On Making a Tak Set - Part One

I have been making a Tak set. I have also accidentally commissioned a 3d printed Tak set.

I'm treating the Tak set I am making as learning opportunity for future projects - in particular making another Tak set.

Tak is a stones game for two players. You play by placing, moving and stacking playing pieces on a chequered board. The pieces need to stackable. So they need to have a decent ratio of width and breadth and height. They need to have a clearly visible top / bottom and edge and be flat on the top and bottom and at least one edge. Think a cuboid and anything that might have the stackable qualities of a cuboid. There is a dark side and a light side.

The original Tak set as designed by Patrick Rothfuss and James Ernest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tak_(game)

has a light side which is a sort of trapezoidal shape and a dark side which circle with one edge planed flat.

I wanted my set to be quick, cheap and to be low risk of project rabbit holes. I didn't want to suddenly discover that I'd committed to a process that was costly. I went route one. I bought a 2400mm length of 340mm by 180mm planed softwood and had it with a ruler and then a jig saw. With the help of My Lovely Wife (an ever present helpmate on the road of life who tolerates my quixotic adventures with an air of profound support and sceptical amusement) I cut the 2400mm length in to approximately 60 off 375mm sections plus a bit of off cut (see lesson 2) I ended up using a rough cut saw blade with the jig saw because I couldn't find the finer blade. It shows in the final results.This is okay because Tak is supposed to be a pub game - so something that looks roughly made is fine. (For a first attempt.)

So Process 1 - cutting complete.

Process 2 - sanding

I used my new mouse sander to smooth the edges. Again, I was doing this quickly, too quickly. I should have used a rough sanding paper on the cut ends to get them smoother but I went with a fininishing sanding all over as my first and only sanding step. Again, sitting on the kitchen stool on the garden path. The Captain helped me. We took turns holding the sander and running the wood over it. Once they were smooth, process 3.

Process 3 - staining the dark pieces.

I got hold of some dark wood dye (IIRC dark teak) and set about colouring one half of the pieces. I did a few coats careful to keep the grain of the wood visible and then moved on to standing the pieces overnight in a small bowl of dye to get deep colour penetration. This seems to have worked in that the pieces are very dark and definately wood but they do look rough. (Trading speed for quality has been a feature of this project.)

Process 4 -waxing the light pieces

I used some dark oak wax that we use on our doors to give a bit of colour to the pale pieces. It has brough out the grain nicely and give the colour a bit of richness and warmth. Again done at pace, and the wax has built up in some of the nicks in the wood that I didn't remove because of the speed of the sanding process and the roughness of the cutting process.

Process 5 - varnish.

I have some clear varnish and am varnishing each piece with many coats. So far I think I am up to coat 7. I'm going to do a final coat tonight - in particular on the edges of the pieces. They they get to dry in the sun so that the undercoat of varnish is hard. They will get a quick sand with the mouse to prepare the varnish undercoat for a final coat or two of varnish and then the pieces will be ready.

I'm probably going to use whisky bottle stoppers as the capstone pieces. I had thought about doing something with the offcut, or with a spare piece and some ironmongery but I think I've run out of energy for this project. I have, instead, a nearly finished bottle of Laphroig which has a cork stopper in a white mounting and a nearly finished bottle of Highland Park, with a dark mounting. They will do nicely and suit the definately home made look of the set.

I've been making a board. I've designed a quite nice looking brown and cream chequer board using Word. It has a sunflower motif. This gets printed on to an A4 sticker using the laser printer and then is stuck to a piece of foam board. I'm currently experimenting with applying clear varnish to this or using clear plastic contact covering. What is nice about the boards is that the foam board is very light.

I found a square wooden box full of art supplies in a charity shop that will fit the set nicely (after I've gifted the art supplies to my sister - although see below - she might end up with the whole set as a gift).

Whilst talking about this project on the internet it prompted a friend and colleage to volunteer his 3d printer. He did me a run of 64 basic cuboid shapes in black and clear. The clear looks white in the same way that polar bear fur looks white. They are light - very light. He also did me a pair of pawns from an abstract chess set to use as capstones. I did a black and white board using a wrought iron motif which looks nice. The pieces fit inside my very posh Jeff Banks glasses case and I've found a printer of glasses cleaning cloths - so I'm going to transfer the board design on to a glasses cleaning cloth and use that as a board. So I have a superb 3d printed travelling set.

I will probably have another go at making a set out of wood. This time

1) establish a project space in dad's garage

2) borrow some of the Grads saws for the cutting

3) put more effort in to the early preparation so that the final product is easy to make look quality.

4) probably invest in some more expensive hardwood

(Other options include using branches from trees - these would be random sizes but would look quite natural, or using wood from the beach which would look deeply weathered.)

5) Try different shapes for the two pieces. The "traditional" planed circle should be easy enough. Buy a length of dowel and plane one edge before cutting (I think this would work better than trying to sand each piece after cutting). A rhomboid should be easy enough to do by cutting a length of wood at an angle rather than square.

I have also thought about printing a pattern or design on a sticker and putting that under the varnish or add a Chinese coin to the top of each piece before varnishing it. Or using my creme brulee blow torch to make a scorched pattern.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078N71F84/ref=asc_df_B078N71F8452694944/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22146&creativeASIN=B078N71F84&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256170216378&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1970825314604770921&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046901&hvtargid=pla-405174339024

I can see me gifting on the experimental set to my sister so she can play but also to see if my very creative and practically minded brother-in-law can use the full might and power of his robotics lab to create something better.

Approaches that didn't work (sadly). I had hoped to be able to find some sets of beads that were flat, nicely coloured etc and available for pennies each. Unfortunately I couldn't find any and nor could MLW. It's an approach that ought to work but doesn't. My brother suggested trying Ali Barba - and he's right there are plenty of cheap potentials but I think I that by the time I've ordered something, waited 6 weeks for a slow boat from China, realised I've gotten the wrong thing etc I'll be quicker and cheaper buying a 3d printer.

Althernative boards I'll be experimenting with - using iron on transfers to print on to a piece of cloth. Using a photographic print to canvas service to produce a board. I am looking forward to seeing my glasses cloth board.

Things I have learnt - macro points.

Firstly, capital accumulation and the application of technology are the key to prosperity. I think we knew this but it is nice to be reminded of this forecefully.

I know that I could do a much quicker and a much better job if I had all the tools.

Secondly, If I'm going to do this to a certain level of outcome I need to have a slightly better workshop arrangements. I did the cutting for example using the kitchen stool with MLW holding the wood on the garden path. I think using a work horse in my dad's garage would have given a better, warmer and single person result. Also, finding the right tools.

The wood working process would have been quicker and better with a workbench, some different measuring tools, inside, using the right tools and fittings

Thirdly - don't ask the internet - it seems perversely unwilling to read your actual question, believe that the question you actually asked is the question you actually want answered or to read any of the previous answers, comments or clarification questions. For example I asked for suggestions about cheap, mass produced cuboid shapes that I could buy, buy hundreds of, buy right away, that didn't need me to cut any wood, specifically not cubes. Got back suggestions for wood I could cut easily, using dice (which are cubes), had I considered buying some X which only cost a fiver each which should be fine if I only need one or two of them.

Forthly - I do really like wood working. It runs in the family.

Finally - I am very tempted to buy a 3d printer.