My family enjoys dominos, especially my Dad. It's a nice game to play while you visit or have coffee after dinner or a drink with friends. We just play simple 5 up most of the time. I found a nice older set of green bakelite (or similar) ones and gave them to Dad. When visiting over the summer, I noticed the original plastic box was really beat and cracking a generally falling apart. I decided to whip up a wooden replacement. I wasn't planning to make anything elaborate at the outset, just stout and nice looking.
So I looked around at available stock and found a nice pear board that would provide more than enough stock - would be handsome, and nice to work to boot. It had a nice live edge and I decided to try to incorporate it into the box. I decided half blind dovetails would be strong and look alright, and after laying them out decided I might make the box have some legs or undercuts to make it easier to pick up and just give it a bit of lift. I choose a little piece of blue mahoe I had around to make the top and bottom panels - quick resaw on the bandsaw and hand planed. I didn't want hinges, so I decided to build in a lining that would allow for a fitted top. Some scraps of ebony - what the heck, right? After cutting the box apart with my douzuki (for its super thin blade) and putting in the ebony lining, I realized the top fit beautifully in the original orientation, but was slightly imperfect in the opposite orientation, so I needed a way to let the user easily know how to orient the top. I choose to inlay a slice of vera (argentine lignum) for it's green color and made some holly dowels with my plate to be the pips - five-up of course ;-)
I next decided it needed a handle or knob of some sort to make it really simple to pull off the top. I found a nice bit of plum branch (love that stuff) and began shaping it. I just kind of began by following its natural shape. It started looking a lot like a bone, and so rather than fight it, I just decided to embrace it. Dominoes are referred to as "bones" sometimes anyway as the oldest ones where often made from bone or ivory.
While building it over the past couple weeks, I came across a nice black set that fits the box too. Dad can choose - green or black.
So just a simple little wooden box. Hope Dad likes it. Hope you do too.