WIP Competition Entry "Chess Table" FINISHED

[Lord Nibbo]

The devil is in the detail, lovely work LN. The cockbead can be replaced with just a string see below, just makes the drawer look a little more special IMO.

With the stringing in your pic it's flat to the face, I didn't want it flat I wanted it rounded. Ok I could have done it like yours showing the dovetails and have rounded raised fronts to the lipping, I just never thought of doing it that way. :lol:

 

[Lord Nibbo]

The drawer is now what you might describe as air tight

A closer view

 

[BigShot]

I saw your design for this a while back and have been looking forwards to the real thing.

Looking really nice so far.

 

[Imperial]

LN, did not mean the flat looked better, I was saying that a bead round the edge does over a plain drawer :wink: The photo was just easier to explain what I was talking about, not as a slur on your work far from it..

 

[Lord Nibbo]

LN, did not mean the flat looked better, I was saying that a bead round the edge does over a plain drawer :wink: The photo was just easier to explain what I was talking about, not as a slur on your work far from it..

Don't worry I never took your comment as a slur, far from it. Like I said, it never occurred to me to do it your way. :lol:

 

[Lord Nibbo]

The wood that will become the squares of the top. All pieces have been thicknessed to 1/2" but will eventually end up nearer 3/8" or less.

All the sycamore and walnut has been cut to width, I decided to glue them up in two sections to stop any bowing.

The two halves get glued together.

 

[Anonymous]

Comng on very well LN. I rather like that cock beading despite originally thinking it wouldn't work - but this was coloured by my general displike of mouldings and beading
Looking forward to seeing the completed piece

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I rather like that cock beading despite originally thinking it wouldn't work - but this was coloured by my general displike of mouldings and beading
Looking forward to seeing the completed piece

I know exactly what you mean. I think most American furniture is quite ugly because of an over use of moldings, and being rather minimalistic as you know from my drawer and cupboard units I was a little reluctant to add moldings, but this being so small just gets away with it IMHO.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Making the checqured squares

Cutting the strips off.

Dry fitted to check everything is good.

As before I glued up in two halves to stop any bowing.

Both halves glued together, next a very light sanding on the bottom and it can be glued to the mdf panel for extra strength.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Looking very good, your Lordship

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[OPJ]

Nicely done. That board looks very tidy.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Starting the stringing

As the stringing is only 3mm square I needed to give it a base, here I'm adding the first piece of the base.

Base done, you can see in this pic I've already glued ebony to some sycamore and this in turn now needs to be glued to the base.

Shooting a mitre on the stringing.

First piece glued in.

All four pieces of stringing fitted.

During all this glue up and being an impatient type I thought I might as well give the table a coat of cellulose sanding sealer.
So here's a glimps of what it might look like when finished properly, next job is to wire wool it off

 

[devonwoody]

LN,. I have found if I sand a dark and a light timber face (like your squares) the dark can penetrate or drag over to the lighter timber, might be different for you.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

LN,. I have found if I sand a dark and a light timber face (like your squares) the dark can penetrate or drag over to the lighter timber, might be different for you.

It's no different with me either DW

I've just finished sanding it now, I had no problem with the walnut staining the sycamore but the bloody ebony went like coal dust

Anyway I've cleaned it up with a combination of course wire wool and a hand scraper. :lol:

It's now been coated with cellulose and cut back with wire wool, next step is to add the outer moulding.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Two pieces of molding fitted to the base for the top.

 

[Chems]

Its like a master class in woodworking via pictures :shock:

 

[Karl]

Really nice work LN - it's going to look fantastic once oiled up.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Lord Nibbo]

The top edge is 1/2" thick and I need to add a molding to match what is fitted the lower edge of the drawer unit.
But I want to leave a clear distinct line of the upper edge.

So I thicknessed some off cuts to 3/8" and used part of an ogee cutter to get as near a radius to match a 3/16" radius as I could.

After ripping the edges off and a little light hand sanding, job done.

I needed to knock up a heath robinson style jig to hold the moldings so I could shoot the mitres

First piece gets glued into place, you can clearly see the distinct upper edge I wanted to leave.

The checquers have been glued in and the molding around the edge is fitted and all have received a coat of cellulose and been rubbed back with fine wirewool. next step is to either fit it to the base or start putting the danish oil finish on.

 

[big soft moose]

Making the checqured squares

Cutting the strips off.

Dry fitted to check everything is good.

As before I glued up in two halves to stop any bowing.

Both halves glued together, next a very light sanding on the bottom and it can be glued to the mdf panel for extra strength.

very uselful your lordship - I have to make a chess board/ set in the near future and had resigned myself to using ceramic tiles - but I reckon i could do this (probably not as well as this though).

Are you turning/carving/making the pieces , LN ? (as is my intention - swimbo wants them based on sheep :roll: ) or are you buying a staunton set ?

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Are you turning/carving/making the pieces , LN ? (as is my intention - swimbo wants them based on sheep :roll: ) or are you buying a staunton set ?

I've bought a set of Staunton set from India on ebay :shock: yes you heard me right.... :lol: India!

They took less than a week for delivery too :lol:

I looked at quality English suppliers but £200+ put me right off.

Anyway the set from India was £60 + postage and I must say I was most surprised how good they are in fact they are perfection.

If anyone is interested this is the set I got. CLICK HERE