Chessboard

That looks like end grain. Did you cut out each square individually?

Here is a link to a little video showing the easy way.:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/463464/making_a_chess_board_the_quick_easy_way/

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

Yes That is end grain and yes I did cut each peice individually. That video was amazing. Thanks for the input. I think I try to do everything the hard way.

I’ve made a couple that way and it is pretty easy. One tip that I learned the hard way: Be sure to make your original glue-up a little oversize to account for material you will lose with the saw kerf when you make your cuts in the opposite direction.

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

That is a nice project. I am sure that I would not have the patience to cut out each individual piece. Now are you going to do another one?

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I plan on doing more chessboards especially now that I watched that video.

good enough !

welcome to lumberjocks !

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

I really like the look of this board the way it is. Below is a picture of the Isle of Lewis chessmen, the oldest known European chess set and I think they would look good on your board just the way it is. Well maybe the squares need to be a little bigger, but set in the right Arts and Craft style table I think it would look real nice. I happen to own the latex molds for these pieces and you have given me a great idea for how the board should look, thanks.

-- I can build us one.

You’re right, Gustav. With those men on his board, it would look right at home in an ancient castle.

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

Welcome to LumberJocks. Nice looking first chess board.

I need to make one of these to replace the one I made a long time ago for my dad. I really like the idea in the video.

CtL

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

Another hint:

Depending upon the wood species that you use, the squares may look different when viewed from one side to the other. To avoid having to turn strips end for end, add another strip at one end (make 4 of dark, 5 of light or vice versa – doesn’t matter) and after you saw them into strips, just offset every other strip by one square. Since that’s probably really confusing, a picture is worth a thousand words :

Then trim the extras off before you glue them.

On most woods it won’t matter, but on very figured woods like any of the fiddlebacks/tigerstripes, and some quartersawn species, the difference can be quite pronounced.

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

Look forward to the next generation of chess boards you make.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com