Price: $2950 (Shipping Included)
In some ways, this project was thirty-five years in the making, as I first attempted to make a chess set in college art course in 1981. The pieces were nickel and acrylic rod, and the board was aluminum. I managed to make the board and one of each chess piece rank (i.e. six chessmen) before the semester ran out. By 2015 I was ready to try again.
This project was a labor of love. Each chess man is individually hand-made, assembled and finished, as was the board.
The board is substantial. The playing surface is 18” square, with a 22’’ square footprint, and stands 3.5” tall. The sloped sides and platform are made of welded 1/8’’ steel plate.
The checkerboard was created with 32-1/4’’ thick sections of 2’’ tube steel which were cut, de-burred and squared, then welded to the base. Concrete was then poured and floated into the resulting compartmented tray, and cured over several days. The concrete was then polished down to reveal the steel squares, hand-dyed and impregnated with an acrylic finishing agent. 1/4’’ steel plate feet were welded to each corner. The steel sides were polished and then rusted several times to produce the deep brown finish. Several layers of clear lacquer were then applied and rubbed.
There are 45 individual pieces in the board, and it weighs over 20 pounds!
Each chessmen is constructed of individually lathed-turned maple, with 3/4’’ diameter pierced and flame-colored copper tube and brass domed tacks. The white pieces are natural maple, while the black pieces are dyed a deep mahogany. Copper balls cap the King, Queen and Bishop. Each piece then received several coats of rubbed clear lacquer finish. Each piece is felted on the base. The Pawns are 2.75’’ tall, and the King is 4.5’’ tall.
Photo Credits: Joseph Gotkin (Larry's son)
Keywords: Custom chess board, custom chess set, handmade chess set, unique chess set, one of a kind chess set, steampunk chess set, large chess set, luxury chess set, metal and wood chess set, copper wood and steel chess set, concrete and steel chess set, Queen's Gambit, collectors, decorators, interior designers
