Chess Set - Offset Hyperbolic Parabaloid

That is a very interesting design. How did you accomplish the glue-up of this?

-- Kyle Shipp, Michigan, http://battleshipp.blogspot.com

I computer modeled the board with several different height changes to find the one that I liked aesthetically. I then cut block risers for the different heights (every one IS different). The board is a mirror image so I only had to create blocks for half the board. Each row was then glued up one row at a time. Most squares were easy, the really thin ones were hard. Each row was then glued to the row next to it. All of the staining was done before the glue up. To do it again (and I am working on a couple of different variations) I’ll need to find a different way to do the thin squares.

all that work and only one picture ?

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

OK, added a couple more pix. These on a glass table.

Nice Work!

-- - Jim, Vancouver,WA

is the end grain facing up? Very nice board!

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

Yes, the end grain is facing up. Each square (3”x3”) is made up of 4 smaller squares (1.5” x 1.5”) and each of those 1.5” squares is made up of two rectangles (1.5” x .75”) so each colored square is made of of 8 pieces, all with the end grain up and at slightly different diagonals.

hmmmm…. how long did it take to complete? this looks like an insane amount of work :-)

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

I usually spend more time designing a project then actually building it. This took several weeks to design (maybe 20 man hours) and I built it in 5 evenings (about 15 man hours). I spend a lot of design time trying to come up the simplest way to build something. Everything is computer modeled and remodeled. I play with proportions and colors. Sometimes I will print out a plan at actual size and place it in the final location just to get a sense for how it works in the space. I also modeled my entire house in the computer and place all furniture “virtually” in the space before I begin construction to see if I like how it “fits”. Yea, a little anal, but if I’m going to take the time to make something, I like to know it’s been well thought out. Measure twice – cut once, I like to extend to: design twice – build once.

man that is one cool chess board….great job…well done

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

are the blocks made up of lots of small ones just for looks or does it affect the stability of the glue up?
Cheers

-- mwm! Before you criticise walk a mile in their shoes, and when you do criticise you will be a mile away and have their shoes!

it´s very cool.great job

-- Héctor-----Me rio yo del de bricomania ( es un programa que dan en españa)

I salute you! this is a very nice combination of engineering and skill

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

Dave, welcome to LJ, this is a great sight with great members.

Looks like you’ve added topography to the battlefield! Really cool idea and execution.

Thanks for posting it.

-- Martin, Kansas

Now that’s pretty cool!

It is nice (really great! ) to look at but how do chess players feel about playing on it?

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Hey that looks like one of my glue-ups before I hit it with the belt sander!

All kidding aside, that is really cool!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

gorgeous table, and magnificent idea! I love this one. +1 to favorites

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

LOL…too funny Charlie!

-- Martin, Kansas

What a fantastic work! I would LOVE to own something like this!

The work you put into this is really fantastic! I am also jealous of your design skills!

This is pretty cool!

-- He said wood...http://hickbyassociation.blogspot.com/

Cool concept man, that’s some good thinking. Course chess is tough enough for me with out adding more input. Great project!!

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

Favorited here.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Way cool Chess Board.

CtL

-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."

That has to be the coolest chess board I’ve ever seen.

-- Alan, Prince George

It almost makes you want to redesign the rules to somehow give more options or moves or some type of advantage to whoever holds the high ground.

-- Dale Manning, Carthage, NY

hehe… interesting idea, DaleM. as there are at least 20 sets of rules for chess, i guess another one would be ok. should be interesting. like adding the rule that for a piece to take the same piece it should be on higher ground…

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

Very cool.

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

To 99mwm,

“are the blocks made up of lots of small ones just for looks or does it affect the stability of the glue up?”

The small ones were part of the build up for the master squares. It doesn’t effect the stability of the glue up. They were ganged together and glued as a subassembly before the 3”x3” squares were joined. The 3×3 squares are really big and I didn’t want the chess set to look like a big toy. The smaller squares within the square start to break down the scale. You get to read a lot more detail as you look closer. It helps it feel like it’s scaled correctly as opposed to just scaled up.

Hi Dave

Exquisite detail and design. Very nicely done! Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

looks cool – never seen anything like that before. looks extra neat on the glass table.

-- Mike - Columbus, Ohio

Very cool. I might think about building something like that but where the height is relevant to the position value.

Thanks for stimulating our minds!!!

-- If you have gone through a whole day without learning something new, you wasted it.