The second chess set

This is kind of a dual post; it’s to tell about my latest project, but also to pipe up about a friend in need.

My friend Joe is like many of my friends, self employed and uninsured.   The healthcare system in the US has it’s issues for sure.   You can read about his plight here.

So in support of my glassy friend, I put my current glowing chess set on hold to make up a slightly more simple set for him to sell to raise some medical funds.

The not to depressing part is that this was an opportunity for me to work on a set made with canes of glass as opposed to my current “coat as I go” method.   There are pros and cons to each.   With coat as I go I have a clear section at the bottom (if I so desire) which allows you to see up into the piece.  I don’t know why anyone else would want to, but I find it amusing.  Given I’m the one making them….it’s all me.   The cane method has a slight speed advantage, but less control over the entire piece.   You can prep canes ahead of time and then just start working.

This set, however, uses the cane method.

Laid out nicely

For the glass geeks that run across this, I used the following:

White side: Glass Alchemy (GA) Sex on the Beach over Colormax White.  The rear pieces have accents done in Sex on the Beach
Black side: Northstar Glassworks (NS) Loki’s Lipstick over GA Brilliant Blue.  The rear pieces have accents done in Loki’s Lipstick

The case is a box I obtained unfinished, then stained.  The insert is stryofoam that the pieces have been pressed into to help hold them in place.

Pieces in their case

The board is an unfinished piece I stained then painted on the checkerboard pattern.

This set, the case, and the board will be part of Joe’s For Sale stash.  If you’re interested contact him or Jessica at one of the addresses on the linked site.

White side

Black side