Backgammon with your own hands: materials, manufacturing process

Backgammon is an ancient Eastern game. The place of their occurrence is not known exactly, but they are already about 5000 years old, which is confirmed by historical manuscripts. The oldest game board was found in Asia Minor, Shahri-Suhte. Scientists have established that the thing was created about 3000 years BC. E. The same board was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

One of the legends says that one day the inhabitants of India decided to try the ingenuity of the Persians and presented them with chess. They believed that they would not understand the rules of this unusual game. However, the sage from Persia was able to uncover the secret and in return sent them his game, which the Indians could not solve for 12 years. Bozorgmerh sent them nothing more than a game of backgammon (in translation from Persian "nard tahte" means "battle on a board of wood").

In Western Europe, the game spread through the Crusaders in the 12th century. It gained popularity in the Middle Ages in European countries, where it got its name - trick-track. It mimics the impact of bones. The name "backgammon" was used among kings and nobles.

Much popularity has won the game in our time. Many craftsmen do not cease to amaze with their new original execution of inlay. This article will describe how to make backgammon yourself.

What is the game developing?

Like chess, backgammon is called upon to train thinking. Only in the first case develops logical thinking, and in the second - resourcefulness and ingenuity. Scientists say that after everyday games in backgammon, intelligence is increased by 10%. This conclusion was made by researchers in the UK.

What does the board look like?

The board has a rectangular shape. It is marked with 24 points (12 on each side). The board consists of two sides. Each point, as a rule, represents a narrow elongated triangle, whose base is located at the edge, and the height reaches half of the board. Six points on one side is called the player's house. Its location depends on the rules of the game. The board is divided in the middle by a vertical strip called the "bar". Usually, knocked down checkers are put there. Each player has 15 of them each. The move determines a pair of dice - zar. There are also two pairs for each player, as well as cups for stirring bones.

Joinery in the execution of the board

Many are interested in how to make backgammon with their own hands. Such a process is possible even for a beginner in wood carving. The first thing is a detailed drawing. Backgammon in this case will be obtained without errors in size.

You will need:

• plywood;
• Rails;
• Loops.

What should be plywood? Grinded thoroughly, it has no roughness and burrs, which is very important for the manufacturing process.

Board Size

Before making a backgammon, decide what size board you want to get. They are different:

• Small backgammon (sizes - 40x20x3.5 cm);
• Average backgammon (50x25x3.5 cm);
• Large backgammon (60x30x3.5 cm).

What is the main thing when performing the thread on the backgammon board?

In most cases carved backgammon, the dimensions of which are indicated above, are made in a classical style with its characteristic flat reliefs. Such work will be able even for beginners. Half of the success lies in the correctly selected figure. Ornaments with plants or arabesques became widespread.

For example, consider the panels made of alder. On the one hand, they are exposed to ash veneer. If you want to do this part of the work on your own, then it should be noted that veneer is applied only on one side. After drying, the panel will bend in the direction of the veneer. In order not to get a similar result, from the opposite side one should glue a simple paper, you can even a newspaper. When the glue dries, there will be no deformation in this case. When working with panels it is advised to put them on polyethylene from a package with soft inflatable pimples. This will protect the parts from damage during operation.

The film is laid smooth side to the workpiece, otherwise during operation the chips will clog in pimples and may damage the surface. When applying a tone to a material, you can get an undesirable effect.

How do I move the drawing?

The picture is transferred to the workpiece by means of a copy. Stock up the finished image, the scale of which is designed to apply on the entire plane. This will help avoid symmetry breaking, which is an important point in the manufacture of the board. After transferring the drawing by means of a carbon copy, it should be adjusted by hand.

