An expert building a backgammon board.

[Andy Kev.]

I was wondering how difficult it is to make a backgammon board and stumbled upon this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jWKxCtiUNk

The answer to my wondering is obviously "too difficult" but there are probably one or two on here who could manage this. In any event, it's always a pleasure to watch a master at work.

 

[jeremyduncombe]

Not as difficult as you might think. This games board was my first attempt at veneering - chess board on one side, backgammon on the other. Admittedly it was made in a well equipped workshop, with an expert looking over my shoulder. It would have been much more difficult as a solo project at home.

 

[jeremyduncombe]

And this is the chess board side.

 

[jeremyduncombe]

You can see that I messed up the chess board - it is not exactly centred in the frame. Lesson learnt for next time, but luckily nobody ever notices.

 

[Jonathan S]

It's not difficult, be patient and careful when cutting the veneer, make sure you balance the substrate....I made a chess board at school as part of the CDT course, glued the veneer to the back of a piece of laminated kitchen worktop, still ok after 35 years.

Sent from my SM-J530F using Tapatalk

 

[Andy Kev.]

That's impressive work, Jeremy.

I've been thinking of signing up for a veneering/marquetry course at Dictum, if I can find the time. I suppose it is a lot less fiddly than it looks ... once you've learned how.

 

[jeremyduncombe]

I've been thinking of signing up for a veneering/marquetry course at Dictum, if I can find the time. I suppose it is a lot less fiddly than it looks ... once you've learned how.

I am afraid it is rather fiddly as you have to cut each piece fairly accurately. The glue makes the veneer swell slightly so any tiny gaps will disappear, but bigger errors will still show. It is not the ideal hobby for a man in a hurry, but then that applies to any sort of woodwork. I find it is good for me, it makes me slow down and enjoy the process of making instead of rushing ahead to get to the end. Go on, book that course, at the worst you will have had an interesting few days.

I haven’t done any veneering for quite a while. I have just bought the smallest Bagpress vacuum press ( should have made my own press but had too much else going on ). Planning to make a veneered picture as a Christmas present, but I haven’t settled on the design yet.

 

[thetyreman]

this actually looks doable, I like his metal template to cut the shapes, that is a simple but excellent idea.