Marmotjr Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 A chess set and board is one of my bucket list projects, so it's not a current thing, but something I like to keep floating around in the back of my mind. What woods what you guys pick, budget not a concern, for a chess set? I'm thinking two highly contrasting colors for the pieces, but the squares would be of a different, yet complimentary, color to the pieces. And then what woods would you use for the frame/box of the board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Maple and ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Paduak and purpleheart . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 padauk and wenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Anigre and Makore . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Walnut and maple. Or cherry and maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Holly is about the whitest wood available. Ebony the darkest. Neither one is cheap or readily available in large pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Yep I'm with Steve...budget not an issue...ebony and holly. Walnut and maple will make a fine chess board and cost you much much less. You also have to consider - if you want to make your own chess pieces - that you'll want them to match the board...more money. I'll make a chess set one day and I'll do it out of ebony and holly because I'm only gonna do it once. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I'm in the middle of chess boards with my sons. One picked cherry and bubinga, the other maple and walnut. I plan on turning chess pieces for them at some point as a gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I made one from walnut & maple, with cherry borders. Seems like a nice combo, and won't break the bank. I did NOT make playing pieces, just the board. Really, any species with a decent amount of contrast can make a nice board. Not sure about the idea of making the pieces from species NOT used for the board. I would lean toward using some other material over that. Big risk of having it just look weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 I am also not sure about making pieces from the same wood species. I'm not sold on holly and ebony for the board itself - seems to stark - but ebony and holly chess pieces would look sharp on almost any board. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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