# Making Checkerboard-Based Game



## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

disclaimer: it's long and I'm new back to the game.

For Christmas I'm making a few of the same board game with my grandpa to give as gifts. It's great, because I just moved back to my home town after almost a decade and he pretty much gave up on woodworking due to age. Since I'm keen on starting again, he's excited to get going and realized recently he can do more than he thought. So, we're making Christmas gifts together. (This is fantastic as he got me interested in woodworking when I was only a few years old and I've missed it terribly while I was away and had no access to a shop.)

Now, he's big on practical. If he makes something out of oak, he'll round the edges and throw some finish on it - that's as 'fancy' as he'll get. The games we're making are played on a checkerboard. He wanted to buy hardboard and put checker contact paper on it, maybe band it, and call it good. Except that he's an engineer at heart and wanted to make a slick way of storing pieces and/or the board. After we brainstormed about five different designs, we settled on making the boards in either one or two pieces - two if we want simpler shelf-based storage. We also think we've decided on under-board storage in the way of rectangular tubes with round hollows cut in them (more later). We'll likely tap the holes and insert large-diameter threaded stoppers that we'll also make. But, I don't like to cobble things like this and figure if we're going to make threads, let's go pretty close to whole-hog.

One of these will be for my almost six-year-old daughter and I was thinking I'd like to go with a board made of purpleheart and white maple. (I may have to settle for black walnut, which we'll likely use for the others, due to having some on hand and the cost of purpleheart.) The boards will be around 14 1/2" square - give or take - including boarder. This image gives an idea and has part of an inlay/boarder I'm pondering partway around. (the image shows a black walnut boarder; this could be purpleheart if I go that route as well. Thoughts on that?)








I plan to size the two materials for width (1 1/2") and thickness (1/8" or 1/4" - thoughts?) and cut them in strips long enough for the 12" I need plus saw kerfs, plus a little fudge room. I'll glue those both together and to a thin piece of plywood (1/8"?) ending with something like this.







I'll then cut those to the correct (exact) size, rotate every other one 180 degrees, and glue these strips to another piece of plywood (again, 1/8"? or should I go 1/4"?). At that point I'll have a board.

Next up is the border. I'll likely use maple, but may go with purpleheart if I earn enough money in time or walnut if I skip the purpleheart altogether. I'll then cut a rabbet to join the board and border (picture not to scale) or glue the inlay and biscuit joint the whole thing. (Which is better?). I'll bevel the border as well. 








I really considered doing a fancy inlay, but doubt how precise his equipment is and don't know what I'll have for time. Plus, I'm pushing it with him by making the board out of tiles as it is. "It's too highfalutin. Let's just use contact paper." Fancy inlays are probably not happening. I'll finish it off with whatever finish would be best.

As for the storage below, we'll attach something like 2" square tubes out of maple at the bottom, four across. We'll drill long hollows ~1/4" larger diameter than our 1 1/4" playing pieces (checkers, basically) and add threads to the open end. Very crude mock-up:







We'll cap these with some threaded stoppers we'll also make out of maple or the dark wood, possibly with an inlay (there's my chance). These four long tubes will end up as feet to raise the board and will keep the pieces with the board instead of loose in a separate bag or something. The idea is to grab one thing that isn't a two-piece box and go.

Here's the engineering part. We both feel a 14" board isn't going to work well for the way anyone in our family stores games. So, we thought about making it two halves that connect to each other either by magnets or, more likely, some kind of slick joint. One option would be a dovetail that connects the two center tubes their entire run.






Another option would be to offset the board a bit over the two center tubes and run vertical dovetails (~5?). My goal is to have it hold fast when attached without a large gap in the board, look good, be easy for a kit to assemble and last. But, here's the real catch, in case that wasn't tricky enough. I want the board halves to stack without scratching each other for storage on a shelf. 

Oh, and I have do decide whether to make the playing pieces myself or to order some ready-made. If I'm going through this much trouble as it is, I'd hate to wuss out. But, making dozens of small, round pieces is bad enough, finishing each one may be torture.

