Checker Inlays by Mark Blabaum

Before you start to build the checker inlays please read and follow the
instructions for your power tools and always wear eye protection.
You will need the following tools for this project:
1) Power Miter Saw either a 10 or 12
2) Fine tooth cross cut carbide tipped saw blade (60t for 10 80t for 12)
3) Lathe
Tools that are nice to have but not necessary to complete the task
Power table saw to rip the wood stock to size, a thickness planer to insure
the stock is the same thickness, and a belt sander to insure that the stock is
flat and true.
I made my own jig for cutting wedges. It makes the job very easy and is easy
to make.

Lets start with the jig itself. The jig is just two pieces of wood screwed together to
form a 90 degree angle. The work holder is a pivot that holds the stock in place
as it is cut. You should make sure that you dont have any screws in the area that
the saw blade will cut, you dont want to cut all the way through the jig but
mistakes happen and we dont want to ruin a blade. The total length and height
of the jig is dictated by your particular miter saw. You will want to make the length
about the same as the bed on your saw, the height should not be higher than the
fence on the saw. The work stock holder and pivot should be short of the
blade, you want a square end to make sure you are holding on to the work stock
with as much surface area as possible. The purpose of the jig is to bridge the
fence on the miter saw and create a zero clearance cut area to keep your work
from falling through the backing. The board off the back of the jig is used to index
your jig in the same spot on your saw every time, also your fingers and hands
should not go beyond that point. I use a clamp to hold the jig on to the saw itself
and keep it stationary. Make sure that the board you are using is true and flat and
the fence is perpendicular to the base.

To make the checkerboard design I start with two contrasting pieces of wood that
are the same thickness (I usually work with 1/8 or stock). Most grips will not
be over 1 1/8 in diameter so start with a piece of stock that is wide. We can
use a lot of math to get the exact size of the circle but, to simplify I cut my pie
shaped pieces almost to a point and if you double what ever width your stock is
that will be your circle (3/4 x 2 = 1 ) this should yield a circle a little over 1 .
Next epoxy the two boards together. After the epoxy sets up you will need to
scrape (or sand) off the excess epoxy and make sure that the edges are straight
and parallel. Youre ready for the next step.

After youve preped the work stock you will need to decide how many segments
you want in your inlay. Im giving you a quick reference chart below for some of
the more common sizes.

Number of Segments

Angle of Cut

45 deg

30 deg

22.5 deg

10

18 deg

12

15 deg

18

10 deg

20

9 deg

The second thing that we need to establish is the length of the cut for the
segments. Start by cutting the end to 10 degrees (thats the angle in this
example) then flip the stock over and move it to the right until the bottom
angle of the cut is just past the cut on the jig. The inner most part of the
segment should almost come to a point. Next mark the outer most point
with a piece of masking tape as in the picture below. This will be the
length of the pieces and it will let you repeat the length over and over
keeping them all the same size.

This will set the length of the all of your pie shaped pieces and it makes it easier
to keep them all the same size. You will cut the stock, (wait for the saw to come
to a stop) flip it over move it to the right until it comes to the masking tape,
depress the pivot/holder to retain the stock and cut again (you should have
segments as in the picture below). Repeat until you have 18 segments.

When you have all of the segments cut you will need to dry fit the pieces together
with a tie strap to make sure that there are no gaps in the segments. After youre
sure that the segments fit together and there are no large gaps in the fit you will
need to make a couple of backers (for lack of a better name) of wood. To save a
step I use a backer that sandwiches the checkers and also doubles as an accent
trim ring. I use a 1/2 piece of wood to make the backer most times, with this
thickness you can get by using only one clamp to hold it in place and it gives you
some room to cut a mortise in to orient into the reel seats. You can always trim
the larger diameter down but its hard to add back on to the inlay. One backer is
turned (Ill explain why in a bit) on the lathe with a mandrel and it needs to be
close to the same diameter as the dry fit checkers. Once you have the backers
ready to go you will need to disassemble the checkers and epoxy the sides. After
you have the epoxy on the parts you will need to use another tie strap to
reassemble the checkers and tighten the strap as tight as you can. It should pull
all of the parts back together and I usually tap them with the end of a screw driver
to make sure they are flat and circular. At this time add more epoxy to the top
and bottom of the checkers and then sandwich the checkers between the two
backing pieces. The backer with the hole in the piece will be used to center the
checkers under it, you should be able to eyeball the outer edges to get a uniform
margin, you also will be able to sight down the hole and make sure the points
of the checkers are centered there as well. At this point you can clamp the

sandwiched pieces together. I have only one hole in a single backer as you cant
drill through the checker until the epoxy hardens and you cant get two opposing
holes to align without a pin through them. After the epoxy hardens you can dill a
hole all the way though the checkers and the square backer and you can keep it
perpendicular as it shouldnt drift.

After you drill the hole all the way through, mount the checker on a mandrel
and spin it on the lathe to make sure it doesnt wobble. If it doesnt wobble rough
turn the checker to make sure the checkers align and the points all meet. If you
have a wobble in the work piece you can find the high spot on the piece and
mark it with a pencil. Remove it from the mandrel and elongate the hole away
from the mark. I have made a spacer (see picture below) that I know is
perpendicular to the mandrel (I turned it square with a parting tool) and use that
to help hold the checker square as you rough turn the part.

After you have rough turned the checker you can trim the backers down to the
thickness that you want and you can insert them into your blank or cork. You
should have a product like the lower right when you are done.

Good Luck, You will have a few that dont look very good at first but with practice
you will master the checker inlay. Mark