Woodworker: Malcolm Tibbetts

For this chess ensemble (chairs, table, and chess pieces), Tibbetts cut almost 4,000 pieces of wood (such as myrtlewood, ebony, and curly maple). Yet the project took only 300 hours to complete. Tibbetts turned the massive pieces on a big, custom-welded lathe. The table has dovetailed drawers to store the game pieces. Tibbetts says he has always enjoyed the challenge of large-scale segmented work. He likened the design and building process to the game of chess, which “requires a lot of thought and planning.” The finish is sanding sealer and a tung oil/polyurethane mixture.

Photo: Malcolm Tibbetts