Although my boy was born addicted to drugs (thanks to his biological mother) he has shown only a few minor physical issues and zero cognitive issues. He's a decent athlete and will likely letter in soccer and baseball. He's in both the talented theater and talented music programs here as well as Jr. BETA. He goes to a magnet program school that concentrates on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) and it turns out has a pretty good competition chess team. Oh yeah... and within a year he'll be an Eagle Scout.

While all of that is awesome, his sudden interest in woodworking and mechanics has me the most excited for his future. As I see it, these things will enable him to understand all of that STEM content even better by having real hands on experience.

Anyway, a while back he wanted to 3D print some cool skull themed chess pieces... so we did. Then he wanted a custom chess board. He showed me one that could be purchased for a couple of hundred dollars. I told him that he could build one for much less and learn a lot in the process. So... we got on AutoCAD and knocked out a plan. Then we asked the robotics instructor at the high school I teach at (who has been trying to recruit my boy) if we could use his facilities. Well... it turns out that they have an outreach program where they show prospective future robotics students how wood and metal working is important in robotics.

So... he began work on January 13th and finished very late February 2nd just in time to enter his chess board into the State Jr. BETA competition. I taught him him the safety and use of the equipment as well as the basics of wood working as he went and I allowed him to make his own mistakes and more importantly to decide what to do about them. He had some burned wood issues that he let go because the worst of it was on the inside cut of a rabbet joint. He also had a few minor tear out issues and a few minors gaps in his joinery, but all in all he did a damned nice job.

Those minor issues (that he would have corrected had he had the time) kept him from a podium at the Jr. BETA competition, but he really didn't mind. He's just really happy that he has a custom chess board on which to play. This is the completed chess board, well... almost completed. He wanted to put dividers in the drawers but ran out of time. He had milled the stock for it so I'm sure that will happen soon.







This is him during the process when I happened to think to take photos.






















We ran out time and had to finish it at home with my inferior tools (which is where many of he "issues" came from).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: parallel,

Awesome!! and that's coming from a 33 year owner operator of a cabinet shop.

Totally badass.

Can't wait to see a photo with the pieces.

Beautiful work. He’s a talented young man.

That's beautiful....you should be very proud !!

Super cool. You must be proud!!!

Congrats!

I’m from a modest family in west Texas and I have seen there are 2 kinds of men:
1. Those that can make things
2. Those that can’t

Congrats to you for spending the time and effort to show him what being resourceful is.

Nicely done...both of you!

Very nice!! It looks as nice as my old Drueke board!

nicely done. very impressive

I admire fine wood work such as his. Will he put in some kind of liner/piece holder in the drawer so they don't damage?

Very nice! He is really talented!

Two thumbs up!

Nothing beats working with your hands. Fine job.

Fantastic!
You should be very proud

Nicely done!

Not to be "that guy" but I didn't notice any hearing protection in the power tool pictures. Saws and planers particularly are VERY loud.

Impressive.

Seriously, I made my own portable chess table when I was in high school. But I used only paint for the squares.

Your kid’s look so much better.

Awesome.
There’s just something magical about working with wood..

Well done, both of you!

Off the hook...nicely done!! That’s some quality father/son time right there....good on ya, dad!