Backgammon Board

This was my second board game, and I decided to be more ambitious in my design. The classic backgammon board is designed a folding case that contains the playing board and the pieces. The board is symmetric which simplified the design work, but meant the construction needed to line up precisely. I accomplished this primarily using a laser cutter and a liberal amount of sanding.

The board is primarily made from Cherry. I inlaid Curly Maple and Wenge for the triangle pieces (points, in backgammon parlance). The chips were made from Ash and Walnut and provide a similar but different coloration to the points.

The exterior of the board has designs personalized to the recipient - her initials on one side, and a floral design on the other representing her love of gardening. The flower petals consist of inlaid Purpleheart, Yellowheart, and Bloodwood, complimented with a Curly Maple butterfly. The stems, leaves, and text on the opposite side were engraved using the laser, and then filled in with a resin epoxy. All surfaces were then sanded smooth and finished with linseed oil, presenting a surface that is beautiful in both look and feel.