Thread: chess pieces WIP

good effort
10 marks for trying
I'm not consistent enough to get pieces the same
for the knights are you using the circular method?

heya, I am not real good at consistency either. I did the king and then I was going to try to replicate the king when I buggered it up and thought that I would make it into a queen. I have to work on the replication process.

With the knight, i am going to turn the base just like the others on the lathe and leave the square profile at the top end. Then i will draw out the head on the top (in both side and front views) and bandsaw the bulk of it away and then either by hand or with the Dremel, carve the details.

It's for my sisters upcoming wedding, but she hasn't set a date so time is on my side for a change.
Gavin

Here's an interesting DIY accessory for duplicate turnings. Much better than a copy lathe IMHO : http://www.delorie.com/wood/tips/parallax-jig.html

I've held off making a chess set because of the difficulty in carving the knights. Please help all of us by posting some WIP pics of the work on the knight.

And best wishes to your sis.

Joe

thanks for the thoughts. I will not be using a copying device for the lathe, but rather a template / calipers approach. These pieces are out of pine and i will probably do about 60 000 of them to get it right andthen i will try for different woods. Probably hard wood. any thoughts from anyone on nice woods for the opposing sets. I also want to make a chess board with the same wood (probably about 40 mm square) and may do it with the endgrain exposed if i can get it looking ok.

G`day what about English Box and Gidgee.
Mick