Chess set

[Packard]

This is a fairly famous Lanier Graham mid-century modern chess set. There is a bit of a learning curve identifying the pieces, but I think I can make them all on the table saw. I will probably need my tenoning jig to make the end cuts. And the question is what size stock to use? 1” square stock, 1-1/4” square or 1-1/2” square.

It looks like, maybe maple? And walnut for the black pieces?

Any thoughts?

 

[Nisbeth]

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/4746

Looks like the pawns are 1" cubes then?

EDIT: There's another version here where they are 30mm cubes: https://woodideas.store/products/co...ndmade-lanier-graham-chess-set-with-board-box

 

[peter halle]

The dark squares look like Wenge to me.

Peter

 

[luvmytoolz]

If you apply the Golden Mean, working on a cube being 1", that gives a board square of 1.6", which looks pretty much like the board in the pic.

So I'd base the size of the pieces on the relative Golden Mean value of what size the squares will be. Definitely not smaller than an inch though.

 

[Packard]

The Queen (I guess) with the V-notch at the top is going to take some thought on how to fabricate. The rest of the pieces look pretty straightforward.

I’m guessing I set my table saw blade at an angle and use my tenoning jig to hold it. Then turn the piece around and repeat. I would have to use my dado blade. My rip, crosscut and combination blades have alternating carbide tips and would not yield a clean cut in the corner. That would go for the pieces with shoulder cuts too.

So, the pieces don’t look difficult, but will require thought.

$500 for the set seems a bit rich, though.

 

[Packard]

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/4746

Looks like the pawns are 1" cubes then?

EDIT: There's another version here where they are 30mm cubes: https://woodideas.store/products/co...ndmade-lanier-graham-chess-set-with-board-box

The pawns are cubes. The rooks are similar but taller. The King has to be the tallest, the Queen the second tallest. I am undecided on the bishop and the knight—it is not clear which is which.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The Queen (I guess) with the V-notch at the top is going to take some thought on how to fabricate. The rest of the pieces look pretty straightforward.

I’m guessing I set my table saw blade at an angle and use my tenoning jig to hold it. Then turn the piece around and repeat. I would have to use my dado blade. My rip, crosscut and combination blades have alternating carbide tips and would not yield a clean cut in the corner. That would go for the pieces with shoulder cuts too.

So, the pieces don’t look difficult, but will require thought.

$500 for the set seems a bit rich, though.

Use a long piece of stock to make/prepare for multiple Queen’s. After the first half-V cut turn the stock over, not around.

 

[flair woodworks]

The dark wood looks like wenge to me. It's quite a splintery wood if you haven't worked with it before, and it's among my least favourite woods to work. I would make all the cuts on the table saw with stock laying down against the crosscut fence/mitre gauge.