Types of wood

[Ek1050]

I'm brand new to wood turning.
While I'll probably keep practicing a bit with the cheap stuff, can anyone recommend a wood for chess pieces that won't break the bank? I've looked at some of these hardwoods and just cringe at the thought of making mistakes...
I've done some cursory research but just looking to the pros here for a recommendation. I'm not married to a dark wood for the dark pieces either.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Mike

[ChrisNeilan]

I'd go with Black Walnut and Maple. You could start with a few pen blanks...

[rjent]

Make your "first" set from Fir for the white and Redwood for the dark. For me, they are truly beautiful woods and inexpensive.

Here is an example of the two together:

box.jpg (296.09 KiB) Viewed 20062 times

Box top view.jpg (268.43 KiB) Viewed 20062 times

Just a humble suggestion. I know a lot of the "hot shots" here will cringe LOL, but I like the contrast and they are relatively easy to work.

[Hobbyman2]

Those are nice .

If you can find some sort of tree that has fallen and the limbs are dead , check them for moisture content and use them , it will save you a lot of cash and you will learn more about the wood working hobby at the same time. I have seen pieces made from every thing from lilac to hedge apple , zebra wood to ivory, pine to oak ,,,they all look good , and were made from local material.
you can all ways stain the pieces .

Once you get good rose wood is really nice.

[masonsailor2]

As Dick said softwoods are a great place to start. Alder is a nice happy medium that turns nicely. A nice softwood that is readily available and very inexpensive is the kiln dried studs sold at Home Depot. I have made a few segmented bowls out of those that turned out nice. The images are of one them. One word of advice before you start turning. Get your chisel sharpening skills perfected before you begin. It will make the difference between a great experience and a very frustrating one. It is the first skill to master in turning. You don't need to spend a bunch of money on a sharpening system. The SS disc sander is a decent place to start but an inexpensive belt sander from HF is even better. If you have a SS belt sander you have one of the best sharpening tools made IMHO. Plenty of threads here on sharpening. Above all have fun !
Paul

[terrydowning]

Found wood is the best wood.

Harvests from tree trimmers in your area. (Just get the pith out of the center and seal the ends.)

Turning wet is truly a joy and so much easier on the tool edges.

As stated, you can always use a stain or dye to improve the contrast.

Keep the off cuts from other projects. These can be glued up as segments or however you want.

Definitely no need to break the back especially for small turnings.

Beautiful segmented bowl Paul, Nicely done and a great example that champagne can be had on a beer budget.

[reible]

You did not say what size the pieces would be but if they are small enough you could look at pen blanks or other similar small project blanks.

For the "white" pieces I think American Holly would be great. It is the "whitest" American wood. For the dark wood there is always ebony or African Black wood.

I seem to recall someone making a chess set some years back and posting it here. If I get some time later I'll try and find the link and post it.

Ed

[benush26]

I'd go with Black Walnut and Maple. You could start with a few pen blanks...

I too like walnut and maple. I usually buy 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" in 12" lengths from Woodcrafters when they are on sale. Occasionally they sell 5 or more pieces of each as a bundle. If all your pieces will be less than 1-1/2" diameter, you can usually get a full set of one color from those five 12" pieces. I started with 1-1/2" because that was the size of the maximum diameter (actually width) when making chess sets using the scroll saw. i started making pieces using ripped 2 by 4s, so stayed with that approximate dimension.

Be well,
Ben

[garys]

Talk to other woodworkers in your area. Anybody who has been doing a good amount of woodworking will have piles of scrap wood that would be well suited for making small items like that. You should be able to work out a deal with them for reasonably priced wood scraps.

[Ek1050]

Thank you all for the lengthily and thoughtful replies! I am still refining what size chess board and set I am going for. I always liked the feel of a slightly bigger set. King size just under four inches. I realize all the nuanced proportions are not mutually exclusive (change one thing -change the set, so to speak). I think I am going to start making some prototypes with a more inexpensive wood and learn a few lessons. I know my first set won't be my last.
I will spend some time on the sharpening threads and hook up with my local group here to make sure I can perfect the art of sharpening!
Thanks again!
-Mike

OBTW I can't seem to post photos from my phone - do I need to be logged on to a computer to post a photo?