# I want to make a go board with etched lines



## oahz (May 14, 2010)

This is a go board. But instead of the hand painted lines, I want the lines to be well etched unto the board.

How can do this?

The only woodworking I've ever done was in grade school.

But the reason I'm trying this is because I don't image it to be a hard task.

What are the simplest tools that can make this happen?

Thanks


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I think that you mean carved instead of etched do not you?

The very simplest tool that you could use would be a carving knife and a straight edge.

If you want to get more complicatged then a router could do the job.

George


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## oahz (May 14, 2010)

GeorgeC said:


> I think that you mean carved instead of etched do not you?
> 
> The very simplest tool that you could use would be a carving knife and a straight edge.
> 
> ...


I mean the lines are sunken unto the board. So carved, yes, my mistake.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I'm not a carver, so don't know for sure but it seems to me that carving would make it very difficult to get uniform lines whereas a properly controled router with a "V" bit would produce uniform results.


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## jlhaslip (Jan 16, 2010)

I would consider building the board slightly smaller than the full size, coating it with shellac, cutting the lines with a table saw set at a very low height, staining the lines you just cut, add an outer 'trim' to bring the board back to full size, and covering it with a clear coat.
The Shellac will stop the stain from penetrating the squares. 
The trim could be added before you stained, provided it was also shellaced.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

For very fine line I think a woodburning pen will look better.


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## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

jlhaslip said:


> I would consider building the board slightly smaller than the full size, coating it with shellac, cutting the lines with a table saw set at a very low height, staining the lines you just cut, add an outer 'trim' to bring the board back to full size, and covering it with a clear coat.
> The Shellac will stop the stain from penetrating the squares.
> The trim could be added before you stained, provided it was also shellaced.


The table saw would leave a wide kerf. Most blades are 1/8" with some thin kerf blades just under. I would find someone with a laser engraver such as the Epilog laser & others of this type. Go to a place like a local Rockler or WoodCraft. They might know of someone that has one or a local trophy shop that does engraving. 

The laser engraver can etch out your pattern & you could fill with color after you put down a first top coat then top coat again to protect the color fill.

You can go to you tube or the Epilog site to see a sample of it's capabilities. This is just an idea of one way to do it.


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## oahz (May 14, 2010)

Gary Beasley said:


> For very fine line I think a woodburning pen will look better.


A wood burning pen sounds just about the right price.. But how can I carve a perfectly straight line? Can I use a metal ruler?


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

If it were me, I would use a table saw with the blade tilted to 45°. Barely raise the blade above the table, 1/16" or so. Run the board completely through the saw cut. (i.e. Don't try to make stopped cuts.) Then trim the board to the appropriate size. Finally trim the board to the correct size and put a mitered edge around the sides.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*How about this?*

If you want to etch/burn the lines, use a thin metal "T" square from drafting and run your wood burner along the edge. Layout the spacing first then just index the 
T square on the next mark, but don't over shoot the line or it won't look good. 
This is the least costly method for someone new to wood working.

You could use a table saw with a hand ground, thin steel blade, rather than carbide blade like a circular saw blade 7 1/4" dia which will fit a 5/8" arbor table saw. But that requires some grinding.... and a table saw... not sure you want all that. But the laser approach will be the most accurate, most expensive, best looking method. :thumbsup: bill


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## Cincinnati (May 5, 2010)

*Etching in Wood*

If you have an INCRA jig, it would be very easy. (They have their original jig on sale this month (or maybe week) for something like $40.

Otherwise, cut a series of equal width strips on the tablesaw equal to the grid spacing on the GO board. 

Using a router table:

1. Start with all the strips in place between the board and the fence. 
2. Place a v-groove bit in the router adjusting the height to just "etch" the board surface. 
3. Make a pass. 
4. Rotate the board 90°. 
5. Make a second pass. 
6. Remove one strip.
7. Repeat all steps until the GO board is complete.


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## oahz (May 14, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> If you want to etch/burn the lines, use a thin metal "T" square from drafting and run your wood burner along the edge. Layout the spacing first then just index the
> T square on the next mark, but don't over shoot the line or it won't look good.
> This is the least costly method for someone new to wood working.
> 
> You could use a table saw with a hand ground, thin steel blade, rather than carbide blade like a circular saw blade 7 1/4" dia which will fit a 5/8" arbor table saw. But that requires some grinding.... and a table saw... not sure you want all that. But the laser approach will be the most accurate, most expensive, best looking method. :thumbsup: bill


What do you mean by "shoot the line?"


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## Cincinnati (May 5, 2010)

*No-Tool "tools", High accuracy.*



oahz said:


> How can do this?
> 
> What are the simplest tools that can make this happen?
> 
> Thanks



woodnthings,

Sorry I answered before reading your last sentence. Perhaps you could share with us what tools you have. I could think of a way to accomplish this with a length of steel from Lowes or Home depot and a sharpened nail. Or it could be as complicated as using a router table and a lead screw or spacers as I described in my post.

To clarify my idea for the simpliest tools to make it happen:

Say you wanted 1/2" squares:

Buy a piece of steel as 1/2" wide. Clamp it flush to one side of your board. Scribe a fine line with the sharpened Nail. Then if you have a second piece of identical width steel, clamp that piece of steel flush against the first piece. Scribe the next line. Move the first piece of steel to the other side of the second one. Repeat this procedure until you finish one set of lines. Rotate the board 90° and repeat in the other direction creating the square grid.

If you don't have a second piece of steel, after scribing the first line, carefully align the steel against the scribed line and clamp to the board. Scribe the second line.

I'm guessing you get the picture.

When you apply finish to the board, the lines should darken.


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## oahz (May 14, 2010)

This board I found on the internet claims to have carved lines.

The question is, do these lines look like they were done by a wood burning pen to any of you?

If so, I can too achieve the same results with a wood burning pen, right?


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

You will have to be very precise in speed and pressure with the woodburning. That image looks like a bamboo laminate cut with a sharp blade somehow. Maybe CNC.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Years ago I had a tool for cutting foam board (I was making a fair number of models that only needed to last a few weeks) made by Xacto. It held the blade at one of two or three angles, including 90 and 45 degrees, and you could adjust how much of the blade stuck through -- it was great for making corners. I used a steel straight-edge and ran the flat side of the tool along it, and I could pretty much make any cut I wanted to any level of precision I was willing to work for.

I'm not sure what kind of wood you're looking at, but you could probably either use one of those, if they're still available, or build a jig for a better knife. You don' t need that steady a hand if you clamp everything together, and the jig makes sure that all the cuts are the same depth. To make a V, you just go up one side, then move the straight-edge and go back the other way.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Those grooves look cut or machined*

Not "woodburned". A small router bit like a dentist's drill held in an adaptor collet might work in a trim router.
http://www.minicrafttools.com/38568.html










Another method would be to hand plane them with a specialty plane like this: http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=517








Veritas® Detail Rabbet Planes


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