| Project by bent | posted 568 days ago | 482 views | 3 times favorited | 9 comments |  |
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i made this checkerboard for my grandfather as a christmas gift. it has a nice personal touch, because the walnut in it came from a tree in his front yard. it was a beautiful tree, but unfortunately, my dad had it cut into firewood before i could get my hands on it. i took some pieces off of his woodpile and made this. it was difficult because at the time i didn’t own a planer or jointer. the individual squares were all cut with a miter saw and “planed” to thickness with a router and homemade jig. the checkers are actually backgammon pieces that i purchased online, as i ran out of time to make some before christmas. in the last picture, you can see toby from my quality control department giving it the final inspection before i wrapped it.
9 comments so far
Paul D
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2125 posts in 648 days
posted 568 days ago
Nice checkerboard Ben. A very nice design with the drawer.
-- Paul D, Atlanta GA
Napaman
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3495 posts in 977 days
posted 568 days ago
great job…i am currious about the “planing” with the router…amzing job…I am sure he liked it…
-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...
Copperjock
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120 posts in 698 days
posted 568 days ago
Really nice board. I can only imagine the things you’ll be turning out when you do get a planer and jointer. Great work!
-- All the test cuts in the world won't stop you from cutting the outside when you meant to cut the inside. doh!
jjohn
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391 posts in 613 days
posted 568 days ago
Nice ! I like the drawer design as well as the top.
-- JJohn
tomd
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216 posts in 670 days
posted 568 days ago
Great board, nice work.
-- Tom D
GaryK
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9555 posts in 888 days
posted 568 days ago
That drawer idea is great! Nice job.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Scott Bryan
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20805 posts in 722 days
posted 567 days ago
This is a very nice checkerboard and the inclusion of the drawer was a good idea. Thanks for sharing the story behind it as well. I have often said that the story is as important as the piece itself and this is no exception.
Well done and thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Dusty56
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3518 posts in 588 days
posted 496 days ago
Fantastic board with the drawer included in the design … Brings me back to the early 60’s when I used to play checkers with my Grandfather : ) Thanks for the memories : )
-- 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 .
Tim from Iowa City
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186 posts in 500 days
posted 496 days ago
I like the use of contrasting woods. It really pops out. Looks great.
-- Tim from Iowa City, IA