Whittling chess pieces? (It's Chess related, I...

Morren

Only Chess

24 Oct 05

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

24 Oct 05

I enjoy the practice of whittling -- usually with a drink and a nice cigar; when time permits.

I'm not good at it, by any means and still getting used to sharpening my own blades.

However, I would like to try spending time on a set of chess pieces...

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Advice? Pictures of ones made by yourself or another? (Google has returned little on whittling + chess)

Thanks in advance! 😀

Nordlys

The sky

Joined: 05 Apr 05
Moves: 10385

24 Oct 05

My brother made this set when he was a teenager: http://www.katja.klee24.de/sjakk4.JPG
To get the basic form, he used a drill to spin the pieces and a file. I had some fun with that technique as a child, too.

MIODude

me, not you

CaNaDa

Joined: 25 Nov 04
Moves: 46658

24 Oct 05

Originally posted by Nordlys
My brother made this set when he was a teenager: http://www.katja.klee24.de/sjakk4.JPG
To get the basic form, he used a drill to spin the pieces and a file. I had some fun with that technique as a child, too.

they are pretty good.
I guess one of the hardest parts would be to make them all exactly the same? ie.. 16 pawns, 4 bishops..

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

24 Oct 05

That set looks great. 🙂

I figure I'm just going to "wing" it and see what happens... what's the worst that can come out of it? A cut finger and some spare chess pieces that may not look alike? 😉 The time, in my mind, is spent well.

If I come up with anything, posted it shall be!

AThousandYoung

1st Dan TKD Kukkiwon

tinyurl.com/2te6yzdu

Joined: 23 Aug 04
Moves: 26758

24 Oct 05

Originally posted by Morren
I enjoy the practice of whittling -- usually with a drink and a nice cigar; when time permits.

I'm not good at it, by any means and still getting used to sharpening my own blades.

However, I would like to try spending time on a set of chess pieces...

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Advice? Pictures of ones made by yourself or another? (Google has returned little on whittling + chess)

Thanks in advance! 😀

Make sure they are bottom heavy.

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

24 Oct 05

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
Make sure they are bottom heavy.

...good idea.

JackOfAll

Joined: 06 Jun 05
Moves: 1164

24 Oct 05

if you want to make just regular looking pieces i think you could make most of them (all but the knight and the kings crown) with a lathe.

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

24 Oct 05

Originally posted by JackOfAll
if you want to make just regular looking pieces i think you could make most of them (all but the knight and the kings crown) with a lathe.

Aye, I probably could. But as it stands, my beautiful deck lacks a lathe. 😉

Plus, I can hold conversation while whittling.

Well, sort of. 😛 (looks at the scar on his thumb...)

Nordlys

The sky

Joined: 05 Apr 05
Moves: 10385

24 Oct 05

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
Make sure they are bottom heavy.

Yes, that's a problem with my brother's pieces, they don't stand very well. I am considering glueing coins (50 øre coins would work nicely, I think) to them.

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

24 Oct 05

Interesting thought. Don't want to risk cracking one by carving out a relief the diameter/size of the coin...

AThousandYoung

1st Dan TKD Kukkiwon

tinyurl.com/2te6yzdu

Joined: 23 Aug 04
Moves: 26758

25 Oct 05

Originally posted by Nordlys
Yes, that's a problem with my brother's pieces, they don't stand very well. I am considering glueing coins (50 øre coins would work nicely, I think) to them.

Yep. The second I looked at them I thought "those would suck to play with...they'd keep falling over."

Marinkatomb

wotagr8game

tbc

Joined: 18 Feb 04
Moves: 61941

25 Oct 05

You could possibly make a small opening in the bottom of the pieces to fix pennies or 1 cent coins in to weight them at the bottom. 🙂

AThousandYoung

1st Dan TKD Kukkiwon

tinyurl.com/2te6yzdu

Joined: 23 Aug 04
Moves: 26758

25 Oct 05

That's a good idea. Another way to help them stay bottom heavy is to simply give them large, wide bottoms. A base with large area will help keep them from falling just as a low center of gravity will and a large base will contribute to both.

buffalobill

Major Bone

On yer tail ...

Joined: 28 Feb 05
Moves: 16686

25 Oct 05

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
That's a good idea. Another way to help them stay bottom heavy is to simply give them large, wide bottoms. A base with large area will help keep them from falling just as a low center of gravity will and a large base will contribute to both.

If you want to make chess pieces, you'll probably find that the whittling bit is the fun part, the rest is turning the pawns, bishops etc. Most of the pieces on a Staunton set are designed for turning, apart from half of the knight and a bit of the king, and then a bit of cutting for the rest which can be done with power tools. Thinking about it, I'd also turn a base into which you'd pour molten lead for the weight and then cover and glue with green baize. (is that the name?). Lead's got a very low melting point and you can do it with a blowtorch. Might not want to scorch the wood, though, but I'm sure there's a way around that. I'd also go with a hardwood than something cheap like pine which is very light.
Yeah, I've been toying with the same idea, but I don't do enough woodworking or have the space for wood turning equipment (or money).

Morren

Connecticut

Joined: 14 Jun 05
Moves: 19794

25 Oct 05

Aye, I do not have the space for turning equipment -- and figured with enough practice (which in reality is what this 'project' is -- even if I throw the pieces away) I could whittle a nice looking pawn...