Knight chess-piece "plan"?

Hey All,

Anybody got a suggestion or sample/drawing/pix of a Knight chess-piece that I can make by turning and minor milling? I don't want a "3-D horse head impression" or casting, or even a "real-looking" (a la Staunton), but something I can make with MY shop tools. I think I'm OK on the other 5 pieces, but can't figure out how to "create" a definitive knight.

So far, my best thought is to turn a 90 cone in the end of the upright, mill through it to leave enough material to create two "ears", poke a hole on a downward angle thru the upright just below the "ears", jam in a shortish piece of round with the lower end of that rounded off to make the "mouth" and the upper end on the opposite side of the upright cut at angle and knurled to look like a stylized "mane".

Plan is to make 1/2 the set from brass, and the opposition from soft stainless, or maybe hard aluminum. Probably the latter, since I have lots of that.

I've looked on the web for some made from common hardware like nuts & bolts, but never saw anything that appealed to me. But I'm open to all suggestions.

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

cross posted to: modeleng-list

Reply to
Brian Lawson
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How about threading the top of your common base, clip one ear off a wing-nut in a size you like and then thread it on top of the base upside down (shrug).

Reply to
Leon Fisk

========= Send me a good email and I will send plan in pdf format with a generic cnc lathe program. Let me know if you want the other pieces also.

Unka' George [George McDuffee] ============ Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

When I think of knights, I think of the only piece that is not round in section, could you turn it to the profile of the silhouette of the face of the horse, then slab off the two sides with a band saw, trim away the back for the mane, and you might be there...

Or you could cut it out of a piece of flatstock of appropriate thickness, and solder/weld it to a turned base that matches the other capital pieces. Make them last and use the nicest two bases in your oops pile...

Stuart

Reply to
Stuart Wheaton

Brian -

I sent you an e-mail - easy to do - let me know.

Martin

Mart> Hey All,

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Hey Leon,

I though of something very similar, but at the moment I'm leaning towards a "turned" set, rather than a nuts&bolts style.

My thought was to use one "wing" up of a pressed metal style so it would look like ears, and one of cast style down.

Take care. Thanks again.

Brian Laws>>

Reply to
Brian Lawson

Hey George,

snipped-for-privacy@ciaccess.com

is a good e-dress. Love to have it, including the cutter path program.

Take care.

Brian Laws>>

Reply to
Brian Lawson

Hey Stuart,

Great suggestion, similar to Tony Finns's but simpler. As I have since written, I'm happy for ALL these suggestions, but I'm think I'm leaning towards an all turned set. Still, these are some good machining tips showing up here!

Take care.

Brian Laws>Brian Laws>> Hey All,

Reply to
Brian Lawson

Hey Sam,

Now, I really like that one!! Simple, pleasing, and doable for me. Makes the Top 10 so far.

Thank you.

Take care,

Brian Laws>try these!

Reply to
Brian Lawson

I've been doing this via trial and error using semi scrap 3/4" Brass. and just like you I'm producing it with a lathe or hand tools. (when i'm not building my shop

so far the best i've come up with is to start with a bar and cut in at approx 30 degrees this will form the top of the peice. like a horse head pointing slightly downwards a little further down on the low side of the peice i cut a groovethat will eventually become the horses neck the part jutting out becomes a stylized nose.

from there i take the top of the peice and using an endmill mill down the "sides of the peice at 90 degrees to the earlier cutsthis reduces the beice form circular and brings out the head form.

I havent made a pretty one yet using this method but its a work in progress i whittle away at. I took my rough ones in to a few people and asked them what chess peoce this looked like and was pleased to hear that the answers were all "Knight" or "Horse" or "i have no idea i dont play chess"

i dont know how clear my explanation is or if that helps but i'm looking at it the same was as you. if i can make a knight i can make a chess set since ALL the others have an axis of rotatio to them

Reply to
Brent

Hey Brent,

I think I follow you OK. Pretty much like what I was planning on doing, and along the lines of what Sam Soltan sent. Did you see that set?

Thanks for the hints too. Take care.

Brian Laws>>> Hey All,

Reply to
Brian Lawson

I didnt see the Sam Soltant note (Didnt make it to google) but its always great to see other peoples ideas on it too.

In my case because i have the brass in about 18" lengths that Lee valley sells surplus I'm going to do both sets in it then do a patina or some type of process to make the "Black" side

and plus brass is a nice student metal for someon whose not great on a lathe. I'll mess up the peice long before i hurt the lathe

Brent Ottawa Ontario

Reply to
Brent

the usual way to do this (on a wood lathe) is to imagine the surface made by rotating the horse head - you create that shape (which looks kinda like a weird torus) and then slice through it to get two heads, which you affix to a traditionally turned base.

Reply to
William Noble

Hey Michael,

Thank you for doing so. Looks good!!

Brian Lawson.

Reply to
Brian Lawson

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