On Jul 6, 10:41*pm, "barry712" wrote:
I have a very good friend who runs a gallery in Gatlinburg, TN who wants me
to make him a very nice, and rather large, chessboard. *I'm thinking the
squares will be something like 5". *His chess *pieces will be comic book
action figures about 8" tall. *I will turn a 4" round base for each of
these. *I'm guessing the board itself will be glued up of squares of
maple/cherry or maple/walnut. *I'm thinking some simple inlay work may help
to dress up the board.

Does anyone have any advice/plans/ideas on how I should proceed? *I have
some concerns that the board will simply be too large to "look right". *If
the board is composed of 64 - 5" squares, that means it will be 40" X 40",
plus it really should have a border or 5" or 6". *To me, a four (4') foot
chessboard is not too practical. *But it is more a display for the action
figures than it is a board for playing chess. *Comments please. *Thanks.

There's going to be a lot of wood movement in a board that big. I
don't know that making the squares from solid wood is a good idea.
It'd be a shame to go to all of that effort and have the board develop
splits and warp. Veneer on plywood would be more stable and more
economical.

You may want to think about embedding rare earth magnets in the figure
bases and pieces of steel in the board, or vice versa, so the figures
would stay put unless you wanted to move them.

R

"barry712" wrote:

I have a very good friend who runs a gallery in Gatlinburg, TN who
wants me
to make him a very nice, and rather large, chessboard. I'm thinking
the
squares will be something like 5". His chess pieces will be comic
book
action figures about 8" tall. I will turn a 4" round base for each
of
these. I'm guessing the board itself will be glued up of squares of
maple/cherry or maple/walnut. I'm thinking some simple inlay work
may help
to dress up the board.

Does anyone have any advice/plans/ideas on how I should proceed? I
have
some concerns that the board will simply be too large to "look
right". If
the board is composed of 64 - 5" squares, that means it will be 40"
X 40",
plus it really should have a border or 5" or 6". To me, a four (4')
foot
chessboard is not too practical. But it is more a display for the
action
figures than it is a board for playing chess. Comments please.
Thanks.

Glue up adjoining strips of 5"-6" wide, then cross cut in 5"-6" strips
and slip one (1) block, then glue to get checkerboard pattern.

When cured, clean bottom till smooth, then laminate to a piece of
plywood, say 1/4" (6mm) thick.

If you make the blocks 1/4" thick, you get a 1/2" panel that could be
loose fit into the rest of the table, same as you would a drawer
bottom.




Lew

I was thinking maybe 3/8" squares from soild wood loose fit into a 3/4"
frame. Thanks. Barry


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news:aWBck.842$4a3.86@trnddc04...
"barry712" wrote:

I have a very good friend who runs a gallery in Gatlinburg, TN who wants
me
to make him a very nice, and rather large, chessboard. I'm thinking the
squares will be something like 5". His chess pieces will be comic book
action figures about 8" tall. I will turn a 4" round base for each of
these. I'm guessing the board itself will be glued up of squares of
maple/cherry or maple/walnut. I'm thinking some simple inlay work may
help
to dress up the board.

Does anyone have any advice/plans/ideas on how I should proceed? I have
some concerns that the board will simply be too large to "look right". If
the board is composed of 64 - 5" squares, that means it will be 40" X
40",
plus it really should have a border or 5" or 6". To me, a four (4') foot
chessboard is not too practical. But it is more a display for the action
figures than it is a board for playing chess. Comments please. Thanks.

Glue up adjoining strips of 5"-6" wide, then cross cut in 5"-6" strips and
slip one (1) block, then glue to get checkerboard pattern.

When cured, clean bottom till smooth, then laminate to a piece of plywood,
say 1/4" (6mm) thick.

If you make the blocks 1/4" thick, you get a 1/2" panel that could be
loose fit into the rest of the table, same as you would a drawer bottom.




Lew

Yes, I had thought about that, too. Not sure how to attack that problem
using solid wood. Maybe a central board that is thinner, say 3/8", with a
3/4" grooved frame that surrounds it? I don't know.........that's why I am
appealing to you guys. I've never done anything like this before.....but it
sounded like a challenge. Thanks.

Barry


"RicodJour" wrote in message
...
On Jul 6, 10:41 pm, "barry712" wrote:
I have a very good friend who runs a gallery in Gatlinburg, TN who wants
me
to make him a very nice, and rather large, chessboard. I'm thinking the
squares will be something like 5". His chess pieces will be comic book
action figures about 8" tall. I will turn a 4" round base for each of
these. I'm guessing the board itself will be glued up of squares of
maple/cherry or maple/walnut. I'm thinking some simple inlay work may help
to dress up the board.

Does anyone have any advice/plans/ideas on how I should proceed? I have
some concerns that the board will simply be too large to "look right". If
the board is composed of 64 - 5" squares, that means it will be 40" X 40",
plus it really should have a border or 5" or 6". To me, a four (4') foot
chessboard is not too practical. But it is more a display for the action
figures than it is a board for playing chess. Comments please. Thanks.

There's going to be a lot of wood movement in a board that big. I
don't know that making the squares from solid wood is a good idea.
It'd be a shame to go to all of that effort and have the board develop
splits and warp. Veneer on plywood would be more stable and more
economical.

You may want to think about embedding rare earth magnets in the figure
bases and pieces of steel in the board, or vice versa, so the figures
would stay put unless you wanted to move them.

R