Kyle's Chess Set

[Donna Banfield]

I'm not going to make it to the Symposium in San Jose because I have to make good on a promise I made nearly eight years ago. I'm delivering that promise this weekend - this chess set to my nephew, who just graduated from high school. When he was 10, we turned a Harry Potter Wizard Wand together - my first - when he spent a week with me during his summer vacation.

It started with Harry Potter, so it is fitting that there's a connection to Harry Potter in this chess set. The original design came from the UK Woodturning magazine, and is based on the chess pieces discovered in a cave on the Isle of Lewes. These pieces were too large to fit any modern chess board and are believed to be the oldest chess pieces in existence. Here's the Harry Potter connection - the Isle of Lewes chess pieces were the basis for Wizard's Chess in the second Harry Potter story.

The woods are Ash and Wenge, as is the box. I used white liming wax to fill the pores and lighten the Ash; Briwax Rustic Pine to fill the pores of the Wenge. He's already got the chess board covered. My grandfather, and his great-grandfather finished furniture for a living until he was 96 years years old. We all played - and got beat - on the many chess/checkers boards he made in his lifetime. Kyle got one of them after my grandfather passed away.

The chess set was about as far out of my comfort zone that I've ever stepped, but I learned that if you leave your comfort zone, magic can happen

 

[John Lawson]

Very, very nice! And I'm a fan of the box as well. I've turned a couple entire chess sets and I know how hard it is to make them look this good. I read those Woodturning articles, and really enjoyed seeing how he created those off-center features.

 

[Gretch Flo]

chess set

Very, very nice, Donna. Some day I will step out of my comfort zone!! Gretch

 

[odie]

Very very nicely done, Donna.........beautiful actually!

Great story to go with it, too!

ooc

 

[Barry Elder]

Good things will happen for you! Keeping a promise to a child is as good as it gets! Fine work, great promise!

 

[Donna Banfield]

Back home now, and the chess set was an absolute hit!

I've never spent as much time working on a single project before, and doubt I ever will. I will never turn another chess set again, but this one was worth every minute I spent and then some. Dave (who made the box) and I created an heirloom given to someone who understands and appreciates the incredible gift that he was given. And it will be passed down, as was my grandfather's board, to the next generation and hopefully a few after that.

Thanks to all who viewed and commented.

 

[bob sesti]

Very nice Donna, job well done.

 

[John Torchick]

Beautiful! Well thought out and done. Gives me some ideas. I like the simplicity of the pieces and the contrasting wood colors. Thanks! What's next on the list?
Edit: I looked at the pictures again and have to say the box is outstanding, too!

FWIW, I have a chess set that is about 50 years old. The board is made of pieces fo contrasting wood and glued to a piece of heavy cloth so the board can be folded for storage.

 

[Donna Banfield]

Bob and John, thanks for your kind comments.

What's next on the list? A music stand for Kyle's older sister, Rachel. She's a music student who will graduate with a degree in Music Education in two years.

Dave and I have already been searching his FWW and other sources for the perfect design. I really like the music stand that was featured in the most recent AAW Journal. It's a beautiful work of art and has musical flow to the design!