# Scrabble tabble



## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

This is actually something I did a few months ago (birthday present for my wife). It's a scrabble table---as long as you're enough of a hard core scrabble nut to be happy with the power squares being colour-coded (pink, red, lt blue, dk blue). It's made from walnut solids: I cut up a slab and acclimatised it to indoor conditions while gradually handplaning it down to final size. So far, no warping! The letters are held in place by 3mm dowels cut from bog oak and sycamore, with the lighter wood showing the power squares: super fiddly to cut. The big curved leg is offset to allow you to slide the table under a sofa. It's made from a sustainable hardwood called ipe, comonly used for hardwood decking. I ripped it into strips with 6degree bevelled sides, glued it, and blackened it by fuming with ammonia ...


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## gregmcateer (7 Jan 2021)

Bloody hell!
That is a work of art - I'd be scared to damage it through use.
Amazing


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

Thanks! it's pretty damn solid, we play scrabble on it most days


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## Yojevol (7 Jan 2021)

Wonderful job. 
Some more details on how it was made would be interesting, eg, how the 1000 odd holes and dowels were made.
Brian


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## akirk (7 Jan 2021)

love it - but intrigued... what was your thinking behind having the dowels rather than for example inlays - was it to hold the tiles in place as you rotate the top? don't think that my scrabble board has any means of holding the tiles in place and that hasn't been a big issue...


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

akirk, yes indeed the dowels keep the pieces in place as you rotate the board (it has a built in ball-bearing turntable that you can see in one of the photos). I had thought of using wooden dividing strips but I wanted to be able to show when the square is a power square in a way that you can see when the tile is in place. I also wanted to emphasise the continuity of the grain of the slab. Both these factors pointed towards the dowels.

Yojevol, as you say there are nearly a thousand little dowels in there. drilling the holes and popping the dowels in sounds like the hard bit but its relatively easy. I layed out the grid on a sheet of 1.6mm plywood and kept it in place as I drilled all the holes through into the board. That meant that I could cut the dowels all flush to the ply, sand down the cut tops of the dowels, then peel away the ply to reveal the finished board (I oiled the main slab before all this).

The hard bit is actually making the dowels. I attach a photo of my dowel maker: you start off cutting say a 5mm square rod, pop it in a drill chuck and spin it through successively smaller holes drilled in a piece of steel. It helps quite a lot to cut an angled slot from the edge of the steel in to the hole: you can sharpen the cut edge and it acts as a cutter. Works a treat to make any size dowel ... except when the dowels get down to 4mm diameter or less when they just want to splinter given the slightest opportunity. I just persisted, trying always to be gentle, to use straight grained wood, and not to be too ambitious on length, probably 200mm max.

I'm working on a mark 2 dowel maker where I still spin the dowel in a drill, but use the high-speed rotating blade of a router to do the cutting. Works in principle but very fiddly to set up ....


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## billw (7 Jan 2021)

That's a definite labour of love. Great work! How many hours did the top take?


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## Richard Berry (7 Jan 2021)

Nice work! This is way better than the backgammon board I made.

You lose scrabble points for the thread title though.


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

As regards time, well the time consuming thing was fixing all my cock ups! The whole project took me a couple of months, but the things that look fiddly were quick: about a day to mark up the plywood template for the dowel holes, 2-3 days making dowels, a day putting it together. 

But preparing the three circles of wood was pretty time consuming: my walnut slab had shakes and cracks, so my first step was to stabilise the slab by setting it in epoxy, then cutting/sanding the epoxy off so that it was left in the shakes and cracks. There was a lot of hand planing then to get the workpieces to thickness. After each bout of planing I brought the slabs back into the house and monitored them for warp over the next few days.

My original idea was a reversible top, but I realised it would be hard to design a good docking system, but I thought this was essential because I wanted to be able to use the top as a standalone board on say a dining table. It took a bit of work to design a system which guided the aluminium bearing rings into the right place even if you were pretty sloppy in putting the top on the table.


