Advice on finishing a chess board

[Andrew Price]

I'm getting to the end of one of my first "proper" projects - a chess board made of american walnut with wavy maple, set in a walnut frame.

Sanding is pretty much finished - just got down to 800 grit on the board itself. The sides of the frame still need some work as I can still see table saw marks on them.

This is pretty much the stage at which my previous projects started to go wrong so I'm looking for advice on how to finish it off. My more interested in the look rather than durability as I doubt it will see more than the occasional game. The end look that I'm interested in getting to is pretty much the look once the unfinished work gets wiped down with white spirit (mineral spirits) - showing the dark of the walnut with an overall shine.

Any help appreciated!

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(note - the shiny two pictures have simply had white spirits applied to look for flaws. The middle shot is what the work looks like now)
(note 2 - the photos are a couple of days old - the raw, uncut splines in the photo have now been finished)

[Prashun Patel]

Danish Oil.
Wipe on, let sit for 5 minutes. Wipe off completely.
Repeat 2-3 times just until the sheen remains after dry.

This will keep the build low, and the feel silky.

After you're done, you could steel wool and wax it.

[Andrew Price]

Many thanks Prashun,

I've used danish oil before and was looking to get a shinier finish. Is that the sort of look that the wax finish would give?

Mind you - it may just be the poor quality of my previous finishes that has resulted in the danish oil being kind of dull :-)

[Steve Eure]

I just finished a chess board for my grandson. I used walnut and cherry on mine. I wound up using Formby's Tung oil (2 coats) followed by 4 coats of polycrytic clear satin, lightly sanding between each coat. Nice finish without the high shine that chess lovers hate.

[Prashun Patel]

The wax will not give you a gloss finish. Is that what you want? If yes, then based on the small size of our board, I would purchase a rattlecan of a spray lacquer. I am using Behlen's Stringed Instrument Finish right now and I find it lays down quite wonderfully.

[Andrew Price]

I think I'm after a gloss finish - yes. I'm looking to try out suggestions on my off-cuts and see what it looks like but as this is mostly going to be a decorative piece I think I could risk a gloss finish.

As far as a "rattlecan of a spray lacquer" is concerned - I'm in the UK so normally have to try quite hard to match US suggestions compared to what we can buy here (everything is different!) - so it would be great if you could give me an example of what you mean.

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Prashun is referring to lacquer in a spray can. Similar to spray paint, but a clear finish.

[Rob Young]

Prashun is referring to lacquer in a spray can. Similar to spray paint, but a clear finish.

Just be careful because they spray from the other side in the UK.


I did a chessboard recently. Curly maple and curly cherry with a mahogany frame. Shellac and lots of it. Then plenty of rubbing out. And because I'm not a huge fan of gloss, a final rubout with some hard wax to knock down the gloss just a bit. Hard wax was "Alfie Shine" which is very hard and has fun stuff like frankincense mixed in so it doesn't smell like petroleum.

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[Bennett Ostroff]

Beautiful board! I would second shellac. Easy, dries super fast, easy to get smooth, and no horrible lacquer fumes. One can of Zinsser should be enough to get a little build on the chess board. Sand with 220/320/400 every coat or two. Let the final coat dry overnight and then sand lightly with 400 then 600 and maybe even 1000. Skip the wax.

Note: The shellac won't deepen the color quite as much as the oil. You can put a Danish oil on first if you like the look better. Then wait 3-5 days for it to dry and then do the shellac.

[Andrew Price]

So after trying numerous test boards I'm going with something reasonably simple:
- Four coats of danish oil (sanded in between), followed by
- Two coats of gloss varnish

I do realise that the gloss isn't to everyone's taste however this is more of a display piece than a functional piece and its that "slightly shiny" look, similar to what you get when you apply white spirit (US: mineral spirits) and its still wet that I'm after. I've almost finished the test piece and its looking positive. The varnish has been on for a few days and there's still a tiny bit of tackiness so I'm planning to leave it a week or so longer before rubbing it out.

I'll post photos of the finished article so that anyone googling this post can take a view on which approach to follow themselves.

Many thanks to everyone for all the advice given. I only wish I could of followed it all! :-)

[Bennett Ostroff]

Good plan. But no need to waste your time with four coats of Danish oil. By the second coat you should have even color/saturation.

[Mark Brio]

Getting a stunning finish is crucial for showcasing the natural beauty of the wood. Since you're more focused on the look than durability, you have some flexibility in choosing a finish.


Consider using Danish oil or tung oil it can enhance the wood's natural colors and provide a warm, matte finish. Use paste wax, such as beeswax or carnauba wax which give your chessboard a soft and subtle sheen. Buffing the wax after application can bring out a gentle shine. For glossy finish you can use a shellac


Before applying any finish test your chosen finish on a scrap piece of wood to see how it interacts with the walnut and maple. You can even check out this blog "10 Useful Tips to Take Care of your Chess Board" to protect your chessboard from any possible damage. Good luck with your project!