Making Go Boards

Slotted Boards

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These slotted go boards were cut from bookmatched planks of cherry.  The board on the right, finished with oil, was my first.  The board on the left, finished with shellac, came next.  Loose tenons were glued into mortises routed into the jointed center edges.  After the planks were cut, planed and sanded into final shape (with no wobble when fitted together), lines were cut.

Next I covered the surface of the boards with a heavy layer of finishing wax (on the second board on the left I started with a thin coat of shellac before applying the wax).  I scored the cut lines with an awl to remove the wax (the stage where accidents happened).  Powdered graphite was spread over the surface and rubbed into the dewaxed lines.  I removed the wax and excess graphite with mineral spirits.  Black graphite remained in the cut lines.  More coats of finish, tung oil on the first board (right) and shellac on the second (left), and the boards were done.

The pictures below are of my third attempt at lines, on a goban purchased in Tokyo at the Nihon-Kiin in 1980.  When I brought the board through customs in New York, the inspector decided that he would have to cut it in half to be sure there was no contraband inside.  After a heated discussion with a crescendo of supervisors, I pointed out that since the grain was undisturbed, I must have grafted the suspected contraband into a sapling and let the tree grow around it.  In addition, the size of the block of wood implied that the tree was fairly old and that I must have conceived my plot while still a toddler.  They relented. 

Years later, the board was used as a coffee table by some careless friends at a party.  The water rings from their glasses were...disturbing...and the board needed to be sanded and refinished.  To get rid of the water rings I had to sand away the original ink lines (first marking most of the intersections with a pin to avoid re measuring).  However, I left the dings and dents.  They match the hand-cut (i.e., inexact) look of the lines.

After careful measurements, I cut the lines with a clamping straightedge and a knife.

Ready for a thin coat of shellac

I applied wax, rescribed the lines, spread graphite powder over the top, and then removed the powder and wax from the surface with mineral spirits.

Almost done.  Just a few coats of shellac to go.

Thoughts since refinishing the old board:

Rescribing the lines to remove the wax with a metal awl was a mistake.  I should have used a toothpick or a wooden skewer.  I thought that the awl would slightly open the cuts, giving a better groove for the graphite.  However, this step is where all my little slips occurred, whether I used the straightedge or did it freehand.

Now I think a single smooth initial cut with the carving knife is optimal.  Resist the temptation to try to improve the cut line!

Next I want to try inlaying some kind of thin wire in the lines.

Boxes for Bowls

Walking from my car to the Asheville Go Club on Thursday evenings, I'm always a bit concerned about dropping a bowl full of stones.  I have a board and two bowls - three items, two hands.  I have a good grip on the board, but, unless I remembered to bring a bag, the bowls are secured only by gravity and inertia.  My solution is the oak box below.

Dovetails are hand cut using a highly recommended guide from Lee Valley/Veritas.  The center divider, which aligns the top, is left loose (I'm thinking of scribing a 5x5 board onto one side).  The bowls are easier to handle if it is removed.

Next I made another box for the larger bowls that hold my shell and slate stones (purchased on Tokyo with the floor board above).

Go Bowls

Lacking a lathe, I've turned to an excellent woodturner in Mendocino, California.  He sent the prototype, pictured above, of old growth Redwood.  His work has been exhibited in some pricey galleries, so go bowls won't come cheap, but I hope to have a couple of sets for consignment sale at the upcoming Go Congress in Black Mountain, NC.