Luxury Chess Board with Maple Burl, Cocobolo, Ebony, Purpleheart, and White Oak

In this video I show how I made a high-end chess board. The squares are made from maple burl and cocobolo with ebony dividers between each square. The board has a purpleheart border around the playing field and it is framed with quarter sawn white oak.
The most challenging part of this build was the joint for the frame. It's a combination miter and bridle joint and it was tricky to cut.
Some of the things I used in this video:
Delta Cruzer 12 in Sliding Compound Miter Saw: amzn.to/3FmQ2Ed
Totalboat Epoxy: amzn.to/3tzuhrD
Freud 1/2" Round Nose Bit (1/4" radius): amzn.to/3zmrhnH
Grizzly G1023RLWX Table Saw amzn.to/2AGvqVV
INCRA Miter Gauge: amzn.to/2HTzvef
Freud 24T Rip Blade with Flat Grind: amzn.to/2rQl9EY
Freud Ultimate Cut-Off Blade: amzn.to/2OAwRMU
Laguna Resaw King bandsaw blade: amzn.to/38Dst7u
SuperMax 19-38 Drum Sander: amzn.to/2DOWJzX
iGaging IP54 electronic caliper: amzn.to/3U0K8wK
iGaging Precision Setup Blocks: amzn.to/3DhuYMz
Minwax Satin Lacquer Spray: amzn.to/3sEHReZ
Titebond III Wood Glue: amzn.to/3W3IkVD
Freud 1/16" Roundover Bit: amzn.to/3gO8hbw
Gator Grip Safety Push Blocks: amzn.to/3SCqAh7
Freud 8" Super Dado Set: amzn.to/3DyJujx
WoodRiver Tenoning Jig: amzn.to/3W6uwcT
Mirka 6” Sanding System: amzn.to/3c0V7mJ
email: [e-mail]
Instagram: / woodumakeit
Facebook: / reallywoodumakeit
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:04 Preparing the burl
04:35 Milling the cocobolo and maple burl
09:19 First glue-up
17:20 Making the frame
21:12 Cutting the frame joint
26:04 Final glue-up
29:33 Color reveal
29:50 Cutting finger slots
30:48 Applying the finish
31:18 Photo shoot
#chessboard #chess
Music in this video is provided by Epidemic Sound
00:57 Traveling Upstream - Cody High
02:34 Ebb and Flow - Trailer Worx
03:35 Journey Of An Autumn Leaf - Atlas Kind
05:19 Timber - William Claeson
10:50 Fine By Me - Martin Klem
15:19 Calm Before The Storm - Howard Harper-Barnes
16:38 Enchanted - Megan Wofford
20:05 Solace - Gavin Luke
22:47 Stay In Bed - Victor Lundberg
27:49 Corals - Sam Eber

[@brianroark8483]

Mike, Third board from you, and each is as lovely as the other although the woods on this one really stand out. No one should lose sleep over a joint, but I suppose that's why you do such amazing work :) I loved watching this video and knowing this was at home being showcased as the artwork that it is. The purpleheart really makes the padouk pieces pop, which was the plan. Thanks again and when I dream up something else, I'll give you a ring! For those who don't know, Mike is as easy to work with as he is a talented artist. Stay cool. The Client in Texas.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks, Brian! I look forward to working with you again.

[@alecarullo]

T

[@gideoneldescanzo1149]

how much is it

[@rohmatbubut-um4ug]

👍🙏🙏

[@live4aliving]

the"cocobolo" is Definitely bocote.i can't believe an exotic wood dealer made such an obvious mistake. bocote is less expensive then cocobolo as well.(very nice chess board...as usual ✌️)

[@zxborg9681]

Holy cow, that's an amazing board. I was;t sure there was enough contrast between light and dark squares at the start, but it turned out beautifully. Wow. And the joinery and precision, really impressive.

[@georgsteinle747]

Very Beautiful! Good Job! Thank You,God Bless You!

