Chess Table Recently Completed

[Larry Fox]

I recently completed this chess table and thought that I would share it. Wood for board is bubinga and birds-eye-maple. Wood for table and table border is walnut all from the same wonderful 8/4 board - it yielded almost 100%. The Inlay is from DoverInlay. Finish is BLO, Platina shellac on the body rubbed out to a medium satin, BLO and French Polish on the top.

I have to extend sincere thanks to fellow creeker and friend Roy Wall for significant help with the design and proportions - my initial ideas were way off base.

BTW: It is not as yellow as it appears in the picture - I am no photographer.

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[Mike Spanbauer]

Looks great!

how did you attach the squares? Are they veneer or thicker pieces of wood?

Overall, very nice contrast and complement. Simple and elegant, much like the game :) (I used to play a lot.)

Love that walnut warmth, one of my favorite woods.

mike

[J.R. Rutter]

Beautiful! Nice job.

[Grant Vanbokklen]

That is a nice chess table. Do you have any pictures of the build process you could share?

[Jon Lanier]

Very nice! Now, where is the matching chairs? :p

[Michael Short]

Great looking table Larry. Can you share your dimensions on this project? Thanks.

[Cary Swoveland]

Great looking table Larry. Can you share your dimensions on this project? Thanks.

Michael, projecting from the stair treads in the backgound of the first pic, I'd say the individual squares are about 2-1/4" on a side. That would fit with a 4-1/2" king.

Larry, very nice job. I too await construction details.

Cary

[Larry Fox]

wow - thanks for the kind wirds everyone. Some replies below.

Mike: The squares are solid wood. I thought abour veneer but my veneer skills are not there yet. I glued them up in pairs to make sure that I could line them up properly - kind of a pain actually. See pic below of final glueup.

Grant: None that are really of all that much interest or detail. Some attached below.

Jon: They are still at the store - I am confident that any attempt I would make at building chairs would surely fail. My brain hurts when I even contemplate it. :)

Michael: Squares are 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 (Cary was spot on). Table top is 24 1/2 x 24 1/2. Inlay is 1/4" wide. Height from floor to top of table is 28". Table is about 11/16" thick. Apron is 4 1/8" tall. Legs taper from 1 1/2" at the top to 1" at the bottom and the taper starts 4 1/8" from the top of the leg. Outside dimension of the table part are 23" x 23". Setback from front of leg to front of apron is 1/4"

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[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nice job!
-Jeff :)

[Jon Lanier]

Larry, if your not going to make the chairs, then it is a must to make the chess pieces. :D

[Larry Fox]

Larry, if your not going to make the chairs, then it is a must to make the chess pieces. :D

Jon - as strange as it may seem, I don't even play chess. :)

[Jim Becker]

Larry, that's really nice!!! Beautiful work.

[Jon Lanier]

Jon - as strange as it may seem, I don't even play chess. :)

Then by all means you should give that piece to me. I'll make some chess pieces that look like hand tools. ;)

[Lou Ferrarini]

Beautiful job. I love the inlay.

[John Timberlake]

Beautiful work. Love the contrast between the woods you used for the squares. Nice elegant design.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Larry, great job on the table. I like your choice of contrasting woods. Very beautiful.