[blindwoodworker] Building Chess boards
- From: DLH <dheilman1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: blindwoodworker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 03 May 2010 07:01:08 -0700
Hi guys,
I've not built a Chessboard yet, but I had a hard time following and
understanding the method of using Plexiglass. While it might work,
there are easier ways to accomplish your task.
Is it John in Australia, that talked about gluing up alternating
colored 2" strips, and then cutting them? If so, this method sounds
the most workable to me.
I've modified several Chessboards by cutting and then gluing
1/8th or even 1/16th thick clear plastic into squares of the size
to match the squares on the Chessboard. I then glued them in place.
Not all that pretty, but functional.
Then for the Chess men, I drilled a slight depression in the Base and
glued a small Rare Earth Magnet. . then on one chessboard, I cut
and glued on the back, a thin sheet of steel. Very thin. The Rare
Earth magnets have enough strength to go through the plastic, wood
and remain stuck to the chessboard because of the thin sheet of steel.
This chessboard was a cheap one, to begin with, and was not a real
board made from Oak and Walnut, but the board was Printed on the
surface of a very thin sheet of some sort of mystery wood.
The second Chess set I modified was done the same way, but the board
was thicker and so I drilled flat bottomed depressions in the middle
of each square, but on the back side of the square. This was very
difficult to do and be right on target for all 64 squares. I then
glued in another Magnet, but you need to make sure all poles of the
magnets are going in the right direction for both the magnets in the
board as well as those put into the bases of the chess pieces.
Using the magnets for both the board and the men worked very well,
but it is a lot of work, and I'll probably never do it again.
I could use magnets in the Men, but drilling out the board, from the
backside, was really hard, at least for me.
I still want to build my own board from Light and Dark wood, maybe
some day. But when I do, I'll go back to putting a Peg in the
Chess men bases, and a hole in the center of each square. A lot
less work, and no glue on the fingers, which then gets on everything else.
<Laugh> Glue is one of my favorite ways to secure things together,
but glue and I just don't get along!
Dave H.
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- » [blindwoodworker] Building Chess boards - DLH
