Project by dgom | posted 01-15-2016 04:38 PM | 4071 views | 11 times favorited | 7 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
My wife enjoys a good game of mancala so I made her a game board for Christmas.
The wood is most likely ash that originally served as legs for a sofa table. With the router I made the shallow pits using a 10 mm half round router bit and a router template that was made from a piece of particle board. The small half round bit is the only one I have in this shape and it would probably be better using a larger one for future similar projects. Anyway, I’m quite happy wih the resulting pits.
I didn’t want to use any metal parts so a wooden hinge was fabricated. It needed some fine tuning before allowing me to open and close the game board without resistance.
I had a lot of thoughts about the locking mechanism (I didn’t want to use any metal parts here either) and I’m satisfied with how the leather strap solution came out.
Finally the piece was polished with home made beeswax wood polish.
Black-eyed beans are used as playing pieces and are placed in and transferred about the pits during play.
7 comments so far
WoodNSawdust
home | projects | blog
1417 posts in 2151 days
#1 posted 01-15-2016 04:46 PM
Thanks for sharing. I had never heard of this game. Looks like a good project build. How did your wife like her present?
-- "I love it when a plan comes together" John "Hannibal" Smith
Doe
home | projects | blog
1437 posts in 3804 days
#2 posted 01-15-2016 10:58 PM
Nicely done! I like the lack of metal – it’s a pretty elegant looking board. Are those black eyed peas for counters?
-- Mother Nature talks, I try to listen
jschmitz1949
home | projects | blog
56 posts in 4035 days
#3 posted 01-16-2016 04:43 AM
Like your hinge idea, but I can’t see how the hinge attaches to each half. Is it drilled through and pinned all the way from the ends?
helluvawreck
home | projects | blog
32122 posts in 3841 days
#4 posted 01-16-2016 01:02 PM
I don’t know how to play this game but you did a nice job on the board.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
jaykaypur
home | projects | blog
4017 posts in 3382 days
#5 posted 01-16-2016 04:37 PM
An excellent piece of work. Like the hinge and the closure. I am sure your wife loved it.
-- Use it up, Wear it out --------------- Make it do, Or do without!
dgom
home | projects | blog
70 posts in 3030 days
#6 posted 01-16-2016 05:15 PM
Thanks for all the nice comments!
@WoodNSawdust: Yes she likes it very much!
@Doe: Yes it is blacke eyed peas.
@jschmitz1949: It is drilled 2/3 through from one side and then pinned. A dowel then covers the hole.
Lalen
home | projects | blog
176 posts in 1585 days
#7 posted 01-13-2017 02:11 PM
Ill have to look up the game because this looks like a fun build. Nice job
-- Lalen, Texas. "If it looks straight, it is straight" Jimmy Diresta
Have your say...