[@rlhanks]

I like the narration. Especially when he says the epoxy cured and I will run it through the drum sander. And then does, I was on the edge of my seat for that scene.

[@TN_HondaDad]

Wow, absolutely beautiful. And to think of the hundreds and hundreds of games that will be played and a board that hopefully will be passed down for generations and generations.

[@jaydee5447]

Ya, I would make it...just not nearly as well as you. Fantastic craftsmanship and beautiful board. Exceptionally well done sir.

[@zachbosch7268]

Loved watching that board come together, those joints were fascinating. What a piece of art! I realized a new life goal is to have enough disposable income to have Mike make me a high-end chess board. Absolutely stunning finished product.

[@pauswing]

wow, this is pure craftsmanship at the service of chess !!

[@leewillmann8612]

That cocobolo has a beautiful grain pattern! That maple burl is always beautiful, but I am really impressed with that cocobolo!

[@57Koba]

Wow! Great work! Bobby Fischer would salivate!

[@DJPICKE349]

Terrific craftsmanship and an amazing design. The addition of the Ebony really enhances the beauty of the woods selected. A masterpiece chessboard.The Cocobolo wood has the appearance of exotic Bocote wood with its grain pattern and yellow hue. Both woods are quite expensive and you have chosen excellent contrasting wood species.

[@amplivibe]

Absolutely stunning! It's beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[@chillertechtexas4375]

Absolutely amazing!

[@gilbertrios5283]

WOW! Would love one exactly like that! Tremendous workmanship!🙏

[@simonlevett4776]

Fantastic stuff, what a great skill set you have. A real tour de force.

[@chess-hub]

Looks amazing

[@qaidikramuddin]

The most beautiful chess board.

[@whthorse25]

Wow! That was a beautiful chess board. Also, that piece of purple heart for the bar was....tremendous.

[@marcobucci]

That bridle/mitre joint was beautiful. Really great board!

[@carlopadon]

The board is amazing and I didn't expect to see my favorite chess pieces at the end! The Wellington Staunton looks perfect with this set.

[@larryk6330]

Great job on the joinery. I've done a board with mahogany inlay strips so I know how touchy that can be. Nice work.

[@prsher1]

Hats off to you Mr. Great Artist 💯👏🏻👍🏻🪵🪚

[@kofire66]

Beautiful work!!! I would love try and make one.

[@MyNameIsYefff]

Another beautiful piece!

[@mikeknierim1618]

Beautiful work!

[@carlos.magno1506]

True artist! Congratulations!

[@HeathenHammer123]

you have upped your game! well done as always! beyond inspirational

[@paulquinn5260]

Great job. Well done 👏🏻 Paul 🇬🇧

[@markglinka9107]

Wow. I hope to have this level of skill one day. You sir are an artist. Thank you for this .

[@TotalBoat]

Absolutely stunning!!

[@beedissle994]

I would love to come spend a week with you at your shop to soak up some wood working knowledge. I have many tools at my disposal but very limited time to play around with ideas. As always, you truly inspires me to get out in my garage and start using my tools. Thanks!!!

[@keystonecolorado1]

Simply spectacular work.

[@unapologeticallycreative8365]

Fantastic artwork!! Your taste in music is compelling.

[@carybrown3192]

Love your videos , I learn quite a bit from you,and appreciate your attention to detail,love the grain on the darker squares!

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank your comments, and thanks for becoming a subscriber!

[@sauletto1]

Beautiful work.

[@10FingersWoodworking]

Wow, you truly do beautiful work. Thank you for sharing.

[@ScrewedupClicksta713]

That’s gorgeous brother, great job!

[@mohammadaraphat5741]

wow great work

[@HaJassar]

This, my friend, is a piece of art!

[@BMOORE344]

Simply Beautiful

[@craigkelly4278]

Your work is beyond words love your work. Keep it up

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you so much!