Thread selection under the thread

At this stage, as the selection of the background for the thread, there are two methods:

• The classical method involves cutting through a knife along the contour of the pattern and then selecting the background using flat chisels. It should be noted that the knife when working should enter the wood at an angle of 90 degrees. If you can not observe the perpendicularity of the knife to the material being harvested, then it is permissible to slightly cover it at an arbitrary angle away from the leaves of the ornament. Further, when working the thread, you can correct the distorted for this reason picture.
• The second way is to select the background using a hand-held router and a pin mill. The undoubted advantage of this method is the speed of execution and the accuracy of observing the required right angle along the edge of the ornament. The selection of the background around all the elements passes clearly and at a level. Hands in such a time-consuming process do not strain. The disadvantages include the need to use a router. Work with him is possible only in the carpentry workshop, as he makes noise and creates excessive dust. The depth of the background pattern is approximately 5 mm. Those places, where the cutter could not get, should be straightened with a knife or flat chisels. Here follow the rules given in the first method. You still need to work with your hands.

Thread Tools

To make backgammon yourself, you will need the following tools:

• Knife-jamb with an acute angle to the point.
• Flat form of chisels in the size 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 mm.
• Chisels with a semicircular shape measuring 6, 9 mm.

Processing arabesque

After sampling the background in all hard-to-reach places, you should start to explore the ornament. Begin with the lower and upper edges of the panel. The points of intersection of details are cut with a knife. Take a depth of 2 mm. By cutting a flat chisel, the lower and upper points of the pattern are identified. Thus, the ornament will be intertwined.

Then the future drawing profiles are drawn. A convex part of the profile is formed by means of a knife or a flat chisel. Then, using the semicircular chisels, the concave parts of the profiles are machined. The operation should be repeated with the central part of the ornament. The drawing needs to be worked out again, correcting all the shortcomings.

Background matting

The matting of the background implies its piercing around all the carved elements. This can achieve a graphic arabesques. To this end, you can apply a simple sharpened screw. Various punches are also used. Then the tattoo of all the remaining parts continues. The process of threading at this stage ends, you can proceed to the finishing part.

Giving a tone

Backgammon with your own hands suggest the execution of toning. For this process, stains in water can be used. Usually one color is used, which is diluted to three shades: light, medium and dark. In this case, two types of wood were used: ash and alder. To emphasize the beauty of each of them used two colors stain: dark oak and teak. Teak is applicable for ash, and a dark oak is suitable for alder.

First of all, the carved panel is to be tinted. The most bright paint covers all the carving. Then, not allowing the stove to dry, on the milled faces the panels are applied an average shade.

The next stage involves coloring the background. It is covered in the darkest tone. Do this with caution. The paint is applied with utmost care, so as not to hit the light part. Staining should start from the center of the selected background area, moving to the elevated carved parts. With this brush, the minimum amount of dye is taken.

The wooden surface should be allowed to dry, and then on the other side to cover the ash veneer with a stain teak. The same tone covers the carpentry components of the board.

After the stain dries, the raised nap is removed with the help of a skin. The main thing - do not damage the paint on sharp edges, which remained on the thread after work chisels.

The whole board is covered with a colorless varnish. For this purpose, a two-component matt varnish is used.

The second variant of manufacturing backgammon

Above, it has been described the manufacture of such a product as carved backgammon. Another method involves burning patterns.

To make backgammon yourself using the second method, you will need:

• Plywood polished (two leaves of light wood with a thickness of 4-8 mm, size 480h240 mm);
• Two rejki from a tree in the size 30х10 mm, length on 220 mm for лунок;
• PVA glue;
• Stain;
• Varnish;
• A jigsaw;
• Apparatus for burning out.

Progress

The process of manufacturing boards backgammon in this case involves the following stages:

• Work begins with the design of the external and internal sides. The prepared drawing is burned from both sides according to the chosen cliche.
• Wooden slats are glued together in a spike and glued along the perimeter of the board.
• In the wide rails, holes for chips are cut and also glued.
• Then loops and a lock are installed.
• At the end, the board is covered with a colorless varnish in three layers.

What chips are used?

Chips are made from hardwoods. You can use ready-made plastic for playing checkers.

Conclusion

The most beautiful backgammon boards do not look like chess. Their reverse side is always decorated with magnificent patterns or pattern. Backgammon performed by hand, look impressive. The price for such a product is quite high.