Now, I haven't done any finish work in over a decade when I made a very nice oak cabinet from my own plans and it was quite fancy. I know I'm capable, but I'm rusty. I may have access to a very good jointer, planer, table saw, and router. Otherwise (and probably anyway) we'll be working with my grandfather's ShopSmith. (Did everyone just shudder? Stop gasping for air.)

Questions:
- Anything look like trouble enough to think contact paper might look good?
- Any reason not to use purpleheart if I can afford it? Should match up to white maple very nicely, right?
- Any thoughts as to whether to use walnut or purpleheart if I do a boarder/inlay like in the first picture? Would walnut look funky if the rest is PH?
- Ideas for making the boards in two pieces, but sturdy when attached and hooked together safely when halved?
- Does 1/8" thick squares work for the tiles or should I go thicker, say 3/16 or 1/4? What about the ply?
- What finish should I use for the board and the playing pieces? 
- What wax for the threads if we use threaded stoppers in the tubes?
- Where should I begin looking for purpleheart? Again, I have access to some maple and walnut and there are local mills for any more I'll need.

If you made it through this far, thank you. I hope you have energy left to replay.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

Wrong forum? Too long?


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

danj said:


> Wrong forum? Too long?


Long winded, yes. 
Wrong forum, no. 
sounds like it will be very colorful.


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## TooPicky (Apr 12, 2009)

Right forum, who cares if it's long winded?

I'd go for the Purpleheart. The place I get my lumber, PH is $7.75, Walnut $7.05/BF for 4/4. I recently made an end grain cutting board with Hard Maple, Cherry, Walnut, and a PH boarder. I think a straight combination of HM & PH would look VERY cool.

I will say this has not been the easiest thing i have ever done. It has taken a lot more time than I expected......


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

TooPicky said:


> Right forum, who cares if it's long winded?
> 
> I'd go for the Purpleheart. The place I get my lumber, PH is $7.75, Walnut $7.05/BF for 4/4. I recently made an end grain cutting board with Hard Maple, Cherry, Walnut, and a PH boarder. I think a straight combination of HM & PH would look VERY cool.
> 
> I will say this has not been the easiest thing i have ever done. It has taken a lot more time than I expected......


I don't care if it is long winded. Lol. Just making a statement on what danj said.


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Attempting to glue eight pieces of 1/8" thick wood is going to be difficult. I would go thicker and maybe forget the plywood.
Tom


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

Thanks fellas. I'll see if I can go with 1/2 or 3/4 material, but might look funky on the bottom. Also wouldn't plywood help keep it from warping? If I do go with straight PH and maple, should I align the grain or rotate them?

What about a finish? And the other questions?

Hmm. Doing solid material would give me two similar surfaces and I could choose the best for the top. If I mess that one up, I can flip it over up tithe point of attaching the border.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

Spoke with Grandpa and a couple others today. Going with thick material and no ply- gonna do this right. I have to order some purpleheart in the next couple days to get going on this. Grandpa has a bunch of nice maple and walnut, so we're making a handful at once for gifts. 

I need enough PH to make 4 strips of 12x1 1/2" plus kerfs, plus 4 inlay strips of 1/4 x 12" plus a couple short 1/4" inlay strips around 2" long. 

- Am I better off buying a long, thin board say 60"x 2" or something more rectangular? 
- Will anything I buy be all useable with no splits, no warping, etc? (I've never bought nice lumber) 
- Anyone have a good recommendation for where to get the PH?


