Finishes on Chess Pieces

[DavidW]

G'day Guy's, being a bit of a scrounger I had a fair quantity of Radiata and Cypress scrap lying about from house construction in my area, and following my recent purchase of a scroll saw I decided to make a Chess set for my daughter.

So, my question is what can the group suggest to finish the pieces, bearing in mind one set needs to be dark, the other light and preferably a high glosss. I am using both timbers to make the pieces so each may require a different technique.

Thanks in advance.

[behindblueeyes]

David,

I would suggest coating the "white" pieces with just a gloss clear. Build up the number of coats on them to achieve the desired gloss level. If there is too much variation in the colour of the timber that you are using for the "white" pieces, you might want to invesitgate staining first with a light coloured stain (such as a maple) or even use a "liming white" stain.

For the "black" pieces you may want to use an "ebony" stain followed by a general purpose clear coating. Oil based clears will generally give a higher gloss level than water based, although an oil based will yellow your timber or stain.

Alternatively (and this does look stunning) would be to coat the "white" pieces with a natural look oil (similar to a danish oil). It will provide a beautifully warm finish. And coat the "black" pieces with a product called Black Japan. The contrast between the two is breathtaking.

Being a very brand loyal Jedi Master - I would suggest using Haymes product. The Black Japan is from Feast Watson.

I hope this helps.