Who has turned chess pieces?

[Tim Beauregard]

Can those of you who have turned chess pieces, please post pictures and info in this thread? I need to start on a set soon, as a gift for late July, and would love to see some pictures. Yes, it WILL take me that long to do it, if I start now.

Thanks and regards,
Tim B.

[John Hart]

Here's my only attempts so far Tim. I'm still trying to work out some of the flow by working on other stuff. It's getting close but I'm not satisfied yet.
33853

[Will Hughes]

Tim for pictures you might try this site. I'm just starting to try to copy the New American. Dark will be cocobolo and I'm still unsure of the light pieces but for now I am practicing with cherry.

http://www.thechesspiece.com/products.asp?cat=40

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Check out the "Chess" thread in the Turners Forum. This set was turned completely on a lathe; no work by scroll or bandsaw work.

Bruce

[Pat Salter]

Found this on the shopsmith site.
http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archives/nov_dec00/html/money_maker.htm

going to try using this pattern for making some big ones in about a year.

[Tim Beauregard]

Thanks Pat,

That's the set I had already planned to do.

Regards,
Tim B.

[Gilbert Vega]

Here's a set I turned last year. Made out of Mesquite and curly Maple.

[Tim Beauregard]

That's what I was thinking about a table too. And I'd like to put drawers in the table to hold the pieces. How did you do the knights?

Regards,
Tim B.

[Chad Pater]

Here's a set I turned last year. Made out of Mesquite and curly Maple.

Looks great, how did you make the checkers? Jig?

[Gilbert Vega]

That's what I was thinking about a table too. And I'd like to put drawers in the table to hold the pieces. How did you do the knights?

Regards,
Tim B.

Tim, the knights started as a block of wood then turned the base on the lathe. I drew the shape I was looking for and trimmed the waste using a scroll saw. Once I had the rough shape, I used a dremel and different sizes of rotary burrs and sanding rolls to carve the rest of the way. Took me about 1 hour per piece plus time for final sanding and finishing.

The next table will have a flip-up top so that the pieces can be stored inside the table with the same dividers used on the chess box. This offers more storage area than a drawer.

Chad,
To make the checkers, I turned a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 18" block on the lathe till round. Cut the checkers to size on the table to 1/2" thickness (against the fence). Put the checker on a check (SN2) with a backer piece so that the checker stuck out about 1/8". Put a series of circles using a small parting tool. To make the concentric circles the same, I had some tape on the tool rest with marks. I put a slight bevel on the edge, turned around and put a bevel on the opposite side. Sanded the pieces on the lathe.

Thanks for the nice comments and hope this helps.

[Tim Beauregard]

I really appreciate what you said about more storage under the top of the table if you make it a flip top. But that means that all the chess pieces need to be taken off the table and put somewhere else in order to open the top.

Guess I'll figure something out when I get closer. I don't even have the board and pieces yet. :)

Regards,
Tim B.