Another two chessboards.

[Peri]

Finished another two boards this weekend - both Bolivian rosewood & maple.

This one was made to order - 52mm squares.

This one, I'm yet to find a buyer for- 56mm squares.

 

[yetloh]

I particularly like the second with the raised squares, makes a change from the norm.

Jim

 

[Peri]

I prefer the raised squares - makes it obvious that it's not a veneer.

 

[Hornbeam]

Is there an issue if it was a veneer?

 

[Peri]

Only one of personal taste. If I was paying for a board I'd like to think I was paying for a solid chunk of timber, not a skin as thick as a piece of paper.

 

[Adam W.]

Very nice, the second one would be my choice if I played chess.

 

[The Chiller]

Both quality. I too like 2nd one.

 

[joshvegas]

Number two does it for me, I think the darker border and upstand makes the grid pop nicely. The first one is still nice but doesn't quite have the impact.

I'm most impressed that you seem to have got each square in the right place and orientated correctly to maintain the grain. I can barely cut a board in half and lay it immedeately on the bench without one being upside down and rotated.

 

[Peri]

It didn't go totally to plan.

As I said here regarding the first board:

I've made the board (12mm thick), making sure to carefully mark the back of all the pieces so any tear out, dents and problem surfaces are on the back, where no-one will see them when it's glued to the backer board.

Glued up the backer, put the board down, added a square of 3/4" ply on top the protect the surface and spread clamping pressure..........left overnight, removed the ply and somehow I've glued the board down cr*p side up. ^^

Had to do a lot more sanding than I intended - and I don't have a drum sander

 

[yetloh]

Reminds me of the first piece of furniture I made on a 5 day course at West Dean - a coffee table in brown oak. Last day, frame made and glued up, buttons made to secure the top . Laid the top on the bench and frame on top of that, screws in buttons to mark the screw positions in top, Whacked all the screws to mark positions for pilot holes. Removed the frame and lo, the top was face side up and had a big knot hole on the underside. Utter devastation. Solution? Fill knot with carved pieces of end grain and make a feature of it. It was, of course always intended to be like that!

Jim

 

[thetyreman]

very good quality work as usual @Peri do you sell these?

 

[Peri]

I didn't start off with the intention of selling them, but I've made 6 and sold them all. Haven't found a buyer for the black framed one yet, but I expect I will sooner or later.

 

[Adam W.]

How many millions does such a luxury item cost ?

 

[Peri]

I don't sell them for anywhere near what they could go for. We're talking hundreds, not thousands

I think Staunton will make a handmade board, to order, starting at around £1000 and going up to the £4 or £5k range.

 

[Adam W.]

I'd imagine that there was a fair bit of work in there.

 

[Peri]

Theirs or mine?

Mine take an age to make because I don't have all the tools I'd like (but then again, not many do!).
I got the garage because my wife's Ford Kuga was too long to fit in it - my workshop is basically the footprint of a car. No wide drum sander, no jointer, no sander, no proper bandsaw - just a Draper t/s, a Triton thicknesser and hand tools !

 

[Adam W.]

I meant yours not theirs, which I'm sure get bashed out double quick.

What wood have you used for the frame ?

 

[matkinitice]

Very nice.

Regarding the Staunton board/pieces, they have rather strict rules and ways of building. Watched this cool video a while back on how they make the pieces.

 

[Peri]

What wood have you used for the frame ?

Tbh, I'm not sure - it was salvaged timber. Some sort of hardwood that was used in 1950's fire doors.

This is what it looked like before I stained it and used black French polish on it - I wasn't that keen.


@matkinitice

The first 30 seconds is something I can understand.
I made a couple of chess sets to teach myself cnc (not so easy I wouldn't learn a lot, not so difficult I'd need to study for years to be able to do it). All the other pieces I did in a week - the knight took more than a month to figure out!




They are powder coated aluminium.

 

[ndbrown]

Very nice boards, I got into making chess boards completely by accident last year. On my third commission right now in Sycamore and Mahogany salvaged from a very old writing desk that was otherwise scrap. I made the first one in Maple an American Black Walnut and the second in Sycamore and Black Walnut. In all of my boards I have also gone out of solid in a borderless, backer board less design where the square’s float relative to each other. Picture is of the second one. Squares are sized at 51mm