A favourite project among young woodworkers is the checker-board. While it is closely akin to inlaying, the method of making it to avoid unnecessary labour is here suggested. As the checker-board consists of sixty-four squares of equal size and divided equally between two kinds of wood, one dark and the other light, some way must be devised to insure their being exactly alike to make the board a success. Considerable care should be used in the selection of the woods, for while they must present a strong contrast in colour, they should be as nearly as possible of the same degree of hardness, to make the working uniform.

If soft woods are used, red gum and basswood make an agreeable contrast in colour. Basswood is not a very satisfactory wood to polish in its natural colour, however.

Among the hard woods, a combination of black walnut and rock maple, or mahogany and maple, or even cherry and maple, can be used. Any one of these combinations will be more satisfactory in the finished work than the soft woods mentioned. The work will be harder of course, but in woodwork as in other things, nothing really good is obtained without effort.

Assuming that the woods have been selected, four strips of dark and the same number in light coloured wood should be squared up to a width of 1¹/₄ or 1¹/₂ inches according to the size of the squares to be made.

As in other woodworking problems, have a full-sized or half-sized mechanical drawing ready before using a tool.

A checker-board built up of 1¹/₄-inch squares will be ten inches square without the frame. (See Fig. 187.) With 1¹/₂-inch squares, it will be twelve inches on each side. This is amply large and a satisfactory working size. The material should be either ¹/₄ inch or ³/₈ inch thick. Plane the strips about sixteen inches long by one inch and a half wide.

Lay the four strips of dark wood on edge on the bench top and carefully fasten the four in the vise. Remove a light shaving to insure their width being all alike.

Treat the light strips the same way.

Next place all eight strips together and examine for inequalities. Too much care cannot be exercised at this point, as the success of the problem depends on it.

To make doubly sure, reverse every alternate strip end for end, and if inequalities appear place all eight strips in the vise and remove a light shaving. One of the best methods for making these strips of equal size and with perfectly square edges is to construct a shooting board, or arrange one already made, as shown at a.

The strip s is set to a gauge line made 1¹/₂ inches from the edge. The strips are laid in this space and planed in the usual way, until the plane touches the stop. This makes the width of all pieces the same and gives true edges.

These eight strips placed alternately light and dark are now glued upon a backing of soft wood, ¹/₄ inch or less in thickness. Gluing must be done thoroughly, each strip being rubbed back and forth until a good joint is made with its neighbour.

A piece of newspaper is spread over the top, heavy pieces of flat stock placed top and bottom, and the pressure from several hand screws applied while the glue is drying.

The best liquid glue obtainable should be used, and the paper on top prevents the hand screws being glued to the wood.

This combination must stand until the glue is thoroughly hard, if it takes forty-eight hours, which it does sometimes in damp weather.

When dry, remove hand screws and tear off paper. Square outside edges if backing projects or glue adheres. With a large try square or steel square lay out parallel lines across the combination 1³/₄ inches apart. Saw on the lines with cross cut saw, unless a mill is handy, when it can be done more accurately with a circular or band saw.

The new strips will be 1³/₄ inches wide, less the amount removed by the saw. Dress them down to a width of 1¹/₂ inches on the shooting board. This should bring the eight pieces on each strip to squares 1¹/₂ inches on a side.Eight of these strips make the checker-board. The original pieces, being sixteen inches long, allow for two or three extra strips in case any are spoiled in sawing or planing.

These finished strips are now to be glued together on the permanent backing, which should be ¹/₄ or ³/₈ inch in thickness, of the same material as the frame is to be and about eight inches each way longer and wider than the checker-board proper.

This should be placed carefully in the centre of the backing, joints rubbed and fastened by cleats 1 × ¹/₂ inch tacked to the backing on all four sides.

While this is drying under pressure of the hand screws as in the first gluing, square up the moulding which is to act as a frame: d shows two styles. In both mouldings, a rabbet ¹/₂ inch or so wide and ¹/₈ inch deep should be made with rabbet plane. The outer edges may be square, rounded, or bevelled.

When the checker-board is removed from its final gluing, this moulding is to be mitred and fitted about it as in making a picture frame. Before doing this, remove all glue from edges with a chisel so that the frame will fit snugly to the checker-board.

The frame is to be glued to both backing and checker-board and again placed in hand screws. While this is drying, an inlaid border strip as wide as the rabbet, either plain or built up, should be prepared.

This strip, as well as the rabbet, may be omitted entirely, but should the frame be of the same material as one of the woods used in the checker-board it is necessary, and in any case it adds a finish to the work that is very pleasing. Inlaid designs may be set into the frame and a very elaborate result obtained, if desired.

After this last gluing, set in the inlay, and when dry, plane, scrape, and sand-paper the whole surface flat, and square the edges of the frame.

This makes a very substantial and heavy board, worthy of any woodworker and worthy of being used as a table top. Such a table may be constructed as shown in Fig. 188. It calls for mortise and tenon joints cut at an angle, and if this style of work is considered too difficult vertical legs can be used. This under structure should be of the same kind of wood as the frame of the checker-board, and if oak is used the stain should be applied before placing the inlaid border. Bay wood is preferable to oak for inlaying but is more expensive.

On a small table of this size, where vertical legs are used, the base is so small that the structure is top-heavy and easily upset, so that the problem becomes a very interesting study in design.

When the entire table has been put together, polish it. If mahogany, finish in natural colour; if oak, any of the styles described in the chapter on staining may be used, with care taken to keep the checker-board itself in the natural colours.