Thread: Chess Piece Box

I had an inquiry to make a box for a set of chess pieces, no problem i thought, so asked for a sketch with measurements of the internal layout so i could work out a detail price. Within a few hours i received this detail drawing and i knew this commission was serious as all the dividers and internal surfaces had to be lined with leather because the pieces are hand carved from whale teeth and need to be protected.
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I settled on a two lift out tray design and set about figuring out a box size but there were so many variables and every time i had an idea there was a "but what if" and i just could not answer all the questions i had for myself, the main concern was how the bottom tray was to be lifted out if they were the same size. After hours of head scratching i decided to ditch the working out of the box size and concentrate on making the top tray and completing the fit out to be sure it would work. I added a 10mm spacer to each end of the dividers to cover myself for the unknown of the bottom tray size and how to remove it from the box.

The timbers would be Tas Blackwood for the box and figured American Oak for the lid insert and corner splines.

With the top tray completed the bottom tray size was set at 20mm shorter, however i still had no idea how i was going to design for the bottom tray to be lifted out and i needed to start on the box so took the gamble and just added 100mm to the length of the bottom tray and finalised the box size. From here on it was a suck it and see situation, which i am never happy with.
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The tray fit out was very involved with mm perfect precision required, and there were angles thrown in just to test me that little bit more, and a lot of Chocolate Pig skin suede. Another dilemma was how do i glue the dividers in for an instant bond but after a little advice i settled on Starbond. It seemed to work but i wondered how well, until on the bottom tray i glued on piece wrong and had to remove it and in the process tore the base tray lining so had to start again from scratch. The plan for the top tray worked so it was time to forget the bottom tray and start on the box, which was the easiest part, however there was a lock to be fitted and with the box at 500 x 280 x 170 how was i going to cut in the lock on a finished box with the lid cut off, it is bigger than my router table
I dropped everything for a few weeks while i thought about this and in the end there was no choice but to mitre all the sides to size, choose the front side of the box and cut the lid frame and fit the lock. I really struggled with this idea but had no choice, all the what if's were taken care of so i set about it.
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With the lock done the fretting was over and i could set to putting the box together, the easiest part.
So with the box together and the bottom tray also completed the only thing left was to figure out a design for two end rests to sit the trays on and have a space underneath. A few more days past and then while having a shower one night it came to me, a stepped and scalloped rest at each end so that when the top tray was removed there was access at each end to lift the bottom tray out.
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I am pleased with the outcome, there were a few problems with some spalting within the $600 billet of Blackwood but as i always say, i don't send anything out i would not be happy to receive myself.
I set out to log the hours i put into this but when doing an hour here and a few there i lost track, the client was happy with the price but if i had to make another i would add in a bit more for the what if's. It tested me right to the end.
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