So I have a final project due in a woodworking theater class due in a few weeks. I want to make a chess board because they're just plain classy 
I designed a chess board that uses inter-laid blocks (rhomboidal parallelograms?) that fit together to form the board. There are two types of rails that make up the four borders and interact with the board blocks. A piece of flat ply is used as a backing to keep it all level. Wood glue will be the primary means of assembly - it should give alot of strength to the way the blocks slide together.
I know nothing about wood though and what kind of stains to use. Ideally, I would like the checkered blocks to be different shades (dark & light) and the grains to oppose each other. It would be cool if the borders were a different shade as well. There are 2 ways I can envision doing this and I need your input please.
1) We get a free supply of white pine 1x3 and 2x4. White pine doesn't look have good grain and it would all be the same color. Although I could use a dark stain, light stain, and medium stain for the color contrast. Would something like this bring out the grain well so I could cross checker the grain and make it bamf? Any reccomendations on staining something like this? This option is free and if it wold work well to achieve the desired effect then great. However, it would require me to stain stuff before assembling (that's 69 separate little pieces).
2) I am allowed to purchase my own wood. This would be nice because I could basically have the wood supply the different grains and colors, then I sand and oil or stain the whole thing in one shot. I did have maple in mind for a "grainless" border and then possibly some of the free white pine as the light checkers if I can get the grain to show. For the dark stuff maybe some blackwood. I know Cedar has dark tight contrasting grain. so many options
What reccomended woods would provide a good grain and differing light and dark colors? What stain or oil could be applied to the whole thing? Where can I buy some of this wood and how much will it cost?
For great justice move every zig,
Joe
I designed a chess board that uses inter-laid blocks (rhomboidal parallelograms?) that fit together to form the board. There are two types of rails that make up the four borders and interact with the board blocks. A piece of flat ply is used as a backing to keep it all level. Wood glue will be the primary means of assembly - it should give alot of strength to the way the blocks slide together.
I know nothing about wood though and what kind of stains to use. Ideally, I would like the checkered blocks to be different shades (dark & light) and the grains to oppose each other. It would be cool if the borders were a different shade as well. There are 2 ways I can envision doing this and I need your input please.
1) We get a free supply of white pine 1x3 and 2x4. White pine doesn't look have good grain and it would all be the same color. Although I could use a dark stain, light stain, and medium stain for the color contrast. Would something like this bring out the grain well so I could cross checker the grain and make it bamf? Any reccomendations on staining something like this? This option is free and if it wold work well to achieve the desired effect then great. However, it would require me to stain stuff before assembling (that's 69 separate little pieces).
2) I am allowed to purchase my own wood. This would be nice because I could basically have the wood supply the different grains and colors, then I sand and oil or stain the whole thing in one shot. I did have maple in mind for a "grainless" border and then possibly some of the free white pine as the light checkers if I can get the grain to show. For the dark stuff maybe some blackwood. I know Cedar has dark tight contrasting grain. so many options
What reccomended woods would provide a good grain and differing light and dark colors? What stain or oil could be applied to the whole thing? Where can I buy some of this wood and how much will it cost?
For great justice move every zig,
Joe
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