Wood selections for chess sets and where to buy

[UncleApple]

Let me begin by stating once again that I love being able to tap into the knowledge of all of you fellow scrollers who have "been there, done that".  I once read a post from someone that mentioned they wished their neighbor was so & so...I too have thought that many times about many of you!  Today marks 1 year that I've been working with my scroll saw.  It has been challenging at times, but the advice I've received from many of you has helped immensely.  If it weren't for the advice you've given me over the past few months, my DW788 may have ended up being returned and I would have given up on many projects.  

This leads me to my latest endeavor.  I'm once again embarking on another chess set.  I'm looking for wood combinations that will go well together, but most importantly, scrolls fairly easy AND that I can buy in 1.5x1.5 blocks from SOMEWHERE without having to square my own blocks.  My first set was done out of Walnut and Aspen, so I want to do something different. I ordered a number of wood-species from WoodCrafter to "try" and didn't consult with you first...my bad.  The blocks WERE NOT square, and despite my efforts to square them, never ended up quite right...

I tried Wenge, Palm, Cherry, Yellowheart, Ash, Maple Ambrosia, Marblewood, and Zebra-wood.

Sycamore cuts GREAT and seems very forgiving to heat build-up without burning ...most likely my choice for "white" this time.  But paired with what?  The Zebra-wood wasn't bad to cut, but not crazy about the wood-pairing.  Wenge and Cherry were too difficult for my preference and BURNED during my turns, no matter how slow I went.   They also consumed A LOT of blades (nearly twice as many as Sycamore or Zebra).  Both Palm and Marblewood were impossible to cut (you would have likely told me this, thus saving me the expense).  I love Maple Ambrosia, but I need a reliable source for truly squared blanks.  Yellowheart also seems to cut really well, and should it scorch, it turns a darker gold instead of ruining the piece. And finally, Ash, which also cut well but did scorch on most of my turns.  Not a hard "no" for future use, but I'm not crazy about it.

All said, I'm looking for your help.  Part one...where can I get SQUARE blanks that are true?  What wood pairings would you suggest?  One last note...I do NOT stain woods.  I am partial to the beauty from within if you will. My only "finishes" include Danish oil or spar urethane.

Thanks as always!!

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by UncleApple
forgot to include something

[Scrappile]

Have you given a look at Ocooch Woods.  They have blocks 2x2x12 or 1.5x1.5x12 in different species.  I have not bought blocks of wood from them but I have bought quite a bit of the scroll saw ready wood and never had a bad piece.

Another good wood for the light colors pieces is Basswood. 

http://ocoochhardwoods.com/carving_stock.php

[UncleApple]

1 minute ago, Scrappile said:

Have you given a look at Ocooch Woods.  They have blocks 2x2x12 or 1.5x1.5x12 in different species.  I have not bought blocks of wood from them but I have bought quite a bit of the scroll saw ready wood and never had a bad piece.

Another good wood for the light colors pieces is Basswood. 

http://ocoochhardwoods.com/carving_stock.php

Guess I should have mentioned that Ocooch Hardwoods is my main source.  Their precision has always been spot-on.  I order the Walnut and Aspen blanks from them for my first chess set.

[Scrappile]

So the Ocooch blanks were not square?  Or are you just looking for different specie.

[UncleApple]

5 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

So the Ocooch blanks were not square?  Or are you just looking for different specie.

The Ocooch blanks have always been square, but I was hoping for a wider selection of species so I tried WoodCraft...NOT SQUARE.  I may have to settle for the woods I can get from them, but was hoping to here from others first, before giving up.

[kmmcrafts]

How about buying or making your own thermal modified wood?

I haven't done it in a while but at one time I needed a piece of dark colored wood.. walnut was my top choice but I couldn't find a piece that would suit for the project at hand... so what I did was use a piece of Poplar.. put it in the oven and baked on the lowest setting ( 250 I think ) about 3-4 hours later a my Poplar looked close to the color of a lighter colored walnut.. and darkened up quite a lot once I put my oil finish on it.. Be warned though.. baking wood can smell like roasting some sort of nuts.. not quite sure what kind..but it had a funny smell anyway.. and stuck around the house for a day or two.. I did this in the winter time so the house was shut up.. 

One of the local lumber mills does this to sell in their store.. they might ship out some to whoever might want to buy some..  you can check them out at.

LL Johnson Lumber

[hawkeye10]

Experiment with dark stain like black. You can also use food coloring to dye the wood or aniline dyes to color the wood.

[UncleApple]

4 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

How about buying or making your own thermal modified wood?

