Framed Chess Board?

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troyveluz

troyveluz

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Posts
875
Loc
Plano, TX
My 6 yr old son wants me to make him a chess board.
I don't really play chess but I want to encourage my son to play.
I think its a very good mental exercise.
Anyway, my wife had an idea of making a chess board with a frame around it. I can build the tiled top easily but I'd also like to be able to make one where I can lift the top or have a drawer where I can store the pieces.
Anyone have ides on how to do this?
If you have made something like this, please post some photos?

Thanks in advance,
Troy
 
It would be along the lines of making a jewelry box. or a shadowbox with a piano hinge to open the box.Line the inside with black suede mat board and maybe plunge some circular holes in a piece of seating foam to hold the chess pieces upright.

Marc Lizer used to make some really cool things with moulding. I don't know if they are still in the archives...
 
A complete description of a framed chessboard, including photos and drawings, is in the November 2009 edition of PFM; "Special Purpose Shadowboxes", page 32.
 
Jim Miller said:
A complete description of a framed chessboard, including photos and drawings, is in the November 2009 edition of PFM; "Special Purpose Shadowboxes", page 32.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jim,
I'll see if I can dig up that issue. Do you know if PFM has an online version?

Regards,
Troy
 
They always have the current month's articles on the web site, but I doubt you could download that 2009 article now. If you call them on the phone, you can probably get a reprint emailed to you.
 
From Rockler:

33049-01-200.jpg


Plans $3.95 (Some criticism of their plans in the reviews section)

Or from Woodworkers Journal:

chess_board.jpg


Downloadable plans $7.95
 
I made a simple one for my twins when they were young using a float style frame for the box bottom with a deep shadowbox style to go around it & hold the board itself which I made by scraping away squares from a mirror back & gilding with aluminum leaf. Kinda crude but it's held up & simple to do. Sorry, I don't have a picture but I'm sure it's easy to visualize.
 
...all of this is giving me an idea of maybe framing a chessboard and pieces (in play) in a shadowbox, no glass, to hang on the wall as an interesting objet d'art.
 
This was supposed to be a weekend project that ended up taking a couple of weekends. IT is still not completely done. I still have to create the compartments for the chess pieces inside the frame box.
Once that is done I will post a photo. And I also have to fix the putty on the corners.

I used leftovers of LJ floater and Arqadia 80075 that I fliped on its side. I had troubles cutting the arqadia on my chopper when flipped on its side. The gesso keeps crumbling. Next time I'll use a saw.

Regards,
Troy
 

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Simple way. Mitre and join a suitable moulding on it's back. With the rabbet pointing up. Maybe 2" wide stuff. Make a plywood bottom. The board will drop into the rabbet. Lift the board out and the pieces go inside.
 
A few years ago a woman brought me two Parcheesi games that had been used by her family since she was a child. Apparently it was a tradition that at the family beach house, everyone played, and had to sign the board. They were covered with signatures and little notes.

She had the little wooden coins for play, and a few broken box sections, and one original set of directions.
Both created neat looking shadow box collages for a game den. I had fun working on them.
 
I often use frames rotated back like that for the bases of my display cases for model ships, etc.. My LJ distribution center, Forest Gallery, and Munn Frameworks have no problem chopping to that specification. For LJ call the floor manager and describe what you need after explaining the order to the Atlanta agent.
 
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