easilyconfused Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I just got a good marble chess board from a garage sale for cheap and figured some good forged iron pieces were needed to match it for class. Anyone tried this? Any photos for inspiration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I'd suggest forged iron for one side and forged bronze or brass for the other. I have seen forged chess sets but don't have a pic handy, perhaps Googling forged chess set would turn some up. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azIRonSmith Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hmmm. One on my long list of projects to do. I was going to hand forge the "black" side with steel and machine/lathe/mill aluminum for the "white" side. Kinda of a yin/yang thing with old tech hand forging vs. new tech electric machining. I have got some round steel rod and aluminum rod for the material. Just need to get my butt in gear. Thinking of maybe using some dies/fullers for parts of the hand forged items. I think the best thing to do is model some up in clay to see what you can do by hammer. I would imagine some filework to get details might be used. It just depends on how refined you want your pieces to look. Too many projects, never enough time... ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 I've googled and come up with machined metal pieces and various carved ones no forged ones. The closest I've found so far to forged is one somebody cast out of moulds of a persons wisdom teeth and called it forged and I haven't been able to track it down again... Definately an inspirational nightmare. Smithing block has hit. All I can get figured out is how I'm going to do the knights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) there are dragons and mules all over this forum and our gallery. and you say that you cant see how to convert them to a chess knight? wow talk about tax time stress, OK here is the way... 1) You should take a day and step away from the forge, 2) grab your fishin pole. and leave the house and shop, for 1 day. 3) then tomorrow after you get all relaxed, you will be fine again, and ready to make that set, I cant wait to see pics :) Edited April 20, 2009 by steve sells typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Aluminum forges nicely too and is a better contrast to the iron. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 @steve I've got the knights figured out. It's as much figuring out what I can do on a such a small scale without it getting muddied from complexity during forging and what would look good. I'm picky . No time for fishing. Just finished classes last week and into the finals this week. 4" of notes is fun to get through and remember in a day and then onto the next subject. Might be a while before I get around, so I wouldn't hold your breath too long. Forge is 3 hours away and I've got orders to fill around the farm work when I'm home on the weekends I'm home. Too bad it wasn't both sides black though. That would make the second half easy. I've never forged anything other than iron so it would be a learning curve for others. Probably just clean up one set with vinegar and bake the other black but we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) Take some round bar, say 1'', fuller into the bar about 1/2'' from the end and reduce the bar to 1/2'' to make the shaft of the piece, then fuller in the appropriate head. The rook for example would need the hofi style round bar clamp so you could upset the castles tower, you could then use a round punch to go into that say 1/4'' creating the towers wall and use a flat headed punch to put the turrets in around it. The bishop has that cross slit you could hacksaw in, it's easy once you just look at a simple chess set. Want to do quick multiples? Say pawns for instance, then clapper dies are the easy way to go, or if you've a press then a set for that. Simple shape. Edited April 20, 2009 by Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 I'm trying to avoid the clapper die and make one individual. It's for me so I'm not in any real hurry. Otherwise, I've been thinking along the same lines for how to create them. I'm leaning with chamfered square rather than round right now though but we'll see what I can sketch up to avoid studying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I think its a project that needs to be done. I've often considered it but somehow its gotten passed up in priorities. One thing I did decide. I would burnish one side with brass (while hot). The other side I would allow to rust with some encouragement from salt and vinegar. Then I planned to clear coat both sets. Then I would not play a game with them. I would continue to use the cheap wooden set for that. Some sketching may help, but I didn't get far with it. It may be a case of start with the simpler pieces, knowing you will make some scrap. But the process may lead you to a unique design. Good Luck! Anvillain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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