brown wood with a slightly coarse grain. The wood in the white pieces is fine grained with a slight olive tone, and it ranges from fairly light to almost as dark as the black pieces. The pieces have some kind of matte finish on them; I would guess it is lacquer but I’m not sure.
Is there a not-too-labor-intensive way to heighten the contrast between these woods?
TIA
Ben Miller
Replies
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You can accomplish your goal two ways. The first is rather labor intensive: You have to remove the existing finish, bleach the lighter pieces, stain the darker pieces, then apply a new finish to all of them.
The second solution will take a lot less time and trouble: Buy cans of white and black spray paint at the hardware store and go to it.
*The white pieces sound like they are made of Poplar. The other post is correct, you need to bleach the white chess pieces and refinish them. You'll never get the olive streaks completely out, I don't think. But you should be able lighten the pieces up enough to recognize what's going on during play. The other alternative, as has been mentioned, is to simply paint them.
*I am finishing a small piece of cherry furniture.The first coat of stain proved too light. I havedeepened the shade by adding a couple ofcoats; however the finish is looking "splotchy"in places. What would cause the splotches?Have sanded with 220 grit and then 0000steel wool before applying stain.
*Hey Ben, If it were my chess board ...I would use both of the other suggestions and kinda combine them... I,d pick up a couple of cans of spray toners one extra dark walnut the other maybe a white wash color and tape off the board as needed to tone one color at a time but after you tone one color make sure u apply a clear cote over that so when you tape over the newly toned color u dont remove that color with the tape ya know? when your all done toning i would suggest a thick clear coat over the entire piece so your chess piece will slide across without hitting the tape lines or u can do what i do and just go to http://www.mplayer.com and we,ll play some chess and you can throw out the wood board,lol :)
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