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## thetyreman (7 Jan 2021)

amazing work, I've never seen anything quite like it before, it looks beautiful as well as being functional, I could honestly imagine seeing this in an art gallery or museum it's that nice.


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

Thank you for your lovely kind words!


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## Fitzroy (7 Jan 2021)

awesome, that's two of your projects that are interesting and different, more please!


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## sammy.se (7 Jan 2021)

Very impressive, creative and unique! Well done!!


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## pe2dave (7 Jan 2021)

I'm impressed. My first reaction, I wonder what Steve (blind from birth, whizz braille reader) would make of it!
... Todays short story is.....
I envy your patience with the dowelling jig! Big #fail with some ebony.


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## Yojevol (7 Jan 2021)

@JoshD Your dowel maker is somewhat along the lines of L-N dowel plate. I've used mine several times but only by hammering the stock material through the hole. The main problem is keeping it straight as it goes through. Next time I'll try your method of rotating it through.
Brian


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

Yojeval, interesting to see the LN dowel maker, especially as it ostensibly does 1/8" dowel, the size I was after. I know from experience that dowel this size is super fragile and it's hard to imagine that it would tolerate hammering unless the hole was super sharp and the starting size was close to the target size. But be aware that when you start spinning the dowel through you lose accuracy in sizing. If you need accurate sizing then probably best to make it oversize and sand down to target size by spinning it while holding it with sandpaper.

Fyi, I attach pics of my mark 2 dowel maker: much less likely to break the dowel, I l have managed to make 800mm+ lengths of 3mm dowel with it. It sits on a router table clamped to the fence with a straight bit in the 14mm hole on side E. You spin ~5mm square stock in through the 6mm hole in side A and 3mm dowel emerges from side C. Waste is extracted through the hole in side D.


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

sammy.se said:


> Very impressive, creative and unique! Well done!!


Thanks!


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

pe2dave said:


> I'm impressed. My first reaction, I wonder what Steve (blind from birth, whizz braille reader) would make of it!
> ... Todays short story is.....
> I envy your patience with the dowelling jig! Big #fail with some ebony.


It would be great to have a good ebony replacement. Bog oak is lovely and black, but quite coarse grained, not to mention brittle. But ipe is worth a thought, especially if you're willing to do ammonia fuming.


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## Yojevol (7 Jan 2021)

JoshD said:


> Yojeval, interesting to see the LN dowel maker, especially as it ostensibly does 1/8" dowel, the size I was after. I know from experience that dowel this size is super fragile and it's hard to imagine that it would tolerate hammering unless the hole was super sharp and the starting size was close to the target size. But be aware that when you start spinning the dowel through you lose accuracy in sizing. If you need accurate sizing then probably best to make it oversize and sand down to target size by spinning it while holding it with sandpaper.


The smallest I've used it for is 6mm. I had a similar requirement to yours on my first clock face but I cheated and used 4mm lollipop sticks. For the same function on my 2nd clock I've used tooth picks which are about 2mm  
Brian


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## JoshD (7 Jan 2021)

You can buy birch dowel ready made in 3mm, also ramin; there's also the option of metal, eg, bronze or copper .... Just editing this after looking at @Yojevol /Brian's amazing clock! I don't think it's quite right for my Scrabble table but bronze or copper rod look very classy set in wood. I also experimented with copper tube: you can stop the end with a little bit of coloured epoxy of you want to colour code your dots.


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## Jester129 (8 Jan 2021)

That would sell for A LOT of money in an artisan shop. Absolutely brilliant work! Congratulations indeed.


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## JoshD (8 Jan 2021)

Jester129 said:


> That would sell for A LOT of money in an artisan shop. Absolutely brilliant work! Congratulations indeed.


Actually I am thinking of doing some more and trying to sell them ... But I'd have to upgrade my skill and craftsmanship level I think. Many people have posted kind words on this thread but they don't see my cockups and bodges!