I haven't done it in a while but at one time I needed a piece of dark colored wood.. walnut was my top choice but I couldn't find a piece that would suit for the project at hand... so what I did was use a piece of Poplar.. put it in the oven and baked on the lowest setting ( 250 I think ) about 3-4 hours later a my Poplar looked close to the color of a lighter colored walnut.. and darkened up quite a lot once I put my oil finish on it.. Be warned though.. baking wood can smell like roasting some sort of nuts.. not quite sure what kind..but it had a funny smell anyway.. and stuck around the house for a day or two.. I did this in the winter time so the house was shut up.. 

One of the local lumber mills does this to sell in their store.. they might ship out some to whoever might want to buy some..  you can check them out at.

LL Johnson Lumber

Are you trying to get me in trouble with my wife???

[kmmcrafts]

10 minutes ago, UncleApple said:

Are you trying to get me in trouble with my wife???

 .. Remember I said it smells like nuts roasting.. but not sure what kind LOL.. 

Also if you do this.. you'll want to cut the board to size after you bake it... I made the mistake of cutting to size.. not thinking I would be taking the moisture out and shrinking the board.. I was able to resize the other piece to make it work still.. but it shrunk about a good 3/16 - 1/4 inch

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Did you ever consider spectraply blanks. I use the bottlestopper blanks. You could call the company and ask specifics. They are pricy but any colors are available.  www.cwp-usa.com/collections/spectrabox/products/spectrabox-1?variant=40471025228

[amazingkevin]

17 hours ago, UncleApple said:

Let me begin by stating once again that I love being able to tap into the knowledge of all of you fellow scrollers who have "been there, done that".  I once read a post from someone that mentioned they wished their neighbor was so & so...I too have thought that many times about many of you!  Today marks 1 year that I've been working with my scroll saw.  It has been challenging at times, but the advice I've received from many of you has helped immensely.  If it weren't for the advice you've given me over the past few months, my DW788 may have ended up being returned and I would have given up on many projects.  

This leads me to my latest endeavor.  I'm once again embarking on another chess set.  I'm looking for wood combinations that will go well together, but most importantly, scrolls fairly easy AND that I can buy in 1.5x1.5 blocks from SOMEWHERE without having to square my own blocks.  My first set was done out of Walnut and Aspen, so I want to do something different. I ordered a number of wood-species from WoodCrafter to "try" and didn't consult with you first...my bad.  The blocks WERE NOT square, and despite my efforts to square them, never ended up quite right...

I tried Wenge, Palm, Cherry, Yellowheart, Ash, Maple Ambrosia, Marblewood, and Zebra-wood.

Sycamore cuts GREAT and seems very forgiving to heat build-up without burning ...most likely my choice for "white" this time.  But paired with what?  The Zebra-wood wasn't bad to cut, but not crazy about the wood-pairing.  Wenge and Cherry were too difficult for my preference and BURNED during my turns, no matter how slow I went.   They also consumed A LOT of blades (nearly twice as many as Sycamore or Zebra).  Both Palm and Marblewood were impossible to cut (you would have likely told me this, thus saving me the expense).  I love Maple Ambrosia, but I need a reliable source for truly squared blanks.  Yellowheart also seems to cut really well, and should it scorch, it turns a darker gold instead of ruining the piece. And finally, Ash, which also cut well but did scorch on most of my turns.  Not a hard "no" for future use, but I'm not crazy about it.

All said, I'm looking for your help.  Part one...where can I get SQUARE blanks that are true?  What wood pairings would you suggest?  One last note...I do NOT stain woods.  I am partial to the beauty from within if you will. My only "finishes" include Danish oil or spar urethane.

Thanks as always!!

 

I feel your heart felt drive to do the best you can.It takes time to learn but SSV can save precious time by asking

[UncleApple]

8 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Did you ever consider spectraply blanks. I use the bottlestopper blanks. You could call the company and ask specifics. They are pricy but any colors are available.  www.cwp-usa.com/collections/spectrabox/products/spectrabox-1?variant=40471025228

I have, but I've decided I'd rather stick to working with wood...but thanks for your input!

[fredfret]

Check out woodturning supply places Packard wood comes to mind I'm sure there are many more. West Penn hardwod may also have what you are looking for.

Fredfret

[UncleApple]

On 8/2/2017 at 8:03 AM, fredfret said:

Check out woodturning supply places Packard wood comes to mind I'm sure there are many more. West Penn hardwod may also have what you are looking for.

Fredfret

Thanks for this advice!  I came across a place called "WoodTurningz" that has some of the wood-species I've been looking for...

[Woodmaster1]

Check local saw mill sources I am sure there are several in Arkansas.