[@carloseduardocavalcante6549]

Que belo trabalho! mais um escrito

[@nickhardiman2142]

Simplely Beautiful

[@keithcunningham884]

The miter bridal corners are next level even for you.

[@TheFridayForge]

Just fantastic!!!!!

[@ravelalves2057]

Parabéns! Muito dedicado e caprichoso nos detalhes/acabamentos!! Quero um tabuleiro desses. Envia para o Brasil!?

[@jeffcorbin2129]

Am curius if you made the chess pieces as well. now that would be a video to watch as those look intricate as hell. awesome job.

[@maxtwentynine5968]

That’s amazing now I know why those luxury boards sell for so much .

[@snook377]

A thing of beauty

[@gerry5134]

I wish I had your workshop! 😊

[@letsgotoday386]

amazing chess board. i hope to make one of this standard at some point in the future. but i have a lot to learn before i get there. great video

[@poolsicario5882]

That’s bocote not cocobolo

[@shandusa]

Nice work

[@carldavis6902]

It’s beautiful

[@garryevans3594]

I might have added ebony to the boarder with the purple heart. It is still one awesome board. All of your craftsmanship showes every time you post a video. Well done sir. By the way i would make it

[@ARTESANIASWOODCARVING]

amazing, congratulation

[@rsc4peace971]

What a stunning piece with exquisite craftsmanship. Being a DIY woodworker, I know it is really precision work and a lot o patience to get those pieces to come together like "TAJ MAHAL". BTW, I was hoping you would make a comment on the CHESSMEN but I guess they were commercially made? They are equally beautiful and perhaps authentic official tournament grades.

[@hollisinman6989]

A new shop tour would be helpful or a list of tools in the description would work also.

[@ZeusMegabeard]

Absolutely stunning piece of craftmanship; never get bored/board of watching these videos. Bit of a crude question but how much would this cost? It must take several days to make a board presumably and a man of such skill would rightly charge a fair price.

[@rohmatbubut-um4ug]

Selamat malam pak saya senang dengan pidio bapak untuk ini saya ikuti ,supaya saya bisa belajar dari bapak ,terimakasih 🙏

[@artvandelay7537]

Such a unique design and well-crafted. Wood movement isn't a concern with the hardwood laminated to the plywood constrained in the frame?

[@Bobby-fj8mk]

The board is great. How did you make the chess pieces? - the Knights are fabulous - wonderful carving.

[@pfarnach]

Amazing work with the miter/bridle joints. Now for the most important question, what's your client's ELO rating?

[@Alehar52]

where to buy such clamps jorgensen 24'' ?? Beautiful work

[@RobyWanKenobi]

I like your extension wing router set up. Did you make it?

[@cneill6]

Inspired by your work, I have made a couple of chessboards for my daughters - one with Cocobolo and bird’s eye maple with a walnut frame. My first finishing attempt failed because of oil that seeped out of the Cocobolo (even though the wood was twenty years old) so I had to sand it again. The 2nd time, I rubbed it all down with acetone, put on 2 coats of sanding sealer and four coats of lacquer and it came out beautifully. I made mine as gifts, but I’m really curious what you charged for this board. Not only is your craftsmanship superb, but the maple Burl and the Cocobolo are very expensive, to say nothing about the ebony.

[@269Ski]

Very nice! Do you have a link to the chess piece?

[@David-fv7zg]

Beautiful workmanship. Curious why you put the chess pattern on both sides unless the customer requested it. For the bottom, a simple cherry or walnut veneer would have looked good, and saved the burl and cocobolo for another piece. For me, the cocobolo was a little too busy, and took away from the burl, but it was still beautiful, and so well-made. I really enjoy watching these builds, they are inspiring. Thanks again for doing this.

[@Woodumakeit]

I like to put the chess squares on both sides to give it a higher end look. Some clients take advantage of that if I put algebraic notation on one side so they can flip it over and play without the notation if they want. It's almost the same amount of work to put veneer on the bottom side, but you're right that it would have saved the nice wood for another board.

