Very good looking board, congratulations.
My new board is here!
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Very nice board, I especially like the contrasting strip of oak setting off the board from the border.
neat!
2' inch sq.?
wiscmike wrote:
Very good looking board, congratulations.
Thanks, Mike. I'm glad you like it. With the combination of becoming empty-nesters and having gotten a promotion at work, my better half gave me the go-ahead to splurge and get a nice set of pieces and a nice board to go with it. Now if I can just get my game up to a non-embarrassing level...
Rsava wrote:
Very nice board, I especially like the contrasting strip of oak setting off the board from the border.
Thanks, Rsava. There's a fair bit of oak here and there in our house, so I thought it might contrast nicely with the walnut and maple while tying in with the oak in the house.
lofina_eidel_ismail wrote:
neat!
2' inch sq.?
The squares are 2 and 3/8", lofina_eidel_ismail.
rcmacmillan wrote:
That's a real beauty, Jon. I agree with Rsava, the contrasting trim strip is really nice. I think that the Peruvian walnut is a really elegant wood for the dark squares, and curly maple is hard to beat for the white ones. And for what Bill charges for his solid wood boards, it's hard to believe that people will pay as much or more for some of the inlaid ones. Here's a pic of my board, taken this morning:
Ah, the inspiration for my board! It has such a pleasing, classic look to it, Robert. I am so glad that you did the legwork of the design and the Peruvian walnut-curly maple combination. They go perfectly together, are pleasingly not fatiguing to the eye, and make a nice contrast for the ebony and boxwood pieces.
Great boards, gentlemen!
Nice mission table, too!
Yes very nice, thanks for sharing. I also like curly, and Birds Eye maple for white squares, it is simply beautiful. Walnut, and Mahogany is also nice for the dark squares, Best wishes guys.
cgrau wrote:
Nice mission table, too!
Thanks, Chuck. That particular table is a Chinese knock-off, but I like how it looks! We live in a craftsman bungalow built in 1912, and our previous house was a bungalow built in 1916. As you can imagine, we have acquired a good bit of furniture over the years, some old, some new, that suits this sort of house. We have always been drawn to the Arts & Crafts and Mission aesthetic.
LOL. My next question was whether you live in an Arts & Crafts bungalow, as it looks like one in your picture. We live in a Usonian-inspired ranch, and our living and family rooms are knock-offs of the living room at Taliesin, so we have quite a few Mission pieces as well.
Nice. Though I would appreciate notations on a board I got.
Those chessboards are beautiful! I congratulate you both, Jon and RC.
Simply gorgeous boards Jon and Robert, thanks for sharing
CrimsonKnight7 wrote:
Yes very nice, thanks for sharing. I also like curly, and Birds Eye maple for white squares, it is simply beautiful. Walnut, and Mahogany is also nice for the dark squares, Best wishes guys.
Thanks, CrimsonKnight7. I love birds eye maple, too. And mahogany. So many beautiful woods to choose from. Ended up going with this combination because I was so knocked out by Robert's board. Actually considered a paduak or bloodwood for a red-colored contrasting strip, but then read an article by a woodworker who wrote that colorful woods such as those eventually turn brown over time. At that point I figured I might as well just go with tried-and true quarter-sawn oak, one of my all-time favorites.
cgrau wrote:
LOL. My next question was whether you live in an Arts & Crafts bungalow, as it looks like one in your picture. We live in a Usonian-inspired ranch, and our living and family rooms are knock-offs of the living room at Taliesin, so we have quite a few Mission pieces as well.
Wow-- our house is a long way from Taliesin! Just a humble craftsman bungalow, but so darned homey. For some reason the simple Craftsman-style bungalows make me feel right at home. Having said that, I am very fond of both the 'eastern' Arts and Crafts look, and the more 'western' Mission styles. Have you ever had the chance to visit the annual Arts & Crafts conference at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC? Heaven! My wife and I used to live near there, so it was easy for us to visit it back then. As a musician, I found myself playing at the Grove Park Inn a good bit, too. What a lovely building.
There isn't anything wrong with oak at all, I also love it. I like African Paduak as well, and I agree so many different and beautiful woods to choose from. Your board is very nice, thanks for sharing it with us.
rcmacmillan asked me to post pictures when my new board came in, so here you go, Robert! I would like to thank Robert for giving me the go-ahead to blatantly steal the design of one of his boards that he had made for him by Bill of Bill's Woodpile (who can be found on etsy). Bill made this one for me, and the only difference between rcmacmillan's and mine is that the narrow strip between the playing area and the border is of quarter sawn oak. Bill told me that this is the 72nd board he's made. I was amazed by how quickly he was able to make it, and happy that he was so patient as we corresponded about it before he put it together. I really like this board. Thanks for your guidance, Robert, and thanks for your craftsmanship, Bill.