Some years ago I made the Chessmen featured in No 89 of FW. They turned ot very well. Unfortunately this article did not cover the making of the board and my effort was not so good.
Can any body point me in the direction of a published article or provide me with tips/ working method on the accurate production of 64, 2×2 inch squares which could be assembled into a board. My problem was that you only have to be a couple of thou out on each square and the build up of tolerance presents you with a problem on assembly.
Replies
Here's one way:
Start with four dark and four light strips of wood, each 2" wide and at least 19" long:
View Image
Glue the strips together into a panel:
View Image
Slice the panel into 2"-wide strips:
View Image
Flip every other strip end for end:
View Image
Glue the strips together into a panel (since these will be end-grain joints, apply a thin layer of glue to each surface, allow the glued surfaces to "rest" a couple of minutes, then reapply more glue before clamping up):
View Image
-Steve
Many thanks. Will give this a try.
How thin can the material be?
You can make the face wood as thin as you want: You can laminate either shop-made or commercial veneer onto a Baltic birch plywood substrate, and then cut up the "boards" from that. In addition to allowing you to use wood that is either unstable or unavailable altogether in board form (e.g., burls), it also allows you complete flexibility in grain orientation.
But if you're going to use solid wood, I think around 1/2" is probably the minimum practical thickness, and I would consider using biscuits to reinforce the end-grain joints. (I'd also use biscuits if I were laminating onto Baltic birch.) It really depends on what else is going to go into the overall structure. For example, if the board is going to be part of a table top, you'd probably have a layer of plywood underneath that would support the playing surface, etc.
-Steve
Wouldn't end grain work and look better? Then again maybe not.
Doug
You mean like butcher block? I suppose it would work fine, and it would certainly look different, but I don't know about "better." I don't think I've ever seen an end-grain chessboard.
-Steve
Yeah I was wondering about that.
Doug
Only use veneer and do it Steves way. If you decide to use wood instead of veneer, then design for wood movement.
mike
I think I will use wood about 1/8 inch thick (veneer?) but will stick this to a good quality plywood substrate and also put 1/8thick wood on the back side of the substrate to balance up. This assembly will then be rebated into a hardwood mitered frame. I will keep all woods in doors to stabilise for some weeks before commencing work and hope for the best. I will certainly do it the way suggested which should take out the tolerance build up problem I had previously. Many thanks to all once again
I made one w/ my Dad. My plan was to do it in the was the picts following your question suggest. It is a good idea, Dad had other plans.
We cut each square individually, and Dad mad a jig which allowed biscuits to be put in each square perfectly aligning the pieces. The advantage was tossing out some squares due to imperfections. That bad boy is rock solid. I sure wish I had the skills to make my own pieces. Maybe, someday.
Edit. I can't remember for sure, but I believe my squares are 2 1/4 maybe even 2 1/2. I did this to make the board official tournament size. I'll check the size if you wish.
Edited 5/20/2008 11:58 am ET by KzooRichie
The first thing you need to know, is that you don't want to make 64 squares, you want to make 4 light and 4 dark strips, maybe one square longer than your intended board width. Edge-glue alternate strips, I use masking tape as a clamp. After they dry, re-rip the same width strips in the opposite direction. Flip every other one, align the strips carefully, then re-glue, and you have a chess board. This works with veneer or solid wood, the techniques varying slightly with the material. The one I just finished was ebony and curly maple, about 3/16", laminated onto a ply substrate, and I'm making a matching chess set.
Good luck
Just realised that I should have read the other posts first, The drawing was exactly what I was describing. I recommend against using endgrain, unless you laminate to a substrate, as the shrinkage would be in random directions and would probably result in joint failure.
Edited 5/20/2008 4:15 pm ET by thumbnailed
Many thanks thumbnail. Have started doing it this way
Then there is this option:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~kmuldrew/woodworking/chess.html
Notice the blocks are not attached to each other at all. Beautiful table. You can see it in Krenov's books too.
Disclaimer: I didn't build the table. I just did a search for one on the internet and this it the first one that came up with pics.
Scotty
Considering that you make a chess board to last a lifetime (or two) -I'd suggest going with a commercial veneer and ####plywood substrate.
The grain patterns and species variety available with veneers will knock your socks off.
even at a local Woodcraft or Rockler you can find stunning quilted /flamed/curly grain patterns that you will never find as solid stock.
I found a quilted Peruvian Walnut (really dark) and a flame ash (really blonde) and the figure makes people doubt that it is real wood :-D.
have fun and make two- they are fun to give away
Dave
Making the playing surface from veneer an easy way to go as there is no wood movement to deal with. I just finished one using the method described above to cut and assemble the veneers and the alignment came out very good. Using veneer also allows you to make the board from materials you might not be able to find in solid wood. I attached a picture of the one I just finished, it may be a bit more than what you are looking to make but the basic board is just a piece of plywood with 1/8" mdf top and bottom veneered with the assembled squares and edged. This one is in Holly and Bubinga.
Good Luck,
Craig
View Image
View Image
I have used 9 strips of wood glued together then cut and just slide each alternate strip up one step and glue up - them cut off the excess squares at each end. 1/4 inch thick solid wood glued to 3/4" mdf with a veneer or another game like backgammon on the back.
Sealed up the mdf is very stable and with a decorative edging strip mtired at the corners - beautiful.
Edited 5/21/2008 11:43 pm ET by groovingolly
I have made them as Steve suggests. It's fast and easy. BUT, officially the grain of each square should be perpendicular to an adjacent square. This can only be achieved by asembling individual squares. It really isn't that hard to do. Just set up you table saw with stops and clamps when cutting. you can also use a jig on disc sander to precisely amke them all the same. I glued up with a band clamp and white glue that dries clear. I used 1/2" material and glued the assembled grid to ply.
Check this web site for a David Marks chessboard. Quite elegant.\http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_wwk/episode/0,2046,DIY_14350_26948,00.html
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled