# How To Build A Chess Board or Checkerboard



## alexfranke

Hi all, 

I just put a new article online detailing the method I use to build chess boards (usually out of scrap pieces of lumber). I was encouraged by some friends to get this all down.

It's my most detailed article yet, at over 5,100 words and with 64 step-by-step photos (even more detailed than my software articles!), so I'd appreciate any input you all have!

http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/ChessBoard/

I still need to get my wife to copy edit it for details (handy to have a copy editor under the same roof!) and add metric units to go along with the English units, but at least it's out there now! 

Let me know what you think!


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## Daren

That's pretty neat. Or you could cut the board pieces on the bandsaw with a rip fence, square them up on a stationary belt sander and glue them to a substrate grain oriented. Then carve the pieces...forget carving the pieces, the board took 1/2 day, I will never tell how many hours I had in the crudely carved pieces. I was a bid job,  and I am no carver.

The customer wanted all eastern red cedar, pieces and all. The board is a lid to a box that stores the chess pieces and a set of checker pieces also made from erc. I used red heartwood for 1/2 the chess/checker pieces and white sapwood for the other.


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## alexfranke

Very cool. Yeah, I can't even imagine trying to carve the pieces... Those look great, though!


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## jodiemeglio

Hmm.. I need a chess board, I'll try your directions out.


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## C&D Woodcraft

Alex,
Nice tutorial. I bet it took about 5 times as long to document the process as it does to build it. I like the idea of attaching the blocks to a backer sheet, that would have saved mine. I made a full chess set about 15 years ago (pieces and all). The board has crack down the middle, it's tight during the summer but opens up in the winter.


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## boxer

Daren. While you did a great job on that project, that has got to be the ugliest chess board I've ever seen. *Not the workmanship,* but the choice of all erc. I would have hated doing that project. Not that I could, anyway.

PS: I'll bet it smells nice though.


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## Daren

boxer said:


> that has got to be the ugliest chess board I've ever seen.
> .


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder brother.:laughing: It was a custom order set, that is exactly what the customer wanted.


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## boxer

You are correct on the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". And the customer is always right (even when they're wrong):yes: . I guess I'm more of a fan of contrast, so the second board you posted is right up my alley. I hope you understand I was not criticizing your workmanship in any way. Heck, all I can do is make boxes, and am probably the least talented member on here. I wish I could make a chess set. I love the game.
Boxer


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## Stumpcarver

*Nice Work*

Making one carved into a coffee table top. still have a ways to go though.irate:


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## alexfranke

> I bet it took about 5 times as long to document the process as it does to build it


Yeah, pretty much. Except this time I was stopping every few minutes to take a picture, so this one took a a bit longer than the others. Plus, I do a lot of waiting for glue to dry on these things, so it's a great project when you have small kids at home and only get to spend 15 minutes at a time in the shop.  

I liked the idea of using grain direction to differentiate between white/black squares in the ERC board, but I can't think of an easy way to do that short of cutting out 64 individually perfect squares... ugh.



> Making one carved into a coffee table top


Please post a pic when it's done!


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## Daren

alexfranke said:


> I liked the idea of using grain direction to differentiate between white/black squares in the ERC board, but I can't think of an easy way to do that short of cutting out 64 individually perfect squares... ugh.


I couldn't either :laughing:, that's how I did it.


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## TexasTimbers

Personally I think the ERC board looks goo too. To each his own.


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## pianoman

When I make chess boards I glue contrasting wood strips together... totaling 4 strips. Then cross rip the glued strips . You can make whatever size squares you want. Put the board together in 4 pieces 2 at a time. Run each half through the planer at a slight angle and then glue the two halves. Then put a boarder around it . I hope that is not confusing...all the grain points the same direction...making a board is almost like playing chess!!!


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## pianoman

You know... just flip each cross ripped piece 180 degrees making 4 sections ... kind of hard to explain I guess... works for me!!!


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## tvarch

very nice tutorial. you did an excellent job.
How did you make the sled for the ryobi table saw?
I have the same saw and would like to have a sled but haven't figured out a good way to do it. Did you drill through the sliding table?
thanks
tvarch


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