More Board Building Discussion

I just added you to my friendlist. Well, friendlist is a big word maybe since you're the only one on it.

I would be happy to take this awful imperfect padauk/myrtlewood board off your hands. I'm surprised you even went to the trouble of finishing it. I'm sure it angers you every time you look at it. Ughh, and the grain is horizontal too. I will be doing you a favor. Trust me on this. You will feel much better once it's out of your possession. 

@Malabrigo  Check your messages 

How do we get on your list to know when a board is for sale?

Picked up a few more pieces today. Going to play with that darker grey myrtlewood as well as the more traditional color. Should be able to build quite a few boards with this stack. 

A few people have asked this. I need to set up a formal business name, website, online shop, etc. I'd like to say I could sit down this afternoon and do it all.... but I have a list of clients keeping me booked until July with my normal carpentry work. Probably easiest to just friend me on here, let me know the details of what you want, and when I actually get a business up and running I expect word will spread. I plan to keep posting build ideas, successes and failures, I have some wildly elaborate stuff I'd like to try, but that would be in the winter. 

Obviously I'll churn out a bunch of boards, but my goal isn't really to advertise at the moment. I'm just learning on my own, and sharing the experience with people here so they can learn from it, and have a better appreciation for the wood boards out there! 

Hey, that's an interesting knot there! It might look really nice in the center of a board on the d5, e4 squares.

@malabrigo, awesome work! I’m going to start my second board son because of this thread. Have some Purple Heart, Jatoba, and Brazilian cherry coming soon. What type of glue are you using?

Most commonly: tightbond 3. It's food safe, waterproof, and has a nice working time. It also dries a color that is a little forgiving to builder mistakes ;-)

I also like tightbond speedset. You only have to clamp it for 15 minutes before you can take your clamps to the next project. However, it dries white, and you have to move quick once you squirt it on the board!

More modifications and enhancements tested: 

In my mind the reality of a wood board is that it will move and that it is unlikely that it will ever be on a perfectly flat surface anyway. So, I decided to test out some home assembled adjustable feet. Any thoughts? First a couple shots of the board "floating" with the new feet. You cannot see the feet without stooping over to look under the board. These are 1.97" squares and the board is on a semigloss maple surface.

Next, a shot of the new feet. They don't meet my aesthetic requirement, but this is more of a test to see if I like the feel. They are quick and easy to adjust by hand, have great grip on a smooth table, and I'm very pleased with the hidden look. 

Last, a few measurements to show the height and recession of the feet. The recession is just about perfect. When you run your hand under the edge of the board you don't quite hit the feet unless you are uncomfortably reaching (or maybe you have long fingers). 

Comments, questions, concerns, ideas?

Personally, I don't like the ones that are screwed to the board. I only like the self-adhesive feet like the ones you have there. That way I can remove them and flip the board over. I prefer thinner pads over thicker ones.

Personally I don't like feet that are screwed in, or self-adhesive feet for that matter. I feel it would be such a waste not to be able to use that side. I do like the idea of using 4 rubber feet when it's needed but they have to be just that, non screwed or sticky.

Discrete sticky rubber feet similar to kitchen cabinet bumper "dots" are good if someone wants feet on their board. Some people don't like 2 flat finished surfaces to be flat against each other. But let the customer decide whether to use the sticky feet or not. This allows the customer to choose which side they prefer best with a small dot in each corner and center.

Adjustable screwed in rubber feet are a good way to save imperfect boards. I think we can all agree that a slightly warped board with adjustable screwed on rubber feet to level it out, is better than the scrap pile.

The added bonus with feet/bumpers is that it provides a comfortable space for fingers to get in under the board to lift it up.

Thank you for the reply! this will be my first adventure with exotic woods, so everyday’s a school day as they say. Whoever “they” are. I like the dry-set time you mentioned, never have enough clamps it seems. I like the adjustable feet for a board that may not sit flat at first. I also prefer something other than the flat wood surface on a flat table top, so small adhesive pads sound good as well. I’m also wondering about the wood/dust from the exotics, any special safety precautions recommended?

I pretty much consider all wood dust to be toxic and on the same level of toxicity. I know that's not true, but it's just easier for me to always use the same PPE. So, I wear a respirator with a full face shield, hearing protection, and I ditch my clothes straight into the washer when I'm done, plus take a shower. In the shop I have a dust collector connected straight to the machines, as well as an air cleaner running while I'm in the shop. It's worth it IMO!

Definitely post pics and a report on your build when you finish!

Intriguing that people have such an interest in using both sides of the boards. Even on this borderless style, I always consider one side the bottom that won't be used for play or display. It's left in its pure form with no additional base to speak to the fact that it is truly, a solid wood board. That being said, I like the feedback here and it simply gives me more creative ways to add/integrate features to boards in the way a client would want them. 

For example: I've never thought of it and haven't seen it, and I would have to research the movement possibilities, but I would consider inserting a small piece of metal into the four corners of the board. Completely concealed with the squares. The board could come with thin magnetic nonslip pads, or even an adjustable magnetic foot. Not something that would be standard on every board, but it's a fun creative experience for me as a builder. 

The biggest reason to add adjustable feet IMO is to make a board that is more welcoming of abuse, to more casual players. I'd rather see someone with a functional adjustable board made of wood, instead of being stuck with roll out plastic since they aren't the best at caring for wood, or want to leave the board outside on the porch, etc. 

Of course, all of these are just options and explorations which part of the fun for me!

Why are they hard to come by?

I too have been looking for one. I only found one, he advertised on local craiglist but there is long waiting list. He's fully booked until summer. 

If you look on Etsy, all those good looking boards are made by woodworkers from USA. The problem is, the shipping fee is usually around 80 USD, add that customs clearance then it adds up quickly. Oddly enough, I've seen some stores that take care of the customs when sending to Germany, but not to the Netherlands.

Drueke boards can be used double sided. I like to think this way, if something happens to one side, there is still the other side that's still can be used.

If I need feet, I can always get 4 rubber feet from IKEA

Edit: how about rubber feet with suction cup attached? It would stick to the board without damaging them.

I’ve plenty of variations on thickness. What seems to be the consensus on the thickness of the board, is there a standard like there is with then actual square sizes?

Purely from a wood perspective.... the thinner you go the more likely you'll have warp. The thicker you go, the stronger your arms will become.