Chess Board

As you can see in the photo, this elegant chess set features a walnut and maple playing surface that appears to fl oat above the base. A soft, flocked drawer allows you to safely store the chess pieces when not in use. While the playing surface is beautiful, the real show-stopper, in my opinion, is the set of pieces. While the knights are made at the band saw, most of the other pieces require a little bit of time at the lathe. But don’t worry. You don’t need to be a turning wizard to conjure up these pieces. Some basic turning skills and a few simple tools will help you create the shapes needed for this set. The biggest challenge, perhaps, is
the helmet-shaped pawn. However, turning the blank, removing some waste at the band saw, and gluing it back together creates the oblong, helmet shape. But put the turning out of your mind for now. The first thing to knock out is the chess board, so that’s your opening move.