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## Benchwayze (8 Jan 2021)

My Scrabble game was called 'Travel Scrabble' and had tiles with a small peg at each corner. The tiles fitted on a grid of holes on the board. Your table wouldook st home on a cruise liner where it would be ideal for usr in rough weather. Would Mal De Mare be a permitted word? 

Lovely work and a sound idea
If my Lady was still at home she would love one! I don't think I could come up with the goods.


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## Orraloon (8 Jan 2021)

It is a great table with the offset foot and the rotating top. The design is clever and it looks great. I dont know If I could live with the dowels poking up as I would want to use it as a table when not playing. Thats just my take however. A great piece of work. I made a 3 player cribbage board and my eyes were spinning before the drilling was done and nowhere near as many holes as that either. I can see some hard graft went into that.
Regards
John


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## JoshD (8 Jan 2021)

@Orraloon / John, yes I actually have plans to make a very thin tray/lid that goes over the top. I have a design in mind where you'd be able to pick the board up (Ie, exc the table) with the lid on and flip it upside down to take the tiles off the board, and the lid would then act as a tile tray. The other side of the lid, the side you see when it's covering the board, could be a marquetry chess or backgammon board ... I've bought some veneers to do this but I need to learn veneering and marquetry!


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## Fitzroy (8 Jan 2021)

JoshD said:


> Actually I am thinking of doing some more and trying to sell them ... But I'd have to upgrade my skill and craftsmanship level I think. Many people have posted kind words on this thread but they don't see my cockups and bodges!



We all see the cock ups and bodges in our pieces way more than anyone else does.


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## XH558 (8 Jan 2021)

Totally discombobulated by your effort.


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## JoshD (15 Jun 2021)

JoshD said:


> @Orraloon / John, yes I actually have plans to make a very thin tray/lid that goes over the top. I have a design in mind where you'd be able to pick the board up (Ie, exc the table) with the lid on and flip it upside down to take the tiles off the board, and the lid would then act as a tile tray. The other side of the lid, the side you see when it's covering the board, could be a marquetry chess or backgammon board ... I've bought some veneers to do this but I need to learn veneering and marquetry!


Finally got round to making that lid for my Scrabble table. One side is marquetry non-traditional chess board (first attempt at marquetry) and the other is a tray for Scrabble tiles. You can use it to cover up a Scrabble game in progress, just to be able to use the table for drinks, even if you don't want to play chess.


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## JoshD (15 Jun 2021)

The main panel is 3mm poplar veneered with red-coloured tulip wood on one side and on the other a burry/burly walnut veneer into which I've set dark oak and sycamore circles.


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## scooby (15 Jun 2021)

Excellent work Josh. Very impressive.


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## JoshD (15 Jun 2021)

Thanks @scooby!


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## bobblezard (16 Jun 2021)

My dad was blind and a braille reader. He played Scrabble on a ridged board with plastic moulding over card. I think this would have been really effective for him .
Really innovative work and a stunning result.


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## JoshD (16 Jun 2021)

bobblezard said:


> My dad was blind and a braille reader. He played Scrabble on a ridged board with plastic moulding over card. I think this would have been really effective for him .
> Really innovative work and a stunning result.


That all sets me thinking: would be quite easy to modify the little pegs on the board to encode the power squares; but as regards letter tiles, could your dad read them by feel, or did he need to have Braille on them?


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## pe2dave (16 Jun 2021)

JoshD said:


> That all sets me thinking: would be quite easy to modify the little pegs on the board to encode the power squares; but as regards letter tiles, could your dad read them by feel, or did he need to have Braille on them?


Wouldn't take much to produce a 6 cell template, holes drilled for each cell, then punch through for a tile. If not tactile a drop of 'glue' from a hot glue gun leaves a tactile 'blob'?


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## JoshD (16 Jun 2021)

pe2dave said:


> Wouldn't take much to produce a 6 cell template, holes drilled for each cell, then punch through for a tile. If not tactile a drop of 'glue' from a hot glue gun leaves a tactile 'blob'?


