I want to create an inlayed chess board (and possibly accompanying
back-gammon board) into a table top. I was wondering of techniques
that can be used to get different colored tiles.

My plan is to cut some square pieces of wood, glue them on a flat
surface, and run the whole thing through a planer (before sanding and
finishing of course).

The other option is to run two pieces of wood through a planer, and
then cut the square peices, and glue them on, and sand smooth (but I
forsee that as being more work).

Ideally, I would use two different types of wood. However, I was
wondering about the possibility of bleaching or staining the wood as
well. The problem I forsee though is as I plane it or sand it, I
will loose the bleached/stained area of wood. Is there any way to
bleach or stain wood to a significant depth?


Thanks

julvr wrote:
I want to create an inlayed chess board (and possibly accompanying
back-gammon board) into a table top. I was wondering of techniques
that can be used to get different colored tiles.

My plan is to cut some square pieces of wood, glue them on a flat
surface, and run the whole thing through a planer (before sanding and
finishing of course).

The other option is to run two pieces of wood through a planer, and
then cut the square peices, and glue them on, and sand smooth (but I
forsee that as being more work).

Ideally, I would use two different types of wood. However, I was
wondering about the possibility of bleaching or staining the wood as
well. The problem I forsee though is as I plane it or sand it, I
will loose the bleached/stained area of wood. Is there any way to
bleach or stain wood to a significant depth?


Thanks

Did this in HS shop.

Rip strips of two different colored woods to whatever width you want
the final squares to be (Maple & mahogany or stain one piece a darker
color though you'll have differences in edge color so if you go that
route you will have to use some kind of edge banding)

Glue together and clamp

Once glue dries, release the clamps and then crosscut the panel into
pieces the same width as the first rip.

Rotate every other piece 180 degrees (you will now have a checkerboard
pattern) and glue strips together.

Joint, plane & sand as appropriate

"A.M. Wood" wrote in
oups.com:

Did this in HS shop.
snip

I recall something like this, but using one type of wood. Cut
into cubes, then arrange the cubes so you have side grain and
end grain alternating in the checkerboard pattern. Stain will
soak in differently and accentuate the differences.

Kurt