My Chess Boxes

When I started thinking about making Chess Boxes I decided to have a small border around them and then continue the chess pattern on the side. This is what I came up with. The pictures show the (1) front and top, (2) the top, (3) the front, side and top, (4) the back, side and top, (5) with it open. The description on this box is;

This Chess Box is about 13” x 13” and 3 5/8” high on the outside. Inside it is 12 1/4” x 12 1/4” x 2”. I made it using 612 pieces of wood cut in triangle shapes from different kinds of wood. Each square is 1 ½” and is made by using four triangles. This makes a design within each square and gives it a completely different look. The box is finished in its natural color with 5 or 6 coats of a clear wiping varnish, rubbed in by hand. The pieces are a bit over 3/16” thick, glued onto a Baltic Birch base, so they hold up much better than a thin veneer.

As you can see in pictures 1 and 2, wood does reflect light according to the way the grain runs.

The type of wood is listed on the bottom of the box from the center out. On this box the wood is “Wenge” from West Africa, “Philippine Mahogany” from the Philippines”, and “Hackberry” from Missouri.

I lined the bottom of the box with black velveteen.

On this next box, the wood is “Elm” “Ash” and “Cedar” from Missouri

On this box the wood is “Hackberry” from Missouri, “Bubinga” from Africa, and “Walnut” from Missouri.

On this box the wood is “Hackberry” and “Walnut” from Missouri and “Wenge” from West Africa.

On this last box the wood is “Wenge” from West Africa, “Purpleheart” from Central or South America and “Ash heart wood” from Missouri.

Thank you for looking,
Robin Tucker

-- It’s not so much what we know that causes the trouble, it’s what we know that’s not so.