Yes but I think you'd want to make bespoke tiles so that Braille didn't make them lie slightly askew upside down in the tray; and to be robust enough to cope with being shaken around in the bag.


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## pe2dave (16 Jun 2021)

Robust? Yes. Braille 'rise' above paper is minimal. Lay flat? Not sure why, but if needed extra 'bumps' could be added (say in corner) to confuse.
I doubt even experts could determine a letter by the offset from horizontal?


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## bobblezard (16 Jun 2021)

JoshD said:


> That all sets me thinking: would be quite easy to modify the little pegs on the board to encode the power squares; but as regards letter tiles, could your dad read them by feel, or did he need to have Braille on them?


My dad used braille Scrabble tiles which were readily available through the RNIB and other sources. As are full braille sets.
There are various ways of doing braille by hand on plastic sheet, self adhesive tape or card. I've done some on thin copper sheet before now, using a braille frame and stylus like the one linked below, but experimentation was needed to raise a dot rather than punch through.
Takes me back to the days when half the house was covered with braille labels and adapted games, device etc.


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## JoshD (16 Jun 2021)

pe2dave said:


> Robust? Yes. Braille 'rise' above paper is minimal. Lay flat? Not sure why, but if needed extra 'bumps' could be added (say in corner) to confuse.
> I doubt even experts could determine a letter by the offset from horizontal?


Ready bought Braille tiles would be fine. I like the look of the old 1950s and 60s tiles and that's what I use myself. But if I were to make Braille tiles myself I was thinking I'd probably want to use tiny dowels---or at least I didn't quite see a different way of doing it that would look the way I want it...


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## bobblezard (16 Jun 2021)

JoshD said:


> Ready bought Braille tiles would be fine. I like the look of the old 1950s and 60s tiles and that's what I use myself. But if I were to make Braille tiles myself I was thinking I'd probably want to use tiny dowels---or at least I didn't quite see a different way of doing it that would look the way I want it...


I used small dome headed copper rivets, cut short, to make a few items with braille symbols on wood. Just pre-drill and insert, that worked and looked attractive.


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## JoshD (17 Jun 2021)

bobblezard said:


> I used small dome headed copper rivets, cut short, to make a few items with braille symbols on wood. Just pre-drill and insert, that worked and looked attractive.


Yes, that's great advice thanks. Shopped around a bit and found 1/32" shaft brass round rivets. Didn't say how big the dome was but guessing 1/16", say 1.5-2mm, would allow Braille letter to be say 6x10mm and (if I made letter tiles) I could put one rivet at each corner if I was bothered about lying flat. Or I could double the size and have a big Braille letter covering the whole tile (if I made my own tiles I was thinking of filling engraved letter with black coloured epoxy, so tile would feel flat)


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## Lancashire Wood Studio (26 Jun 2021)

I love this idea and you've done a marvelous job.


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## JoshD (28 Jun 2021)

Lancashire Wood Studio said:


> I love this idea and you've done a marvelous job.


Thanks! 

TBH the new tray/lid isn't totally satisfactory: first you really notice the difference betweeen the depth of finish on veneer and the solids . I think part of the problem is that the burr/burl veneer is incredibly porous and just drank up glue (epoxy) with the result that there was massive bleed through which has effectively filled the grain; second, it just isn't properly thought through from the dimensional stability point of view and it curls and uncurls as the humidity changes---not by much, but it's enough that you notice.


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## JoshD (15 Mar 2022)

I've made another Scrabble Tabble, in this one the walnut is replaced with spalted elm, and the supporting undertable is octagonal with pull out letter racks. Here's the top, with 3.2mm dowels in maple and ipe holding the pieces in place on the board (maple for power squares, ipe for the rest). I've filled the voids in the spalted elm with epoxy containing graphite coloured epoxy; some of my layers were a bit thick and the epoxy got a bit hot---but I think the the convection loops actually look quite good! The spalted elm was *very* spalted---too spalted, punky really---only made manageable by allowing it to drink up vast quantities of epoxy and, at the end, Osmo Polyx. THe final result is surprisingly tough, although the areas that drank a lot of epoxy ended up going rather darker than I intended.







