The Northern Virginia/Washington DC area Woodcraft is currently hosting a 2x4 challenge. Sign up started on 15 August with competitors picking up their 2x4s on 19 Aug. The entry fee was $25, with all proceeds going to the Fisher House.
For those of you not familiar with a 2x4 challenge, you are essentially allowed to make anything you want/can, but you are limited to the 2x4 for material, you can use screws, hinges, etc, but it cannot be for appearance reasons.
These are the rules that Woodcraft put out for the challenge:
Picking up the 2x4 with some of the competitors on 19 Aug
Now, I'm not a proficent woodworker by any means, and an amateur at best, but I always enjoy a challenge. I've decided I'm going to combine woodworking with CNC to make a chess set for entry.
Went to Lowe's an bought a 1-1/2"x1-1/2" piece of poplar to test some chess pieces on, went okay... Not 100% satisfied with the finish as is, but gave me enough insight as towhether or not my CAMing of the parts would suffice.
Turning some square stock into a dowel:
Testing a pawn
Finished test pawn
Testing a knight
Testing a bishop
Finished knight and bishop
Overall, I'm fairly happy with the progress thus far, getting more tear out than I'd like, but that's to be expected with a wood as soft as poplar, I've currently got some of the test poplar sitting in a vacuum chamber to stabilize the wood, which I hope will produce a better finish.
I'll post updates as time goes on.