How to make chess board?

[icor1031]

When you make the checkered squares, if you are not using paint - how is it done?
Is it possible to keep Sharp, neat boxes of stain?

Or do I cut a bunch of squares and then glue them together?

Or???

Thanks.

[switt775]

Here's a simple explanation of how it's done.

[ame=http://www.metacafe.com/watch/463464/making_a_chess_board_the_quick_easy_way/]Making A Chess Board The Quick&Easy Way - Video[/ame]

Google "making a chess board", there are lots of other tips available.

[Astrodog]

That is very cool.... I suppose I would have gone down the 64 little pieces route!!

[3 toed sloth]

Check Lord Nibbo (forum member) posts for some good chess board WIPs, makes it look easy. (at least, I think it was Lord Nibbo)

Regards, Peter.

[icor1031]

That video is awesome!

However, how do I keep the stain neatly in a straight line - without leaking into where the other squares should be?

Thanks!

[Astrodog]

I think you'll find he has used two different coloured timbers, no stain in sight....

[Jethrow]

Hi
If you must stain do it prior to gluing together.
The better alternative is to use a light and dark timber
Good luck

[icor1031]

If I use two timbers, how do I make them perfectly flat with each other?

[Malcolm Eaton]

If I use two timbers, how do I make them perfectly flat with each other?

Select pieces of dressed light and dark timber say 50 mm wide x 8 to 10mm thick approx 600 long, make sure the edges are straight and square and uniform and parallel width, suggest you shoot the edges with a trying plane. Glue the strips together light and dark first in pairs and then when dry glue then glue together into one large assembly. When that is dry take the assembly and cut across at right angles into strips 50 mm wide making sure the pieces are straight , parallel and edges square, once again you will need to shoot the edges with a trying plane.
You now take the pieces which are now made up as pieces dark and light and glue up together into a assembly and as you glue the strips together you slide each alternate strip so each piece which is a dark square matches a light square.
You should now have the making of a chess board.
The next step is to plane by hand both faces of the assembly to achieve a uniform thickness and then sand ready for final finish. If you have access to a wide thicknesser perhaps you could machine the assembly before sanding.
Q.E.D. I hope you understand this, I made my 1st chest board using this method when at High School some 63 years ago.

Regards Malcolm Eaton.
Best of luck

[Malcolm Eaton]

Select pieces of dressed light and dark timber say 50 mm wide x 8 to 10mm thick approx 600 long, make sure the edges are straight and square and uniform and parallel width, suggest you shoot the edges with a trying plane. Glue the strips together light and dark first in pairs and then when dry glue then glue together into one large assembly. When that is dry take the assembly and cut across at right angles into strips 50 mm wide making sure the pieces are straight , parallel and edges square, once again you will need to shoot the edges with a trying plane.
You now take the pieces which are now made up as pieces dark and light and glue up together into a assembly and as you glue the strips together you slide each alternate strip so each piece which is a dark square matches a light square.
You should now have the making of a chess board.
The next step is to plane by hand both faces of the assembly to achieve a uniform thickness and then sand ready for final finish. If you have access to a wide thicknesser perhaps you could machine the assembly before sanding.
Q.E.D. I hope you understand this, I made my 1st chest board using this method when at High School some 63 years ago.

Regards Malcolm Eaton.
Best of luck

Further to my instructions the quantity you would require is 4 strips of dark wood and 4 strips of light wood say 50mm x 10mm x600 long to make up the chess board.
In Australia a good suggestion would be dark wood - Jarrah ( red brown timber) and light wood- Silver Ash ( whitish Ash).
After making up the Chess Board assembly you would need to glue it finally to a piece of backing board such as 18mm plywood and or coreboard bearing in mind that you will most likely need to balance or seal the board against bowing in the future.
Good luck.
Malcolm Eaton

[icor1031]

Not to be difficult, but should I be able to put on masking tape, and keep stain from being more than 1/16" (allowance for table saw blade) outside of where it should be?

Using multiple timbers, gluing, planing, etc. is a lot of effort, so I'm looking for alternatives.

[Astrodog]

What is your plan? - take a sheet of ply and stain alternate squares different shades?? I think that would look a bit ordinary to be honest....

Funny - personally, I would think trying to stain it would be 3x the effort of gluing strips, cutting and rejoining..... maybe I just dislike paintbrushes!

[icor1031]

No..

I'll stain entire strips, similar to the video above; not just little squares. Basically, the cut would be the same as in the video.

What is your plan? - take a sheet of ply and stain alternate squares different shades?? I think that would look a bit ordinary to be honest....

Funny - personally, I would think trying to stain it would be 3x the effort of gluing strips, cutting and rejoining..... maybe I just dislike paintbrushes!