In the next photo you can see the offset leg, made of ipe (BTW now that I know that ipe is unsustainable I will stop using it when my current stock is used up). The leg is made by jointing 11 strips of ipe bevelled at 6 degrees (9 interior strips and 2 half-sized end strips), and scraping into a smooth curve.





THe joints between the leg and the base and undertable are triple mortice and tenon joints, giving super strength and stability. If you look carefully in the pic below you'll see that I took care that some part of all 11 strips was included in the tenons. This was a belt and braces approach as ipe doesn't glue fantastically well, so if any of the long joints separate the leg will still be held in place at both ends.





THe photo below shows the octagonal undertable: what look like white drawers are actually sycamore letter racks.






Here are two letter racks open:






This photo shows one fully open letter rack (on the left) and one that has been slid out but not yet flipped down. You can see a metal strip on the back/underside of this rack: this is to retain a neodymium magnet which engages with a second magnet embedded in the ash slide to make the rack click into place as it is flipped down.





To make the 3.2mm dowels I used the bandsaw to rough cut 4x4x300mm blanks. I then used the router table-based cutter jig pictured in an earlier post to make these into ~3.3-3.5mm dowels: the blanks are spun in a hand drill and fed past a fast-spinning router blade; these rough cut lengths are then smoothed out by repeatedly puling through an oversize die at a slight angle until they are slender enough to be hammered through a 3.2mm die. In the photo below you have just a few of the enormous number required: starting from the left you see (a) 4x4mm blanks, (b) rough cut ~3.3-3.5mm dowel made by the router jig, (c) after smoothing, and (d) after hammering through 3.2mm die (cut in half first to make hammering easier).





If you're still with me, thanks for reading!

Josh


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## Sporky McGuffin (15 Mar 2022)

That is proper astounding. Lovely work.


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## JoshD (15 Mar 2022)

Thank you!


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## Jester129 (16 Mar 2022)

Love the thought/work that has gone into the letter racks.
One beautiful achievement.


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## thebruiser (15 Apr 2022)

JoshD said:


> This is actually something I did a few months ago (birthday present for my wife). It's a scrabble table---as long as you're enough of a hard core scrabble nut to be happy with the power squares being colour-coded (pink, red, lt blue, dk blue). It's made from walnut solids: I cut up a slab and acclimatised it to indoor conditions while gradually handplaning it down to final size. So far, no warping! The letters are held in place by 3mm dowels cut from bog oak and sycamore, with the lighter wood showing the power squares: super fiddly to cut. The big curved leg is offset to allow you to slide the table under a sofa. It's made from a sustainable hardwood called ipe, comonly used for hardwood decking. I ripped it into strips with 6degree bevelled sides, glued it, and blackened it by fuming with ammonia ...
> 
> View attachment 100427
> 
> ...



wow repetitive holes I get lost after doing just a few. Eyes all over the place.

I too would be scared to use.
It would be a show piece only in our house


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## DBC (16 Apr 2022)

Haven’t seen anything like that before. Love those tables. You must have been constantly sharpening your gear using all that Ipe.


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## JoshD (16 Apr 2022)

We honestly use the first Scrabble tabble (the walnut one) every day, sometimes more than once! It's really pretty tough! But the power squares in that one were done by lightly hand staining sycamore and they've changed colour as they've faded. V2 has coloured tulip wood veneers which will hopefully maintain their colour.

As regards ipe, yes, it's a difficult wood and cutting the triple tenons on both ends of the curved leg by hand required chisels sharpened say every 15- 20 min! And it was a poor choice for the 3mm dowels, much more prone to splintering than the hard maple I used for the light coloured dowels. I think fumed oak next time ....


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## gregmcateer (16 Apr 2022)

Wow, wow, wow. 
That is STUNNING!


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