Thread: Hand tools for chess pieces

Originally Posted by latinrascal

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to woodworking and have been thinking about creating my own staunton chess pieces for some time. I have a budget of $250 to spend and prefer power tools.

What do you recommend for chess pieces starter tools?

A lathe might be a good start. You might struggle a bit to get a good lathe for $250.

Originally Posted by timberbits

A lathe might be a good start. You might struggle a bit to get a good lathe for $250.

I'll save a bit more to get a lathe. Which lathes do you recommend?

Welcome aboard, latinrascal.

Given your budget and location, you should be able to get off and running with Harbor Freight's Model 34706 and their cheap set of HSS chisels. The base price of the lathe is higher, but store-opening-day specials, or occasional discounts, can often be found at about US$200. IMHO, the 34706 is near the top of the low-end spectrum, substantially identical to the MC900 in Oz; do a search here for [mc900] and/or [34706] for more info. I've had the 34706 for about 2 years without any drama except for those of my own making.

There are 6 AAW chapters in Massachusetts. Go to https://www.woodturner.org/ and select "AAW Local Chapters" from the menu on the left side of the page, to find one closest to you. I'm 99.9% certain you'll be most welcome at any of them.

A set of chess pieces is also on my "bucket list" but presently a Work-In-(non)Progress. You may find this device useful for making almost-identical turnings: http://www.delorie.com/wood/tips/parallax-jig.html Alas, it's also on my bucket list. Aside from the turning itself, carving the knights will likely be the most challenging. And large-scale pieces are less difficult because of more forgiving tolerances. I'd suggest you become familiar with separate turning processes before tackling a project like this, though, lest you give up in disgust before its completion.

There are several woodturning forums on the weird wild web. This is just about the best there is. Come back often.

Joe