chess board needs some pieces...

I ripped off an idea for a simple chess board from a book. I changed all of the dimensions, and ignored most of the instructions, so I don't count this as building from a plan. :)

This is one of those out of control, simple-gone-complicated projects. At first it was just a board to go under a super cheapie $2 chess set on a camping trip. Now the board itself has had squares kerfed off and stained. It looks a lot better than I expected, considering the lousy piece of filthy scrap furniture I made it out of. Well-yellowed, unfinished Jummywood for the light squares that looks almost like red oak.

So now that I have a surprisingly good looking chess board (by my low standards, granted :), I want to do more with it than planned. Instead of just building a crude little free-standing box to hold the very crappy, feather light chess pieces from that $2 set, I want to build this board into a box of some sort (either as a hinged lid, or as the top of the carcass for a miniature set of drawers), and populate it with nice pieces. Nothing _too_ nice, mind you, because this is supposed to be a rough duty travel set, but something a step above these extremely cheap ones.

I thought about trying my hand at turning a chess set on my drill press, but while I've had some surprising results making steam domes and smoke stacks for steam locomotives, I don't really feel up to the challenge of making all those identical pieces with the crude setup I have.

So I thought I'd see if there are any sets of chess pieces for sale online somewhere that I can afford. (Yes, JOAT, I saw your idea for the hardware chess set. I'm thinking about that too.)

If I can find something affordable, that will tear it, but I've had no luck so far. If I have to spend a lot of money, I'll probably try my hand at turning on the drill press. More than anything else, I just hate the thought of doing that much turning on my $300 machine that I can't afford to replace, and which isn't really built for that sort of use. If I hadn't sold my old 10" benchtop, this would be a fun project.

Maybe I should also think about one of those hobby lathes relative to the cost of a chess set. I suppose in the end I _would_ like to say I made them myself at the end of the day. Though that's a slippery slope too. I make a really nice set of pieces, and then this stained, kerfed pine board won't do, and I'll end up with a much more complicated project that will take a long time to complete. I fully intend to make a nice chess board some day, but I'm trying to get in one last project before it gets too cold to use my shop, and the clock is ticking.

Ideas?

Reply to
Silvan
Loading thread data ...

Staunton has a really nice (don't laugh) plastic set that is heavily weighted and is a faithful copy of the wooden Collector's set.

The King stands four inches and the set weighs 64 ounces, not including the extra queens, which come with the set.

formatting link
wouldn't use a wood set for travel.

A side benefit to this set is that it will provide an accurate reference to make your own Staunton style set at some time in the future.

If you are a USCF member, you can get a substantial discount on this set by ordering through:

formatting link
Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania
formatting link

Reply to
Tom Watson

I'm not laughing. Those look very nice.

The only problem is that due to the limitations imposed by the technique I used to make the board, and the size of my small table saw, I have 1.875" squares. I think all of the pieces they offer would just be too large.

Bummer, because you have a good point about having an accurate set for reference. I *do* want to make my own some day. It's been on my list for years.

There *is* that. I shouldn't lose sight of the fact that one reason I'm thinking the way I am is because the $2 chess set came back from the camping trip with both of the crosses broken off the kings... :(

Reply to
Silvan

from that site, the last number is the square size of board it requires.

Marshall Style Red/Ivory (4 queens) 3.75" 1.75" 52 oz. 2.0 - 2.375" Black/Natural (4 queens) 3.75" 1.75" 52 oz. 2.0 - 2.375" Black/Natural (4 queens) 2.875" 1.375" 25 oz. 1.75 - 2.0" Black/Ivory (4 queens) 2.875" 1.375" 25 oz. 1.75 - 2.0" Red/Ivory (4 queens) 2.875" 1.375" 25 oz. 1.75 - 2.0" Red/Natural (4 queens) 2.875" 1.375" 25 oz. 1.75 - 2.0"

: Bummer, because you have a good point about having an accurate set for : reference. I *do* want to make my own some day. It's been on my list for : years. : : > I wouldn't use a wood set for travel. : : There *is* that. I shouldn't lose sight of the fact that one reason I'm : thinking the way I am is because the $2 chess set came back from the : camping trip with both of the crosses broken off the kings... :( : : -- : Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan : Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621 : Confirmed post number: 18042 Approximate word count: 541260 :

formatting link

Reply to
C Wood

several that will be more than good enough for my purposes, and should fit my squares nicely.

Reply to
Silvan

Reply to
Grandpa

I say go for it and turn your own! Your a woodworker, right? You can do it!

One of my first turning projects was a chess set. It's not perfect, but it's still in very frequent use nearly a decade later.

formatting link

Good luck!

Jim

Reply to
Jim Wilson

Mon, Sep 29, 2003, 5:07pm snipped-for-privacy@users.sourceforge.net (Silvan) laments: that I can afford. (Yes, JOAT, I saw your idea for the hardware chess set. I'm thinking about that too.) Ideas? Gods above. For some strange reason, even the Woodworking Gods are taking pity on you. Probably because they're cheapskates too. They told me to do this, wasn't my idea. You needed to look, as this has been posted several times, and I think one or two similar, even. Use a chunk of 2X2, 2X4, or just glue together some thinner pieces. In fact, I think they'd look way cool, scaled up to at least 6", but even better, to a foot or two, plenty easy to do. No prob.

formatting link
If you want, I suppose you can even name them after yourself, after all, that's apparently what Larry did. Either that, or that's where he got his last name.
formatting link
history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.

- Terry Venables

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT Web Page Update 29 Sep 2003. Some tunes I like.

formatting link

Reply to
Theo

There is a description and scaled outlines for a compound cut set using a bandsaw (or I suppose a scrollsaw) at the following site:

formatting link
can size them to fit whatever board size you have. Dave Hall

Reply to
David Hall

I think it was a smooth move to go from JOAT to Theo but mebbe even better (more befitting to yer stature, ya see) might be THEOXULOS, which might be roughly translated as WOODGOD.

Just a twisted little thought.

BTW - I'm sorry that the n*****ts are going after you and I hope they all die soon.

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

formatting link

Reply to
Tom Watson

I don't know if you are near Mexico, but my ex bought me the coolest set years ago down there, made from white and blue onyx. It's been a long time, but I'd think that their prices would still be mucho cheaper than anything up here. I put together a chessboard from porcelain 2" tiles and then framed it like a picture frame with wide picture-frame boards. It turned out so nice we left it displayed on our coffee table.

dave

Silvan wrote:

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.