[rrrun]

I note that I've been largely absent for several months ... lurking, but not active. I've been oh so busy. That's a good thing, from some perspectives....

With our largest holiday boutique ahead of us this weekend, and my making all but finished (yes, that's a pun), I thought it was time to show one of the new things I've created on the CNC this year.

When I started making cutting boards - especially end grain boards - for craft fairs, my # 1 request was for chess boards. I made them to get those voices out of my head ... and my # 1 request became chess pieces. With anticipation that there's just no winning, I began to import pieces from India, where carvers produce beautiful work for an amazing price. So, now, I sell chess sets.

And my # 1 request became Cribbage Boards. It took me a year to figure it all out (Humor! Coming at you!), but I now produce 4-track and 3-track boards. Both are entirely customizable: choose a bottom, choose a top, and you've got your unique cribbage board.

Me? I'm not a player. I'm just the maker.

 

[kp91]

I love the compass rose, the Honu, and the seahorse. Fantastic work! As an avid player I only like 2 track boards, but 3 or 4 track seem to be what everyone is looking for these days. did you create the artwork yourself, or find them somewhere else?



I am sure you will have many orders for these

 

[artman60]

I’m a player, not yet a maker, (and somewhat a collector), and those are beautiful! I would think that they sell quickly.

 

[difalkner]

Gorgeous work, Henry! But then all your work is nice so I guess this is just normal for you, right! LOL! :wink:

I've never played but they look fun to make. I may have to try it sometime.

David

 

[TwoSkies57]

Exceptional design work Henry.... very well done!!

 

[Semipro]

These are some fantastic cribbage boards, love them all !

 

[RainMan 2.0]

I’m very impressed , as there just gorgeous! You’ve really made some unique boards , and I’m betting there going to sell very quickly

 

[DesertRatTom]

Can't say which one I like best, the rooster (my last name is rooster in French), or the sea horse. They're all pretty darn nice. Makes you want to take up the game.

 

[JFPNCM]

Excellent boards. I played for years until I started playing against my wife. Never one another game. ��

 

[rrrun]

did you create the artwork yourself, or find them somewhere else?

I designed the bottoms with the carve outs for the cards & pegs. For the tops, I searched far & wide for the V-carve & 3D artwork. Some of the artwork came from ebay, some from Pinterest, and much of of the 3D came with Aspire or from Vectric's Design & Make.

I believe it was a wise man that said no one gets rich doing 3D carving on a CNC ... and I don't. The horse top is a 6 hour carve. I do sell it, but I primarily show it for the "wow" factor at shows. With all humility, I feel it's important for people walking into my craft fair booth to feel that the work is made by an accomplished craftsman ... and not "just like I did in Junior High." I've heard that too often at this point, so I'm working to make sure many pieces on display are decidedly beyond the memories of former 14 years olds that think they did exactly what I now do.

Beginners can make a simple cheese board, I get it. If that's all that I have on display, then I deserve the negative comments. Hopefully, these cribbage boards help me show that the work has progressed beyond the serving tray I made in Industrial Arts back in 1968.

 

[woodworker47]

Henry,

I am not a player, but these are really cool.

Frank

 

[honesttjohn]

Henry -- you can get a bigger faster CNC and get rich twice as fast!!

Sometimes I get wrapped up (confused and stuck) in the design and creating phase and forget what the original purpose was. Just remember those two most impotant words when you get stuck ----- MEBCWD help!

Not enough hours in a day to do everything you want.

 

[TenGees]

Great crib boards, Henry. The 3D designs are super but I like the native-style ones too. Especially the turtle.

 

[SteveMI]

... and not "just like I did in Junior High." I've heard that too often at this point,

I made cribbage boards for a while, not as cool as yours. The common line I got (with a cold beverage in their hand) was "you grandfather used to make these in our garage"

Steve.

 

[DesertRatTom]

These are not your grandpa's cribbage boards. These boards seem to inspire a lot of creativity. Check out the pictures from this image search: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cribbage+boards&t=ffsb&atb=v137-3__&iax=images&ia=images

 

[4DThinker]

I often have students ask me for CNC help with projects/parts that can be done much simpler/faster using other tools/techniques. Friday I cut a dado at 13 degrees in the face of a students desk side parts. As I watched it pocket cut slowly with a 1/4" end mill it struck me how a dado set on a table saw could have cut this dado in a few seconds. But we don't have any table saw we can dedicate to or even momentarily swap single blade out for a dado set on. The shop is simply too busy.

My standard these days for whether a CNC should be used for a task looks for details that could only be reasonably cut with a CNC. Even complex curved parts... easy for a CNC, can be band/scroll sawed and spindle sanded, and the student will learn more from the experience too!

I love these cribbage boards, not for the tedious hole drilling, but for the carved lids that were never done in grandpa's garage.

4D

 

[marecat3]

They are all wonderful