[@UZB___PRO]

Nice this chess

[@ralphcole5704]

Big fan of your work ! I have a jointer ,a planer numerous sanding devices but no drum sander and frankly no more room for one..any advice on how to get a good finish on my work

[@Woodumakeit]

If you have a belt sander, that could be helpful, but you'd need to be careful that you don't leave it in one spot for too long. A random orbital sander would work too. It just takes longer to get the surfaces flat and smooth.

[@tonapahnorth4671]

Nice work as always Mike. What grit do you use on your drum sander? Do you change the belts often? Or stick with one grit particularly?

[@Woodumakeit]

I almost always use 100-grit, but I have sometimes used 120-grit. I try to make the sanding belt last as long as I can by taking very shallow passes, but eventually it clogs up and I have to replace it. Maple with its sap and a lot of the oily exotic woods are what shorten the life of the sanding belt.

[@alejandrotrujillo6855]

You can use the remaining coco bolo(sp?) To make a jewelry box. Future video?

[@pauloconnell7668]

What band saw are you using? Love the video!

[@Woodumakeit]

It's the Laguna 18|BX. I bought it a couple of years ago and it's been great!

[@Rodbuilder109]

Yes I would build it.

[@Keithphotorama]

Interesting choice of woods. I have collection of boards some I like more than others. Have a dream board I wish to have made from one specific wood that is extremely rare that I won’t share here in this post. Just wondering if you have what it takes to find this wood to make the board of my dreams. MTM Woods has used this wood in the past.

[@Woodumakeit]

I'm happy to discuss if you'd like. You can email me at [e-mail].

[@edwardsimmons3721]

Where did you get the chess pieces? the board looks awesome. All the exotic woods you are using will surely drive the cost of the board up.

[@Woodumakeit]

I'm not sure where those pieces came from. They belong to another client and he sent them to me so that I can refinish them for him. That was almost a year ago.....Thankfully he's very patient. I really need to work on getting them refinished.

[@dpmeyer4867]

nice

[@wawanhartawan9746]

Bagus sekali

[@CrochetNewsNetwork]

MASTERFUL. Question. Why do you make the entire chess board for both sides? I’m a novice so I apologize for a neophyte question :-p

[@demmertp]

Mike, that miter/bridle joint was pretty complex joinery! Does the purpleheart require any special treatment to maintain its color? The maple burl has beautiful grain but I find in turning bowls with any type of burl that the internal voids and bark inclusions can make working with this material rather difficult. Your use of epoxy was a great way to handle the voids. As always, a great looking chessboard!

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks, Paul. The purpleheart will darken over time with exposure to UV light. The same thing happens with bloodwood and padauk. There's not really anything that can be done to prevent it.

[@jeffjames1567]

You could try finishing with a marine spar varnish. Might not prevent it, but could slow down the progression.

[@bparker4457]

Where do you go to get your wood?

[@AAAAAA-mz9he]

How much would this cowt thou if we order

[@keithsplish]

Beautiful result. Did you also carve the peices? That Knight is incredible.

[@Woodumakeit]

No, I wish I could do that!! Those chess pieces belong to another client who asked me to refinish them for him.

[@keithsplish]

I'm just a begginer. This is my first time working with exotic woods and making a chess board has been something I've always wanted to do. Your channel gives me plenty of ideas and I'm currently in the glue up stage of my first hardwood chessboard. Where I live these woods are very expensive so I measure 10 times and cut once. I'm currently looking for a wooden set of pieces for a 2" square and I want a nicely detailed Knight. The set I commented on is quite beautiful. So many are poorly made these days as if the carver had never seen a horse before. 🙂Anyhow sorry for the ramble, I love your work. Be safe and wish me luck. @@Woodumakeit

[@vinceearl4240]

Did you use the bandsaw instead of the table saw because of the thinner blade kerf? And does that end up saving you anything considering that you have to re-joint between cuts?

