Stick People Chess Set from Steve Good - NOW WITH A COVER

[Frank Pellow]

As I outlined in the thread:

Steve has been providing several Stick(wo)man patterns in his daily blog and I am making a few of them.

Today, he has offered plans for a chess set and board and asks $5 for it.  I have already downloaded it and will start work on it soon.

Here are a few photos of the set:

Notice the way that the board rises on both sides.

Here is a link to Steve's announcement of the availability of the plans: http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.ca/2018/04/clockclock-scroll-saw-pattern-stickman.html

 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Frank Pellow

[MrsN]

I saw this pattern this morning, I haven't gotten it yet but plan to. I like the chess set that doesn't require compound cutting or lathe work. 

I also like the fun board to go with it. It will be very cool when it is done, I can't wait to see your photos.

[new2woodwrk]

Yah I got that announcement in my email this morning as well - looks cool.

Wife asked me to stop ordering stuff for a bit, but surely $5 won't break us?

But I'll wait just the same

[Fab4]

2 hours ago, new2woodwrk said:

Yah I got that announcement in my email this morning as well - looks cool.

Wife asked me to stop ordering stuff for a bit, but surely $5 won't break us?

But I'll wait just the same

Hi Jes:
I agree with you 100% about the $5 but that's just enough to get you back into the doghouse
ask me how I know.....LOL
Fab4

[kywoodmaster]

I saw that today also. My son has been on to me to make him a chess set for years. I have every intention yo order this tonight and make it for him just to here the reaction. Iove the stick figures that Steve has been doing and want to do all of them if I ever get the time. Cant wait to see yours done Frank.

[Frank Pellow]

OK, I have made a start on this. 

As much as I like the chess pieces, what I find really unique about this is the "rising" chess board,  Therefore, that is where I started.  I did not use my scroll saw for this.  Rather, I cut 64 squares of 6mm thick Baltic  birch plywood on my table saw and I cut 16 pieces each of 1/2 inch high dowels, 3/4 inch high dowels, 1 inch high dowels and 1.25 inch high dowels using one of my bandsaws.  Here is a photo of the bandsaw part way through this task:

Next, I had to glue the squares to the dowels.  That's a lot of sanding, gluing, and clamping:

[Frank Pellow]

I've now sanded then spray painted about half of the raised squares for the board.  The attached photo shows how they will be assembled.

 

[Phantom Scroller]

Wow Frank you are getting on with it I can't wait to see yours finished. Roly

[Rockytime]

Looking really good. I'm waiting for the finish.

[Frank Pellow]

This is taking longer than I expected it to.

It's not so much the scrolling, rather it's everything else.  I decided yesterday that the 64 rising chess board squares that I had spray painted were not good enough.  The reason for this was that the spray painted top surfaces were of inconsistent  quality.  So, today, I sanded them then painted them by hand.  Here is a photo:

By the way, in the left background are two spray panted pawns (one green, one black).  They seem to be OK which is just as well because I don't fancy hand painting all the chess pieces.

[ScollSaw Slasher]

Frank,

Yes, spraying small pieces can be a pain. I think we all have the tendency to sneak up closer than the recommended distance so were not wasting 90% of the paint. So coverage is uneven, splotchy, etc etc. because we try doing it in less coats. There are just certain things that are still done better with a paint brush. But I love the project and waiting for the final results.

[oldhudson]

11 hours ago, Frank Pellow said:

This is taking longer than I expected it to.

It's not so much the scrolling, rather it's everything else.  I decided yesterday that the 64 rising chess board squares that I had spray painted were not good enough.  The reason for this was that the spray painted top surfaces were of inconsistent  quality.  So, today, I sanded them then painted them by hand.  Here is a photo:

By the way, in the left background are two spray panted pawns (one green, one black).  They seem to be OK which is just as well because I don't fancy hand painting all the chess pieces.

Just out of curiosity, did you prime first or go directly to paint?

[Frank Pellow]

10 minutes ago, oldhudson said:

Just out of curiosity, did you prime first or go directly to paint?

I did not prime before using the spray paint on the raised squares. 

I guess that it turns out that that spray paint was the primer for the Tremclad brush-applied paint.

And, I thank you for the tip.  So far, I have only painted two of the chess pieces.  I will apply a primer coat before spray-painting the rest of then.

[oldhudson]

25 minutes ago, Frank Pellow said:

I did not prime before using the spray paint on the raised squares. 

I guess that it turns out that that spray paint was the primer for the Tremclad brush-applied paint.

And, I thank you for the tip.  So far, I have only painted two of the chess pieces.  I will apply a primer coat before spray-painting the rest of then.

I've been using tinted shellac as primer. It dries in about 20 minutes. Give it a really light sanding and then paint. I purchased the shellac from Sherwin-Williams.

[meflick]

3 hours ago, ScollSaw Slasher said:

Frank,

Yes, spraying small pieces can be a pain. I think we all have the tendency to sneak up closer than the recommended distance so were not wasting 90% of the paint. So coverage is uneven, splotchy, etc etc. because we try doing it in less coats. There are just certain things that are still done better with a paint brush. But I love the project and waiting for the final results.

Oh, I'm definitely guilty.  Patience is not one of my virtues though I will say that I have gotten better. 

[Frank Pellow]

I glued the rised squares the board using Gorilla Clear Grip glue.  This worked very well even though one of the surfaces was painted, even though I only applied glue to one of the surfaces to be joined, and even though I did not apply much pressure.  A test is that I can lift the whole board holding onto only one of the squares.

Here is a photo taken when I was starting to apply the squares and making certain that they were square to the underlying board:

               

Here is a phot taken when the board was half assembled:

                e

The above photo also shows the six pieces that I have completed so far.  The reaminder are all cut but not yet assembled or painted.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Frank Pellow

[Rockytime]

That will be one good lookin' board.

[Gonzo]

Very cool! I like it a lot. Looking forward to the finished set. 

[Frank Pellow]

It's taken me a long elapsed time to complete cutting and painting all the pieces, but I finally managed to find the time.

Here is a photo:

Next I need to work on a drawer under the board to hold the pieces.  This was not in Steve's plans

[kywoodmaster]

I knew that it would be great when you finished it and I was right.

[Woodmaster1]

Absolutely fantastic looking chess set and board.

[Jim McDonald]

You have done it again Frank. Great work and lots of dedication to the craft. 

[combat2000]

Wow! That is amazing. Looks great. I am going to have to buy these plans and work on one over the summer. 

[heppnerguy]

Very creative and unusual. This is the kind of ingenuity that I love to stumble on in The Village. I am useless when it comes to trying to come up with a new way to do something or just a totally new idea. If you ask my wife, she may I could have stopped with 'I am useless" and there would have  been enough said already. This is a fresh and fun New Idea and I love it.

Dick

heppnerguy

[Rockytime]

Very interesting and well done.