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Posted: 8/27/2017 7:10:38 AM EDT
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.
Link Posted: 8/27/2017 7:42:46 AM EDT
[#1]
Did you build your kid's Pinewood Derby car ?
Link Posted: 8/27/2017 8:45:23 AM EDT
[#2]
Looking good so far!!
Link Posted: 8/27/2017 9:25:33 AM EDT
[#3]
Very cool! Any examples of past winning works? I feel like a chess set is gonna be hard to beat.
Link Posted: 8/27/2017 9:31:08 AM EDT
[#4]
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Quoted:
Did you build your kid's Pinewood Derby car ?
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Did you build your kid's Pinewood Derby car ?
No kids, sorry for using the tools that I have at my disposal.  Feel free to collect your participation trophy though.  

Quoted:
Looking good so far!!
Thank you very much, it's a learning process, that's for sure!

Quoted:
Very cool! Any examples of past winning works? I feel like a chess set is gonna be hard to beat.
This is our local Woodcrafts first ever, so unfortunately no examples.  Though others have done some amazing things with just 2x4s in other challenges.
Link Posted: 8/29/2017 9:39:01 AM EDT
[#5]
Very cool.  Please keep us updated.
Link Posted: 9/2/2017 2:02:42 PM EDT
[#6]
All marked and ready to be cut


Measuring moisture content in the blanks


Blanks in the oven to reduce mositure


Post oven moisture reading, ready for vacuum chamber to stabilize


In the vacuum chamber


Stabilized bishop lank ready for turning


Turning the bishop



So far, so good


We've got ears!
Link Posted: 9/2/2017 6:11:42 PM EDT
[#7]
That's awesome!

What does the vacume chamber do?


Did you apply some sandpaper while they were on the lathe? They look a little "fuzzy".
Link Posted: 9/2/2017 8:18:40 PM EDT
[#8]
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Quoted:
That's awesome!

What does the vacume chamber do?


Did you apply some sandpaper while they were on the lathe? They look a little "fuzzy".
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Thank you very much!  

As for vacuum chamber, and take this with a grain of salt, as this was my first week ever using one, essentially vacuums the air out of the "blanks" and while sitting in a resin, in this case Cactus Juice, draws the resin into the blank, so when you bake it afterwards, it cures it into a stabilized blank suitable for turning.  Previous to using the resin and stabilizing, I was getting a lot of tear out, which I guess is to be expected with poplar.

As for sanding, yes, they were sanded with strips of 400 grit, they feel quite smooth to the touch, not sure if the fuzziness is from the appearance of the resin, or maybe they need to be sanded to a finer grit? Honestly not sure.
Link Posted: 9/3/2017 6:45:59 AM EDT
[#9]
Impressive!

How are you cutting the outline of the knights?
Link Posted: 9/3/2017 7:07:16 AM EDT
[#10]
I have a Tormach RapidTurn attached to my mill, allows me to do turning or milling at any given time on it.  







Link Posted: 9/3/2017 8:10:04 AM EDT
[#11]
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Quoted:
I have a Tormach RapidTurn attached to my mill, allows me to do turning or milling at any given time on it.  
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Nice setup.  
Link Posted: 9/3/2017 10:39:23 AM EDT
[#12]
Nice tool setup and good work on making the chess pieces.
Link Posted: 9/3/2017 7:25:35 PM EDT
[#13]
Link Posted: 9/16/2017 4:58:00 PM EDT
[#14]
Making the Rook










Making the Queen






Making the King







Approximately 90% done


First/seal layer of epoxy resin


First flood layer of epoxy resin


Finished
Link Posted: 9/16/2017 5:03:06 PM EDT
[#15]
So only 3 total people submitted completed projects, me being one

Contestant 1


Contestant 2


Contestant 3


Trophies



Winner ended up being the table, contestant 3; second place being the chess set, contestant 1; and customer's choice being the Back to the Future diorama, contestant 2
Link Posted: 9/16/2017 5:45:03 PM EDT
[#16]
The table is nice, but in my non-expert and biased opinion you crushed this.
Link Posted: 9/16/2017 9:07:13 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
The table is nice, but in my non-expert and biased opinion you crushed this.
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Chess set is bad ass, but I have a gut feeling they were judging on traditional woodworking techniques/projects.  

OP, since you're first loser, I'll take that project of embarrassment off your hands.

Of course I'd have to learn to play chess all over again. . It was the 9th grade since I played last. About 36 years ago.
Link Posted: 9/17/2017 9:52:49 AM EDT
[#18]
Wow dude, the table is nice but you got robbed. As I'm looking at the pictures all I could think was, "this is no contest".

That's a fantastic finished product man. Great work.




They should contract you to MAKE the trophies next year, too. I mean, it's a woodworking contest, and they e just got some burnt wood blocks. Come on man!
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