[@Woodumakeit]

I used to do everything on the table saw, but now I like to do my first cuts on the bandsaw because it puts less strain on the motor with such a thin kerf, and then I do the final cuts on the table saw. I'd like to believe that the thinner kerf saves on material, but I doubt that it does because the cut on a bandsaw is a little rough, so it needs to be cleaned up on the jointer and/or table saw afterwards.

[@alanbragg9466]

beautiful looking piece. but could you please explain why you made the different sides different thicknesses. i was expecting the thicker side to be proud of the frame.

[@Woodumakeit]

I cut them that way in anticipation of the client wanting the top side to be proud of the frame like in the photo that he had sent me, but after consulting with him, he said that he wanted both sides flush with the frame, so I adapted by changing the position of the groove in the frame so that both sides would be flush.

[@alanbragg9466]

@@Woodumakeit thanks for explanation. It through me when I was watching. Amazing craftsmanship. 👌

[@scar17athome]

Nice board. Will you ever try to make chess pieces?

[@Woodumakeit]

I'll be making a chess board and chess pieces out of client-supplied logs in the near future. It's a tedious process, so I just need to find the time.

[@andrewupson2987]

Very beautiful. I’d have to use something other than oak for the border because my wife is anti-oak. Otherwise I could see replicating it. Did you make the chess pieces or buy them?

[@Woodumakeit]

Those pieces are on loan from another client who wants me to refinish them for him. I don't think I'm skilled enough to make pieces this nice, but I do have to make a set for a client in the near future.

[@andrewupson2987]

@@Woodumakeit definitely will appreciate a video on making chess pieces.

[@phj223]

"3/8 of an inch, 3/32 of an inch.." me crying in metric xD

[@Woodumakeit]

Crazy, isn't it?

[@phj223]

@@Woodumakeit It really is! I mean metric is so standardized and so easy to convert, from 1D to 2D to 3D, the rules stay the same..! It's always multiples of 10..! o.O edit: and yes, that chessboard is amazing

[@bobl.1044]

😍😍😍

[@kemet-son]

❤️❤️

[@hollisinman6989]

Where does he buy his wood?

[@BrettsWoodshop]

Is there a reason you prefer plywood over MDF for a substrate?

[@Woodumakeit]

I use plywood because I usually have lots of leftover pieces from cabinets I've made. It's also easier to get in varying thicknesses if I need the board to be thinner or thicker. Another consideration is that MDF is heavier, so it increases the shipping cost which is highly dependent on weight. I'm pretty sure MDF would be fine as a substrate, though.

[@BrettsWoodshop]

@@Woodumakeit Thank you for the detailed explanation. I appreciate that. You do beautiful work, by the way, thanks for putting out all the great content!

[@jaydee3730]

Where did you get those chess pieces, if you don't mind me asking? Thank you

[@Woodumakeit]

Those were on loan from a client who asked me to refinish them. I know they came from India, but not sure where. Those knights were amazing!

[@hollisinman6989]

what model is your big band saw?

[@Woodumakeit]

It's a Laguna 18|BX

[@gideoneldescanzo1149]

how much do you sell for this?

[@user-cd6qz4rd1t]

👍👍👍👍

[@RaindropsBleeding]

I don't understand the point of the plywood center. Is it just to hold the frame in place?

[@Woodumakeit]

Plywood is more stable than solid hardwood, so it helps to reduce seasonal wood movement when the squares are glued onto it. It also helps lower the cost because less hardwood is required.

[@joellnieves137]

How do I go about contacting you to make my own ?

[@Woodumakeit]

You can email me at [e-mail] and we can discuss any design preferences you have.

[@avatarthewayofwater5535]

Mike, please wear gloves. love the work btw.

[@103Antoni]

🤓🤗