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## TooPicky (Apr 12, 2009)

I have access to several specialty lumberyards within a 70 mile radius. I'd look online for one. WAY better to drive than order something in the mail. You never know what you're gonna get. Yes, you can buy very nice lumber. It costs enough....LOL.
Glad you're going to skip the plywood. I don't think it belongs on a project like this, and I seriously doubt it would discourage warping. Make the board thicker top to bottom instead, maybe. Mine is 1 1/4" +. There is another active forum right now where we are discussing finishes. Go check it out. Basically, mineral oil seems to be where it's at. The threads called "Cutting Board Finish"


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

danj said:


> Spoke with Grandpa and a couple others today. Going with thick material and no ply- gonna do this right. I have to order some purpleheart in the next couple days to get going on this. Grandpa has a bunch of nice maple and walnut, so we're making a handful at once for gifts.
> 
> I need enough PH to make 4 strips of 12x1 1/2" plus kerfs, plus 4 inlay strips of 1/4 x 12" plus a couple short 1/4" inlay strips around 2" long.
> 
> ...


Dan, the way you have your drawings, solid wood is not a good idea, it will fail due to wood expansion and contraction.

Here is a build thread of the last game board I built.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/thingamabox-build-40684/index2/

An here is the final product.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/chess-table-pieces-40880/

If you want to do the board in solid wood, leave out the frame around the checkered board.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

WillemJM said:


> Dan, the way you have your drawings, solid wood is not a good idea, it will fail due to wood expansion and contraction.
> 
> Here is a build thread of the last game board I built.
> 
> ...


I was concerned with that but many told me is be alright. It looks like yours is solid pieces with a frame, no?


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

danj said:


> I was concerned with that but many told me is be alright. It looks like yours is solid pieces with a frame, no?


The blanks were solid pieces, one inch thick, from that I sliced 3/32" pieces veneered them to 1/2" plywood and by the time finished they were 1/16" thick.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

So I'm hearing both ways about whether to use just the solid tiles or to laminate them to plywood. I don't know which to do.


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## TooPicky (Apr 12, 2009)

Well, I used solid 1 1/2" thick pieces. Go to the Williams Sonoma website, and look at their cutting board selection. There is no shortage of them built this way, and their getting top dollar for them. 

Ulitmately, you'll have to just pick one and run with it.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

TooPicky said:


> Well, I used solid 1 1/2" thick pieces. Go to the Williams Sonoma website, and look at their cutting board selection. There is no shortage of them built this way, and their getting top dollar for them.
> 
> Ulitmately, you'll have to just pick one and run with it.


Did yours have a border? If so, are your miters still tight?


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Dan

For wood movement allow 1/8" across the the grain for each 12" of width. Wood does not move significantly along the grain, but significantly across the grain.

So, if you decide to use joinery where grain runs perpendicular from one piece joined to the next, you have to design for the wood movement.

Ply does not move significantly, so with veneer on ply and if the veneer is 1/16" thick, the veneer absorbs it's own movement without cracking or failing. Thicker than 1/16" it starts getting risky.

With that information, you should know what to do.


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## danj (Jul 4, 2012)

Sorry to sound like a nagging child, but I want to do this once and do it right and I haven't made anything in over a decade. Add to it that I've never had to buy wood and I'm in the boonies...

Rockler is running a promotion for free shipping on orders over $25. The nearest stores where I could look at the materials are 90 miles away. I could buy double what I need and still save compared to gas if that is a safe enough bet. I would rather choose by hand, but driving 3 hours or more and spending more seems like a stretch. I did find another place that can ship direct to me as well and has people I can speak with who know what's going on. They're $8.51/bdft plus shipping. would most go that route instead?

And for more nagging: I really want this to last. If I'm safest using a thin veneer over plywood, I'll do that. I know lots of people make cutting boards, but not many have mitered borders. I have to nail this down and am leaning toward veneer. I can order 1/8" material and have access to a planer. Is that the way to go? Or, do I seek out Purpleheart veneer? I have the idea, but no experience and don't know who else to ask.

Thanks all.


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## TooPicky (Apr 12, 2009)

Dan;
Yes, my board has a mitered border. It is not top to bottom, but a square piece set into the top edge, made out of purple heart. The miters are still tight, but I only finished it last week. Time will tell. I have been trying to get photos uploaded, with no success.

EDIT: Success!! I managed to get the photos uploaded. See the thread; End Grain Cutting Board, in project showcase.


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