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36K views 92 replies 51 participants last post by  jbertelson 
#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 Curly Maple or some other combination…maybe Bubinga and ???.... feel free to use them…these are cut to roughly 36 inches each…or use a few pieces to make the total. Just make sure the timber grain is similar in all pieces if you can't use a single piece.
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Then by placing a piece of timber next to the fence as a spacer.. centre the blank… cut to 45 mm [regulation size for the chess board square.]. A nail is driven in at 45 mm as a stop for the cutting blank..

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Cut the first curve of the end of the blank … and then move it to the stop and cut again..

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Cut all the "squares'' of one color…. remembering to leave every forth piece with a straight edge at one end.[this is for the side..]. Then cut all the ''squares" of the other color… again with one piece in four with a straight side on the end.

NOTE
Eight "squares'' of one timber will have a concave end and 3 straight sides and eight of the other timber will be convex.

Assemble with alternating pieces. Rotate the curve direction on each row..
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Glue up , sand and apply finish…

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In the next installment I will be making a border for the chess board… still contemplating what I will actually do with this to keep to the theme of one slight curve and some straight lines too.
 
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#27 ·
Eddy,
If you look closely at the top of the picture, in the white out portion,
you can see it is just a piece of wood with plywood at 90 deg at side and end.
The center of the piece to be cut was marked on the jig,
Set a nail pivot at more than 3" on jigs marked centerline,
My band saw has a wood top secure on the table with holes along the cut line (90 deg to front of blade)
for the jig nail to spin on.
put it in 3" hole loaded my piece and pivoted the jig through the blade.
The first cut whacks off the extra length of the jig. I did put a nail on my base as a stop for length of cut.
If this isn't clear I'll snap a better pic.

Larry- the glue up went okay. I think next time I may do it in rows first to see if it is easier for me.
will post the final project later. And thanks again….

Lisa
 
#31 ·
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 and some glass pieces… and even some shot glasses with the pieces painted on…

Well I was impressed… so I bought a set…

http://w662.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw662.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu349%2Fdegoose%2F17bec5af.pbw
He then told me he was looking for someone to make a board for his biggest set... or maybe a chess table...

This sounds promising... so we exchanged cards... some times you just get lucky...sometimes you make you own luck...

Back to the workshop and .... straight into making a board with squares 70 mm on each side... [about 2 3/4 inch]

Makes for a massive board... more tomorrow...
 
#40 ·
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.]
Wood Wood stain Floor Hardwood Plank


First step .. rip and dress to size… I am actually making two boards… one at 70 mm and the other at 55 mm for the new pieces.. this one is Qld Maple and Camphor Laurel [cinnamomum camphora]
Wood Flooring Floor Plastic bottle Wood stain


Glue and clamp.. notice the glue I use is TiteBond III
Table Wood Material property Flooring Gas


This is not a full tutorial on making a board… so

Cross cut and rotate and glue and clamp… and…
Wood Handheld power drill Flooring Floor Drill


Use cauls to ensure the sides are straight.. hence the squares will all line up..
Wood Flooring Floor Building Hardwood


This shot shows the two together for size comparison.

And the trademark teaser…
Wood Gas Machine Metal Composite material


What will it be????
 

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#41 ·
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.]
Wood Wood stain Floor Hardwood Plank


First step .. rip and dress to size… I am actually making two boards… one at 70 mm and the other at 55 mm for the new pieces.. this one is Qld Maple and Camphor Laurel [cinnamomum camphora]
Wood Flooring Floor Plastic bottle Wood stain


Glue and clamp.. notice the glue I use is TiteBond III
Table Wood Material property Flooring Gas


This is not a full tutorial on making a board… so

Cross cut and rotate and glue and clamp… and…
Wood Handheld power drill Flooring Floor Drill


Use cauls to ensure the sides are straight.. hence the squares will all line up..
Wood Flooring Floor Building Hardwood


This shot shows the two together for size comparison.

And the trademark teaser…
Wood Gas Machine Metal Composite material


What will it be????
Nice work, Larry.
 

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#47 ·
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 boards together..

Doing it this way enables me to have opposite grain orientation..
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


I trialled this today with just one species of timber…
Brown Rectangle Black Beige Wood


I selected the highly figured and coloured pieces of Camphor Laurel for the darker squares and as a contrast some very plain and indistinctive pieces as well..Each piece is 55 mm [2 1/4 inch] on each side.. The finished board is just over 25 mm [1 inch] thick.
 

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#48 ·
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 boards together..

Doing it this way enables me to have opposite grain orientation..
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


I trialled this today with just one species of timber…
Brown Rectangle Black Beige Wood


I selected the highly figured and coloured pieces of Camphor Laurel for the darker squares and as a contrast some very plain and indistinctive pieces as well..Each piece is 55 mm [2 1/4 inch] on each side.. The finished board is just over 25 mm [1 inch] thick.
Very pretty, Larry! The cutting board I did for mom had 132 blocks in it, only about 2x a chess board, but it took me HOURS of hard work. I appreciate your skills and your speed!
 

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#65 ·
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
Brown Rectangle Wood Triangle Beige


Next is the 70 mm squares board from Queensland Maple and Silver Ash..
Brown Rectangle Wood Sleeve Textile


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 sanded….
Rectangle Wood Flooring Beige Hardwood


I am thinking maybe the tops of some new boxes…
 

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#66 ·
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
Brown Rectangle Wood Triangle Beige


Next is the 70 mm squares board from Queensland Maple and Silver Ash..
Brown Rectangle Wood Sleeve Textile


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 sanded….
Rectangle Wood Flooring Beige Hardwood


I am thinking maybe the tops of some new boxes…
degoose, maybe I'm way off, yes I AM way off(in the head) but you say the squares are 55mm. With 8 across, that would make this smaller one only1.75" across. Are you making miniature chess sets? Nice job btw.

Rance (confused)
 

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#74 ·
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 embellishment … surely a stripe of purple heart and silver ash would not be amiss….

Later… should have some photos for you by this afternoon…

Stay tuned..
 
#79 ·
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..
Brown Rectangle Wood Sports equipment Beige


Rectangle Wood Flooring Indoor games and sports Floor


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…
I forgot to make sure that the triangles did not move too much thereby making the lengths different.
You will see in the following photo that the white triangles do not quite line up… oh well something new I have learned to be aware of..

Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wall


I am thinking of adding yet another layer of Camphor on the outside of the frame..
 

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#80 ·
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..
Brown Rectangle Wood Sports equipment Beige


Rectangle Wood Flooring Indoor games and sports Floor


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…
I forgot to make sure that the triangles did not move too much thereby making the lengths different.
You will see in the following photo that the white triangles do not quite line up… oh well something new I have learned to be aware of..

Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wall


I am thinking of adding yet another layer of Camphor on the outside of the frame..
its a beauty…love the whole thing…i do however think that adding more might be to much…just a thought…what you have on there now is really nice….keep plugin away mate…grizz
 

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