Still working

[Michelle Halford]

So I'm about halfway done with this chessboard case for my hubby and it dawns on me that my pieces are large and easily broken. So I decided magnets would be a good call. What's the best way to go about it. A metal sheet under the wooden board and individual round magnets in the pieces or indivual magnets under the squares of the wooden board and in the pieces. Thanks for all your help...I'm so new at all this.

[alex grams]

I think a cool fix would be magnets in each piece and maybe countersink magnets into the chessboard and cover them with a 1/8" top glued down then your chessboard pattern on top. That way your pieces would kind of 'lock' on to each square as you move them from square to square.

[Jim Rimmer]

I think a cool fix would be magnets in each piece and maybe countersink magnets into the chessboard and cover them with a 1/8" top glued down then your chessboard pattern on top. That way your pieces would kind of 'lock' on to each square as you move them from square to square.
Alex idea sounds good but beware of rare earth magnets. They are pretty strong and might be a nuisance while playing.

[Michelle Halford]

Thanks Alex, that sounds like a good plan. So what kind of magnets would give the best hold but refrain from being a nuisance during game play, Jim?

[Dave Van Ess]

I would get 1/4" dia rare earth magnets (Ebay) and drill hole on the back of the board to press then in. I would also press a magnet into every piece.

I would also make an extra piece with the magnetic in backwards so it would stay on the square.

Dave

[Brian Tymchak]

Hmm. I think that a magnet in both the board and the piece could make for an interesting game! They would repel one another if the poles are aligned north/north or south/south. A piece of steel on one side with the magnet on the other should work much better.

[johnny means]

Michelle, nicer chess pieces are usually weighted. My family and I are avid chess players (my children actually play competitively) and we have many boards around the house and shop. IMO magnets won't do much to protect your pieces, unless your husband routinely walks around while playing. Pieces are much more likely to be broken while being handled or stored, DAMHIKT. I would make the case so as to keep the pieces separated, cushioned and still when stored. Also, lead weights in the bottom of the pieces will prevent tipping and keep them upright if the board is ever accidentally bumped. Plus, nothing screams "Nice chess set!" like some nice heavy peices that make a resounding thunk with every fork or skewer. Any kind of situation that requires the pieces to be magnetically affixed to the board (playing while off-roading), probably calls for a cheap magnetic travel set and not a lovingly handcrafted gift set.


BTW make sure to post some picks.

[Michelle Halford]

Thanks Johnny, the pieces themselves have some weight already being larger than you standard chess pieces and ceramic. I poured them mysely so I weighted the bottoms heavy with slip. The magnets were more so to keep Holly (our Great Dane) from knocking them over with her tail as the table on which my hubby plays is not taller than her. I have some extra pieces that I used to test glazes on, so I will test them on the board with lead weights and magnets. I will post some pictures now as well as when all is complete. Maybe pictures will help with suggestions.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The magnets were more so to keep Holly (our Great Dane) from knocking them over with her tail as the table on which my hubby plays is not taller than her.
IIRC, our Great Dane could sweep a Toyota across the driveway w/his "happy barometer" ! :D...
Lotsa luck w/finding something that stands up to that kind of force!

Getting "tail whipped" by a Great Dane hurts!

Nothing constructive to add to the magnet issue...sorry...I just have a soft spot for those big giant slobbering goof balls.
They really are named right - Great - aren't they?

[Michelle Halford]

Also I am lining the box with foam and cutting out individual places for each piece.

[Greg Portland]

Thanks Johnny, the pieces themselves have some weight already being larger than you standard chess pieces and ceramic. I poured them mysely so I weighted the bottoms heavy with slip. The magnets were more so to keep Holly (our Great Dane) from knocking them over with her tail as the table on which my hubby plays is not taller than her. I have some extra pieces that I used to test glazes on, so I will test them on the board with lead weights and magnets. I will post some pictures now as well as when all is complete. Maybe pictures will help with suggestions.I would consider placing the magnets in the pieces and a thin sheet of steel under the entire board (including the wings). The captured players will be sitting off to the side which is the area most prone to dog tail attacks. Since there is no definitive place where the pieces will be placed (like a square on the board) you can't just stick magnets under the board. Having steel under the wings will allow the magnets in the pieces to hold onto the table. Note: You'll need the thickness of wood between the steel and pieces to be constant over the entire board surface.

[Jim Rimmer]

Those are some really great looking chess pieces. As to my comment about rare earth magnets, 1/4" might be OK. I have a 1/2" RE on the leg of my router table that holds my collet wrench in place so that gives you an idea of the pull strength. Just wanted to give you a heads up before you buy 32 magnets that turn out to be too strong. I haven't been there but I understand Radio Shack sells an assortment of magnets. The issue I see on the magnets now that you have posted pictures is getting one strong enough to pull through the board you've already made if you put a metal piece underneath. Maybe get a couple of samples and try them out. You might also want to see how close they can be together before they begin to repel/attract each other.

Interesting puzzle.

[Joe Angrisani]

I'm with Rich on this one. The magnets will have no effect against The Tail. Even huge rare earth magnets in the 1" and bigger range. The Tail will laugh at them all.

But if you decide to use magnets just to stabilize the pieces a little: Given the height (and mass carried high) on some of those pieces, you might consider rare earths bigger than the 1/4"ers that Dave suggested.

[Dan Hintz]

Wow, I should hire you to make pieces for my own board :)

Personally, I would choose individual magnets under each square over a full sheet... this will have the effect of lining the pieces up directly over the squares rather than letting them slide over the lines.

[Kurt Cady]

Also I am lining the box with foam and cutting out individual places for each piece.Where is the video of that guy using the expanding foam and a little weight to make perfectly sized holes for his chisels (using scraps or something to make the finger holes). Just an idea that might save you time. Lots of it!

[Wes Grass]

The force of a magnet decreases with the square of the distance, so you'll need to keep the thickness of the board really thin, whether you've got a steel plate or another magnet down there, to get a decent amount of force. A friend recently went through this, using the Magswitch magnets. If I recall he had to get below 1/8" to get enough force to keep some pieces from easily sliding on a horizontal plane.