Making a Chinese Checker Board

Frank Pellow

Member
Messages
2,332
Location
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
In the last few days, I made a Chinese Checker board that I will be giving my granddaughter Brooke for her 6th birthday next week. I started with the ends of the cherry boards that I used to make the quilt rack that I gave to Margaret for Christmas.

Brooke's Chinese Checker board 01 -to be made mostly from these rough sawn cherry scraps -scraps.JPG

After the boards were smoothed and glued, I used a template and a special drill bit that I purchased from Rockler three years ago to drill game board holes:

Brooke's Chinese Checker board 05 -Drilling the holes using a template -small.JPG

I made another board out of cedar a couple of years ago and had trouble with the bit leaving a rough texture in the hole which I then had to sand. This did not happen in the harder cherry.

I like the pattern created by the chips in the holes when the template was removed:

Brooke's Chinese Checker board 06 -Chips in the holes -small.JPG

Walnut pieces (cut out of 2 massive planks the Brian @ Muir gave to me) were glued along the two sides and a cherry Miller Dowel was attached through the walnut to the centre of each of the cherry boards.

Brooke's Chinese Checker board 09 -Attaching walnut side pieces using Miller Dowels -small.JPG

On the underside, I made a shallow box with a sliding lid to hold the marbles:

The board was finished with five coats of a ‘rub-on then off right away’ mixture of 3 parts clear Danish oil and one part varnish. I am very happy with the result. Below are three pictures:

The board set up for six people to play: Brooke's Chinese Checker board 12 -Finished -small.JPG

A two person game in progress: Brooke's Chinese Checker board 13 -Game in progress -small.JPG

Storing the marbles: Brooke's Chinese Checker board 14 -Storing marbles in signed box -small.JPG
 
Last edited:
Very nice, Frank. I'll bet there are a lot of kids these days who wouldn't have any idea how to play the game. Good to see you passing the torch to your grandkids.
 
Very neat. That is something she will keep and treasure for many years.
Two questions: How did you manage to maintain accurate, straight lines when drilling? Were you just real careful?
And, the grooves, how did you do that? Plunge router?
 
Frank, I can answer that question. Rockler offers a template for drilling these boards, along with the bit necessary. Just put the template on the board and start drilling. I think the grooves are included in the template, IIRC. They also make the templates for peg games for those little 4x4" pieces of wood that you don't know what to do with.

Nancy
 
Frank, I can answer that question. Rockler offers a template for drilling these boards, along with the bit necessary. Just put the template on the board and start drilling. I think the grooves are included in the template, IIRC. They also make the templates for peg games for those little 4x4" pieces of wood that you don't know what to do with.

Nancy

Thanks. I rarely open my Rockler catalog. Will take a look.
 
Very neat. That is something she will keep and treasure for many years.
Two questions: How did you manage to maintain accurate, straight lines when drilling? Were you just real careful?
And, the grooves, how did you do that? Plunge router?
Frank look again at the second picture in my first post in this thread. It shows the template that I purchased from Rockler.

The holes were drilled with a special bit sold by Rockler just for this purpose. The catalogue number is 41613. Here are a couple of pictures of the bit that illustrate how it works:

1) This is from the Rockler web site and shows the bit with the cutting portion retracted:

rockler-bit-1.JPG

2) This is my hand attempting to push down on the spring to expose the rounded cutting blade:

rockler-bit-2.JPG
 
OK, I checked out the Rockler catalog. They have some interesting stuff. I don't do much flatwork so their offerings, for the most part, are not my 'thang'.
Saw the templates for Chinese checkers and stuff. Pretty pricey unless you can sell the items you make with them. Or give one to a granddaughter.
 
Hi Frank :wave:,
That turned out real well, good project to last for years!

The drill bit set up is the same principle as the tool I use to drill holes for adjustable shelves. The bit is set up in a spring loaded contraption that has the firm rim around the outside of the bit. When applying pressure drilling, the rim provides a zero clearance hold down of the wood around the outside of the cutting tool to lessen any opportunity for tearout.

You do alot of good projects Frank, Thanks!:thumb:
Shaz :)
 
Tony, Darren, Vaughn, John, Frank, Wes, Glenn, and Robert, thanks for your compliments.

Frank, yes the Rockler template and bit are expensive, but I have now used them twice and a friend has used them twice. I will be making two more boards for sure so and another friend has asked to borrow them, per board, the cost is minimal.

Robert, about your comment “You do a lot of good projects Frank, Thanks”. I am always on the lookout for something new to try and am fortunate in my retirement with good health and a good shop, to be able to try our most anything.
 
I am happy to be able to report that the Chinese Checker board was a big hit both with my granddaughter. She recieved a LOT of gifts but htis was the first on that she turned too after opening them all. She and her older sister asked me to teach them how to play and we had a few games and they seemed to pick the rules and some basic strategy up quite quickly.
 
Last edited:
I am happy to be able to report that the Chinese Checker board was a big hit both with Brooke (now 6) and her older sister Leah (7). Brooke received a LOT of gifts but this was the first on that she turned too after opening them all. She and Leah asked me to teach them how to play and we had a few games and they seemed to pick the rules and some basic strategy up quite quickly. Here they are both concentrating (Brooke on the left, Leah on the right):

View attachment 17260
Jig-It Drilling Jig: $47.99
Marble Drilling Bit: $19.99
Bag of Marbles: $2.99
Smile on Granddad's face when he sees his girls having so much fun: Priceless

Looks like you were paid in full, Frank. :thumb:
 
Top