How to Make a Chinese Checker Game Board

Homemade gifts are all the rage. If you would like to make your own gifts, a Chinese Checker game board is a good choice for the board game enthusiast in your life. Chinese Checkers is played on a board that has a six sided star. Two to six people can play; and the object is to get across the board the fastest. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Compass
• Straight edge
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Router
• 1/2 inch core box bit
• Varnish and tools to apply
• Sandpaper

1. Buy a 18 by 18 by 3/8 inch piece of plywood. Sand it thoroughly. Locate the middle of the board and put a compass point on it with the compass radius marked at 9 inches. Make a circle. Leave the compass open to the same size.

2. Put the point on the edge, or circumference, of the circle where you've made a mark. With the pencil end, make another mark along the circumference of the circle. Place the point on that mark and make another mark. Do this until the last mark. You will have six marks.

3. Use a straight edge to connect the marks that are across from one another to begin to create the star shape of the board. Each of these lines will be cutting the circle in half. Your circle should now be in six equal sections.

4. Connect every other point on the circle edge with a straight line. The first three give you a triangle. Connect the second three for an overlapping triangle. The two form a hexagram.

5. Begin at the point of one triangle. Measure up the middle, on the diameter of the circle, one inch. Make a mark. Go to the opposite end of the line and do the same. Connect the two marks. It's parallel to the outside line of the triangle and measures exactly 1/2 inch from it. Begin at one of the marks you just made and measure 1 5/32 inches and make a second mark. Do this all the way across the new line. These marks are the centers for drilling 1/2 inch holes.

6. Follow the same procedure on the side of every triangle. The rest of the rows have the markings all 1 5/32 inch from the other.

7. Attach a 1/2 core box bit. Drill a hole 3/8 inch deep at each mark. Lightly sand the board. Varnish. Get sets of 15 marbles of differing colors.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice making the holes on disposable board of the same thickness.
• Wear safety glasses when routing out the hole.

[bertmillrt40]

on 8/9/2008 I have been looking for these plans for days! I could get the drawing but not the holes. Thank you so very much!!!