Replies

1. 
   GRW | Oct 02, 2008 08:05pm | #1

   Turn them on a lathe..

   Turn two 10" long dowels/shafts to the desired checker diameter, then crosscut the checkers from the dowels/shafts. Use 2 different woods for the 2 different color checkers.

1. 
   cherryjohn | Oct 03, 2008 12:06am | #2

   so....how do you put the cute little crowns on the tops?

    Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

1. 
   GRW | Oct 03, 2008 12:28am | #3

   I cut them off Burger King bags, and duct tape 'em on of course.

1. 
   cherryjohn | Oct 03, 2008 12:49am | #4

   cute.you made me laughWicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

2. 
   Grampa Joe | Oct 04, 2008 12:29am | #5

   Thanks for the idea, but I want to make them from the same wood as the board, also I do not have a lathe.

2. 
   USANigel | Oct 04, 2008 12:32am | #6

   Do you have a drill press?  Cut them out with a hole saw with out the drill bit! Make sure you clamp the wood to the table. Use a backer for a clean cut. Use a good saw that runs true!

   Second idea

   Make them 8 sided out of some built up wood section. some hand sanding and your good.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/3/2008 5:35 pm ET by USAnigel

3. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 04, 2008 02:12am | #7

   Joe,

   Think outside the box.  Do your checkers NEED to be round?  What if you milled an octaganal length of stock and crosscut your checkers from that?

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com

    - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

4. 
   Grampa Joe | Oct 06, 2008 01:27am | #8

   Thanks for the suggestions, very much appreciated.

1. 
   RalphBarker | Oct 08, 2008 01:20am | #12

   Another option for face grain would be to use a plug cutter of the appropriate size. Drill-press mounting would be preferred, of course.http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=8312

5. 
   dkellernc | Oct 06, 2008 09:50pm | #9

   One problem with making a round (or octagonal, or whatever) stick of whatever wood you desire and then cross-cutting to "release the checkers!" (sorry, bad pun) is that'll they'll be end-grain.  Not only will they be gosh-darn dark after finishing, they'll be fragile.

   A better solution is for the checkers to have face-grain on the top.  While you can use a hole saw without the drill, hole saws tend to leave very rough surfaces behind, and there's a lot of sanding (or planing) to do after the intial roughing out.

   What I think you want is a circle cutter.  There's a fair number of designs out there, but all are designed to be mounted in a drill press, and a single or double wing cutter on an adjustable horizontal shaft cuts a progressively deeper circle in a face-grain board.   This is generally how I make wooden wheels for toys, and it works well.

   One tip - while you can back the workpiece with a chunk of plywood and lunge the circle cutter all the way into it to release the circle of wood, I find that the final result is nicer if I set the drill press's depth stop to somewhat less than the thickness of the work piece, cut a bunch of circles in the top, then release the circles by running the piece on edge through the table or bandsaw.

1. 
   Grampa Joe | Oct 06, 2008 10:06pm | #10

   Thanks for the idea. I have looked at various rosette cutters but the ones I have seen are to big. Any info on where I can get the type of circle cutter you use on your wheels? Thanks, Grampa Joe

1. 
   dkellernc | Oct 06, 2008 11:46pm | #11

   Mine's an antique - probably made in the 1950s.  Here's a couple of offerings from Woodcraft:

   http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=799&mode=items#tabs

   Unfortunately, the page doesn't say how small the "small" version is, but perhaps you've a Woodcraft near you and so could examine it in person.

   You don't, by the way, have to use the center drill if you've got a drill press auxillary table with some hold-downs, and especially not if you use the method of cutting the circle part way through the board and saw the circles out at the table or band saw.

   Also, on mine I can flip the cutter around so that the bevel is on the outside of the circle, and the resultant wheel has a straight running surface.