| Game Board -- Checkered Pattern |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-411 |
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In this episode of DIY Wood Works, host David Marks builds a game board of wengae and quilted maple. Don't let the size of this piece deceive you. After all, good things do come in small packages. This project is actually an exercise in advanced woodworking -- as two contrasting hardwoods are joined to create an exquisite pattern. Through a clever technique, the checkerboard pattern is created without having to cut out the individual squares. Veneers are created by cutting stock into 3/32-inch-thick laminates that are then glued onto 2-inch-wide substrates. Once dry, the strips are laid out and edge-glued into an alternating pattern of light and dark wood. Next, this "striped block" is cut across the grain, forming strips with a checkered pattern. A decorative banded inlay is created to distinguish the checkerboard from the walnut frame. Veneered Strips and Constructing the Checkerboard Materials:
Wengae stock
Maple stock
Apple plywood stock
Table saw
Band saw
Drum sander
Belt sander
Caliper
Hand scraper
Clamps
Plastic resin glue
Yellow woodworker's glue
Glue roller
Clamps
Carpenter's tape
Carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.
Steps:
- At the band-saw, cut 1/8-inch laminates from maple and wengae stock that has been milled 2-5/8 inches wide by 24 inches long (figure A).
- A total of sixteen strips are needed: eight strips of wengae and eight of maple (figure B).
- Run the laminates through the drum sander, milling each one to a thickness of 3/32-inch.
- Use a caliper to confirm that the strips are a uniform thickness (figure C ).
- At the table saw, prepare the substrate of the board by cutting eight strips of apple plywood that are 2-5/8 inches wide by 24 inches long (figure D).
- Creating the checkered board actually involves three separate glue-ups. The next few steps involve the first of those -- gluing the laminates to the substrate. The strips are glued up in two separate stacks: one stack of maple, and one of wengae. Cauls set inbetween the strips will separate them and keep them from sticking to one another. Cauls clamped on both ends of each stack will protect the veneers and help even out the clamping pressure.
- Tip: Prior to the glue-up, add paste-wax to the cauls to prevent glue from sticking and drying to them.
- Begin by applying slow-setting plastic-resin glue to a substrate and a veneer piece (figure E). As you glue them together, use blue carpenter's tape to prevent the veneer and plywood from slipping.
- Place the first stack in the clamps, and add a caul (figure F).
- Glue up the next laminate and substrate in the same way. Repeat the process, and continue placing the stacks in the clamps (figure G).
- When you've finished one set of laminates and strips, tighten the clamps and add additional ones to the top of the stack (figure H).
- Repeat the process for the other set of veneers and substrate-strips.
- Once the glue has dried for 24 hours, remove the clamps, take the veneered strips to the workbench and clean up one side of each strip using a belt sander (figure I).
- At the table-saw, place the sanded edge against the fence, and trim-cut each piece.
- Next, set the fence to 2-1/2 inches (i.e., the size of the game-board squares), place the freshly trimmed side against the fence, and cut the strips to final width. We cut the strips with a 40-tooth carbide combination-blade for an extra smooth cut. Use anti-kickback rollers to help keep the stock firmly against the fence (figure J).
Important: Be sure to leave one wengae strip and one maple strip wide. Simply clean up one edge, and mark them. The wide strips will be needed for some adjustments later in the project. To avoid mixing the pieces up, label the two oversized pieces with chalk (figure K). - Once all of the strips are cut to size, the next glue-up can get underway. Set the eight strips onto some waxed MDF so that they won't stick to the flat surface. Alternate the colors to form a striped block, keeping the oversized pieces on the outside edges of the square.
- For efficiency, stand the veneered strips on edge and add yellow glue to one side (figure L) -- keeping the strips in the order in which you laid them out.
- Then, as you set each of the pieces in position, add glue to the opposite side of each strip.
- Use pipe clamps to pull the strips together, then apply cauls along the top and clamp the assembly to the workbench to provide even downward pressure (figure M).
- Once block has dried, use a hand-scraper to remove the hardened glue from the top surface (figure N).
- Using the cross-cut sled at the table saw, trim one edge of the striped block to form a 90-degree corner (figure O).
- Using the freshly sawn edge as a reference, cut 2-1/2-inch-wide strips from the striped block. Set the stock against the fence, and cut the striped board into strips (figure P). Once all the strips are cut, you'll have all the pieces necessary to make the checkerboard portion of the game board.
- Now the third glue-up can begin. As before, stack the strips and add glue to the edges of the cut strips.
- Then, carefully add glue to the opposite edge of each strip (figure Q) as you lay the strips edge-to-edge, flipping every other strip to create the checkered pattern (figure R). Take your time, and align each strip so that the corners of the squares line up properly.
- Use blue carpenter's tape to keep the strips from slipping out of place, and use pipe clamps to pull the board together (figure S).
- As before, provide even downward pressure by adding cauls along the top and clamping the board to the workbench (figure T).
- Allow the glue to dry for several hours.
In the segment that follows, work begins on the frame that borders the checkered center of the board.
Sponsored Resource
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RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
Model: 080836878
Author: Rick Peters
(2000)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
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