Custom checkerboard set and end/play table

Started off by building the table. Had this load of ambrosia maple, hidden in that load was some paint grade maple with just a little ambrosia in it. Kind of a rip, but liked the overall look. Also had of all things, a 2X4 of african mahogany I found in a pile of cherry that was being sold at a local hardwood store for $1 a bd. ft. When I came across the mahogany, it was way too light, so I said to the guy this is not cherry! He said “Hey, boss says $1 a board foot – want it or not?”
Could not get that into the truck fast enough.
So what do you do with a 2X4 proud made of mahogany?
The table is the result, along with the paint/ambrosia maple top. Finished in multiple coats of poly, polished to a mirror. 18” square, 23” high, great end table or a play table.

But my wifey says to me, as it stands nicely in our living area, “That thing needs a checkerboard.” Now I know the usual is to put the board right into the tabletop, but I saw a chance to build a checkerboard case. That morphed into a compartment on the bottom, and then of course the checkers, which were lathed out of stacked wood. One set is african paduak stacked with pacific coast maple, the other set if the same maple with purpleheart. Never worked with pacific coast maple before, it is hard as a rock, and sometimes has little piths in the grain that are kind of a pain. But has way more grain visible than regular hard maple. All of the checkerboard and checkers are finished with salad bowl finish and a little Johnson’s paste wax. Added the brass corners on a whim. The brass latch I did need to keep the bottom drawer from opening when flipping it over to get out the checkers. Lined the inside with felt.

Thanks for lookin’, and as always, copy it if you want!

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com