| Blog series by degoose | updated 11-11-2010 10:18 PM | 7 parts | 31373 reads | 86 comments total |
Part 1: How to make a wavy chess board..
This project is not technically finished so I will not post as a project..This part of the blog will deal with the cutting of arcs.I basically used one of the patron jigs I developed to cut the end curves for a Baguette Board…this pivots on the circle cutting jig. Cut two lengths of contrasting or complimentary timbers… I of course chose Purple Heart and Silver Ash…Silver Ash and Tasmanian Blackwood would have also been suitable… But if all you have is Walnut and Curl...
Part 2: Boards and Pieces..
This morning I went to the local markets for my egg and bacon roll breakfast … mmm mmmm And to say Hi to my mates Col and Ken…which I did.. There I met a man who is making chess sets.. and boards… but not from timber… they are some type of stone … plaster made with a mold… any way they are not too shabby… I told him I make timber chess boards… but that I was looking for the pieces….. I have wooden hand carved pieces from India a...
Part 3: Making the board..
From yesterdays post you know that I have a new friend.. he makes chess pieces… and I am making a chess board for him… it has to be larger than the standard international size.. which is 45 mm [1 3/4 inches] per side of each square… This new board is made from Queensland Maple [flindersia brayleyana] and Silver Ash [flindersia shottiana].. and the squares have been beefed up to 70 mm [2 3/4 inches.] First step .. rip and dress to size… I am actually making two ...
Part 4: Having opposite grains.
When making a traditional chess board from timber, the two different timbers are cut into 4 boards each… glued together in alternating stripes and then cross cut and rotated and reglued to make the checker design.. This also gives the squares the same direction of grain pattern. I know that most people shy away from cutting all the squares and then gluing up each piece … but as most of you will know, I have had much practice and for me it is no more difficult than glueing two...
Part 5: Progress... out of the clamps...
I have taken both chess boards out of the clamps and run them through the Jet Drum Sander.. Here is the small one… 55 mm squares of Queensland Maple and Camphor Laurel Next is the 70 mm squares board from Queensland Maple and Silver Ash.. And remember the teaser… Here I have both of the teasers… they were left over from the crosscutting… I got 9 slices and only need 8.. I cut and reglued to make 4 by 2 squares and then resawed and reglued… then san...
Part 6: Whats next?
Well today I intend to make the frames for all the chess boards… I think I have… no … I know I have 5 boards needing frames… and a few of them will have a box made under to contain a drawer to store the pieces… The largest will be fitted to a table… with a drawer.. I have in mind tapered legs… not sure…maybe…we will see.. So it is off to the workshop… after I have my morning coffee… to make some sawdust… I think the frames should contrast to the actual boards..and maybe have a little...
Part 7: Progress on the border...
Here be a few photographs on a border design for one of the chess boards. This board is NSW Rosewood and Camphor Laurel The border was made by cutting triangles of NSW Rosewood and Silver Ash and laminating them between strips of Camphor Laurel and Queensland Maple..alternating the colors.. Then it was a matter of making a lip in some Rosewood and glueing the Triangular feature to the solid rosewood and mitre cutting the corners… this is actually harder than you might think...
