Making a Goban

[MrBackpack]

another question that I have is that I can't figure out how large to make the actual board, the directions on "Sensei's Library" are a little confusing.

[SinK]

Have you seen this page?

http://senseis.xmp.net/?path=MakingYour ... Dimensions

If so which bits are confusing you?

[MrBackpack]

Have you seen this page?

http://senseis.xmp.net/?path=MakingYour ... Dimensions

If so which bits are confusing you?

I'm going to sound so stupid when I say this but, the dimensions given for the board, are they for the actual surface material or the grid itself? And if not the grid, what is the proportion size of the grid relative to the playing surface?

[deja]

The measurements given for board width and length are the dimensions for the board itself not the grid. Given those dimensions, the total width of the grid should be 415 mm ((1 mm thick lines x 19) + (22 mm line spacing x 18)), which gives a 4.6 mm margin on each side. The total length of the grid should be 445.6 ((1 mm thick lines x 19) + (23.7 mm line spacing x 18)) which gives a 4.45 mm margin on each side.

Someone can correct my higher mathematics if I'm mistaken.

[MrBackpack]

The measurements given for board width and length are the dimensions for the board itself not the grid. Given those dimensions, the total width of the grid should be 415 mm ((1 mm thick lines x 19) + (22 mm line spacing x 18)), which gives a 4.6 mm margin on each side. The total length of the grid should be 445.6 ((1 mm thick lines x 19) + (23.7 mm line spacing x 18)) which gives a 4.45 mm margin on each side.

Someone can correct my higher mathematics if I'm mistaken.

Very helpful.

I'm working on a blueprint for the board so that I know, mathematically how to place everything.

The grid is centered on the board face right?

Also, looking at the bottom of a floor board, what are the dimensions of the cut-out and the angles of the edges?

Where are the legs supposed to placed?

[deja]

The grid is centered on the board face right?

More or less, just follow the margins. The "grid" is not supposed to be a perfect square.

Also, looking at the bottom of a floor board, what are the dimensions of the cut-out and the angles of the edges?

The cutout on the bottom is called the "heso". Its apparent function is to help in the drying process over a long period of time and for improved sound quality. Unless you're making your goban out of a solid piece of kaya and planning to let it dry for 20+ years, I don't see the utility of adding that feature.

Where are the legs supposed to placed?

One in each corner...

[MrBackpack]

Also, looking at the bottom of a floor board, what are the dimensions of the cut-out and the angles of the edges?

The cutout on the bottom is called the "heso". Its apparent function is to help in the drying process over a long period of time and for improved sound quality. Unless you're making your goban out of a solid piece of kaya and planning to let it dry for 20+ years, I don't see the utility of adding that feature.

Where are the legs supposed to placed?

One in each corner...

That's one less thing that I am not going to have to deal with.

What I meant about the position of the legs was, is there a measured spot that the legs are supposed to be in? a Standard?

[MrBackpack]

So far I have found one guy on the web who is willing to make me a single piece of laminated maple in the 18"x17" size, which will be further cut, out of maple.

Or on the other hand I can go to home depot/Lowe's and get some hardwood plywood and glue sections of the wood together.

Which to do...?

[kex]

I made one, from birch, which is a bit hard for this purpose, but nice pale wood. Carving the legs took a long time, about 100 hours, but they are the nicest part of the board.

A couple of pictures: http://www.pbase.com/jtkarvo/goban

[imabuddha]

I made one, from birch, which is a bit hard for this purpose, but nice pale wood. Carving the legs took a long time, about 100 hours, but they are the nicest part of the board.

A couple of pictures: http://www.pbase.com/jtkarvo/goban

Wow, great job on that board, especially the legs!

[EdLee]

Carving the legs took a long time, about 100 hours, but they are the nicest part of the board.

Wow, amazing!

[EdLee]

Or on the other hand I can go to home depot/Lowe's and get some hardwood plywood and glue sections of the wood together. Which to do...?

Start with Home Depot/Lowe's and work your way up. With some cheap, pre-glued together pine wood from Home Depot (I think it's meant to be for a table top?), I made a few boards summer of 2003:

goban5.jpg (53.68 KiB) Viewed 14065 times

goban5_CU.jpg (60.36 KiB) Viewed 14065 times

[MrBackpack]

Or on the other hand I can go to home depot/Lowe's and get some hardwood plywood and glue sections of the wood together. Which to do...?

Start with Home Depot/Lowe's and work your way up. With some cheap, pre-glued together pine wood from Home Depot (I think it's meant to be for a table top?), I made a few boards summer of 2003:

goban5.jpg

goban5_CU.jpg

I'm trying to decide I if I want to go this route or just wait for YMI to get the bamboo floor gobans back in stock.

Right now, I'm leaning toward buying because the prices, as compared to building, are still going to be quite similar and the floor goban comes with stones.

@kex: magnificent work on your goban.

[EdLee]

Right now, I'm leaning toward buying because the prices, as compared to building,
are still going to be quite similar and the floor goban comes with stones.

That summer of 2003 consisted of endless sanding and staining the wood with nasty chemicals --
if the pine was untreated, the ink would bleed terribly.
So I had to first sand (by hand, since I lacked any power sanding tools),
then applied the right combo of staining chemicals (after some experimenting to find a working mixture),
then made each line by hand (naturally with a ruler, and using a professional drafting pen and ink).
Each line took about 5 minutes (because it took time for the first layer to dry before another could be applied).

Of course, professional carpenters would be able to do a much better job in much less time,
(especially if they have nice tools like laser lining technologies)
but when I started, I had zero woodworking knowledge and skill, so it was a ton of (blind) work.

One lesson from the few months was: a professionally made Go set (e.g. Kuroki)
embodies hundreds of years of craftsmanship, experience, and quality that cannot be matched.

After that summer, whenever I see a good quality Go product (e.g. from Kuroki),
I think, what a bargain.

[MrBackpack]

Right now, I'm leaning toward buying because the prices, as compared to building,
are still going to be quite similar and the floor goban comes with stones.

That summer of 2003 consisted of endless sanding and staining the wood with nasty chemicals --
if the pine was untreated, the ink would bleed terribly.
So I had to first sand (by hand, since I lacked any power sanding tools),
then applied the right combo of staining chemicals (after some experimenting to find a working mixture),
then made each line by hand (naturally with a ruler, and using a professional drafting pen and ink).
Each line took about 5 minutes (because it took time for the first layer to dry before another could be applied).

Of course, professional carpenters would be able to do a much better job in much less time,
(especially if they have nice tools like laser lining technologies)
but when I started, I had zero woodworking knowledge and skill, so it was a ton of (blind) work.

One lesson from the few months was: a professionally made Go set (e.g. Kuroki)
embodies hundreds of years of craftsmanship, experience, and quality that cannot be matched.

After that summer, whenever I see a good quality Go product (e.g. from Kuroki),
I think, what a bargain.

That about sums up what I was thinking when I started to really thing about the cost of everything.

thanks for the advice.