Chess Board

Video

Summary

In this video the creator makes a couple of chess boards. They use molds to make the chess pieces from epoxy. And the board is made of alternating clear epoxy squares and wooden squares. The back of the board is coated with what looks to be an epoxy mixed with silver mica powder. Along the edges in the first board is a sea theme with tiny white stones and sea shells. The second has a border of pine cones. The boards are framed in wood and a string of LED lights is attached to the back to provide backlighting.

This video shows the mixing of the epoxy and colorants. Which gives you an idea of how strong the colorants are so you can begin to estiamte how much you might like to use in your own projects.

They don't explain some of the steps, and I think its worth noting that they brush epoxy on the wooden pieces before a deeper pour. Doing this and then letting that thin layer set before pouring more epoxy will seal that surface and prevent air bubbles from leaking out and maring the final product.

They have also sanded the entire surface just before the final coat. Note how the epoxy, which looks rough and opaque before the final coat seals that surface and brings a crystal clear finish. To get good adhesion between layers of epoxy, they should either be done before the lower layer has fully cured or the lower layer should be sanded with a rough sandpaper to ensure the top coat has a surface that can be securely gripped.

The borader of the chess board is poured in several steps. This allows separating colored layers. It also helps minimize air bubbles. The epoxy looks to have a low viscosity which will also reduce the likelihood of entrapping air within the thicker sections.

The whole board and wooden frame are covered with a final coat of epoxy, which will make this a very durable product. Any water or coffee split on this board will not get to the wood below, so its going to look great for a very long time.