Designing and Crafting An Heirloom Chess Set Paperback – January 11, 2020

The board and chess pieces in this book generally comply with the standards of the current World Chess Federation FIDE handbook/standards of approved design of chess pieces for tournament play. A segment of the standards are included in the Appendix. This book draws on the author’s experience as a teacher of Industrial Arts, professional work and hobbies. Described are the basic information required for crafting a completed chess set which including drawings, list of materials and a plan of procedures for completing the different parts of this project. The Staunton style is recognizable but not restrictive by FIDE standards, which gives the craftsman the opportunity to be creative. Building a piece of art that displays your craftsmanship will be treasured forever! This book is divided into seven different sections which includes 242 pictures used for reference. Section (1) PREPARATION provides an overview of the requirements and dimensions necessary to plan and gather material for this project. Section (2) CHESSMEN PIECES is about woodturning and carving the individual chess pieces. It includes the use of a duplicator attached to a wood lathe and designing templates for each chess piece. Power carving and crafted jigs are used to complete the necessary characteristics of each piece including adding weight and applying Baize. Section (3) STORAGE TRAYS includes the detail necessary to construct a compartmental drawer necessary to store all of the chess pieces together when not being played on the Chess Board as well as adding a felt like liner for the individual compartments of the tray. Section (4) CASE is about designing a container for the Trays while serving as a platform for the Chess Board. It includes metal working information necessary for crafting a release mechanism for both Trays. Section (5) CHESS BOARD contains detailed information about crafting the actual playing surface of 64 squares for the game of chess and adding a decorative inlay around the perimeter. Information is added for removal of the Chess Board for adjustments. Section (6) COMPLETION TASKS is about selecting and applying a finish for the Case and Chess Board. It includes measurements and placement of hardware components necessary for making every part work together as a storage unit and playing surface. Tray stop brackets are added for safety measures as well as instructions for assembly. Section (7) APPENDIX contains 18 Drawings of the chess set components, chess pieces and jigs used in the completion of this set. A Glossary of Terms have been added to help in the further understanding of woodworking phrasing and tool names that may not be familiar to an interested reader. A US to Metric Conversion Table for regions using that measurement system should assist in understanding dimensions used for this set. The planning and knowledge of standard methods can eliminate hours of trial and error. A summary of all the materials and hardware needed to craft one set is included. Read more