Chinese Checkers Christmas gift

[Roger Feeley]

I'm thinking about doing Chinese Checkers as Christmas gifts this year. Rather than just a piece of wood, I'm thinking about resawing some contrasting woods for the triangles and gluing onto some BB plywood. Let's say that the hexagon in the middle would be maple, the six triangles would be walnut and the surrounding field would be cherry. Might be something else, but you get the idea.

I got a Rockler drilling jig for Chinese Checkers on sale some time ago but never bought the bit. I want to know how deep the pit is which would tell me how thick my wood laminate would have to be so I don't drill through and expose the plywood below.

I would basically be veneering with 1/4" (just a guess) thick wood onto plywood. Can I do that? Am I asking for trouble with movement?

I also have an idea for machining the pieces very precisely but that will come later.

[Ben Martin]

Wow, getting an early start!

[Roger Feeley]

I don't want to get behind like last year. I was rushing around a week before Christmas finishing up 4 Triple Six sets of dominos and boxes. I chose to make my own drilling jig to position a 3/32" ball bit. I laminated 1/6" of Maple over Padauk (what I had) and drilled through the maple to make the spots. I forget the statistics but I drilled a BUNCH of holes.

I was just telling my wife that I was NOT going to get caught this year. What I have in mind is fairly ambitious and will take some time. But time is what the gift is, right? If I knock these together in a weekend, it's not much of a present.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I would make a MASTER template that accepts a outer bushing. Add a core box bit to a plunge router and drill away.