Chess Table

Circa 1964 ?

This little chess table was a piece I made as a teenager whilst living in Whanganui.

20200523_122715-RC

Made of Heart Rimu the spindle leg was designed and turned by me on my first wood lathe that I brought from an auction house. The three feet are also heart Rimu, as hard as rocks, with very yellow resin.

The top was my first attempt at a chequer board pattern made from Kahikatea (white wood) and heart Rimu squares. The side panels were Rewarewa veneer strips on plywood with inlay Kahikatea ‘knights’.

The inlay... 20200523_122817-R

The centre leg... 20200523_122743-R

At some stage one of the feet got broken off. The table was moved to Auckland in the 1970’s. I kept the foot and later repaired it with new dowels.

Then I added a hinged shelf underneath to take a small wooden box that contains my Dad’s WWII chess set.

20230102_152902-RC

I still have it in the sun room at Akaroa (2023) - sixty years on!