Build a game board for your table
See a wooden set, an epoxy-inlay board, and a concrete set cast from CNC-cut mold masters. Open each preview to check what its file includes before planning your cut.
Creating an Easel account is free. No credit card required.
Choose the board before the pieces
Chess is the same game on each of these boards. Their character comes from the materials and finish: a wooden set, a live-edge slab with epoxy squares, or a sculptural concrete set. If you want to make one, begin with the look you like and work back to the stock, tooling, and finishing steps.
Each Easel file is a starting point for a different part of the project. Katie Cleveland’s file lays out the wooden game pieces, while the gallery shows her finished board and storage box. Michael Powell’s live-edge example uses an 18 × 18 × 1 in Soft Maple inlay board; the surrounding tabletop is a separate build. Wenray Wang’s preview contains imported machining passes. His gallery instructions describe Rhino modeling, Fusion 360 toolpaths with separate piece and board files, timber masters, silicone molds, and casting. Open each preview to check its workpiece and tooling before planning your cut.
Real projects from the Easel gallery
Compare a wooden game set, a live-edge board with epoxy inlay, and a concrete set cast from carved timber masters. Katie's Easel file contains game-piece shapes, not the board or storage box. Michael's file supplies a board layout. Wenray's preview contains imported machining passes; his instructions explain the separate Rhino and Fusion 360 design workflow, silicone molds, and concrete casting. Creating an Easel account is free, with no credit card required.
DIY Chess and Checkers Boardby Katie ClevelandFor a game table or gift, Katie Cleveland's gallery photos show a finished board, pieces, and storage box built from birch plywood, hard maple, soft maple, and walnut. Her Easel file lays out the game pieces; plan the board and storage box as separate builds.
Epoxy Inlay Chess Boardby Michael PowellFor a board set into a live-edge table, Michael Powell's finished Soft Maple project uses an 18 × 18 × 1 in workpiece and a 1/8 in end mill. The gallery photo shows the dark inlay and pale squares in the slab; plan the surrounding tabletop separately.
Concrete Chess Setby Wenray WangFor a cast set, Wenray Wang's gallery shows the finished concrete board and pieces. The Easel preview contains imported machining passes, not editable 3D piece designs. His instructions model the set in Rhino and prepare toolpaths in Fusion 360, with separate files for the pieces and board; follow those instructions for timber masters, silicone molds, and concrete casting.
Browse more board-game projects →
Creating an Easel account is free. No credit card required.
Before you cut
Lay out the playing area and border together. Check the bases of the pieces you plan to use against the square size before you commit to a grid, labels, or decorative frame.
Match the workpiece size in Easel to the material on your bench. Leave room for clamps, a clean outside profile, and any edge that must stay square for a live-edge or boxed design.
An epoxy-filled square needs a pocket that suits the material and finish. Try the cut, fill, sanding, and clear coat on scrap from the same stock so you can adjust the fit before the board is on the machine.
A gallery photo can show parts that are stored in different project files. Open the preview, check its workpieces and selected bit, simulate the cut, and make sure each piece is held securely through the final profile.
Open a real project to check the layout or machining passes, then create a free Easel account to save a copy. Plan the stock and any separate board, box, or casting steps before cutting. No credit card is required.
Creating an Easel account is free. No credit card required.
