You may be thinking to yourself:
"didn't he already do this one?" or "why is he showing us how to make this again?"
Well, you are right. I have made one of these oversized Tic Tac Toe boards before. However, I recently got a commission to do another one, but with a Dark Walnut board instead of white.
Plus, I have learned a lot from my mistakes on the previous one, so this one is much better!
Let's get started!
The main difference on this project is that I had to buy wood. Last time, I used what I had on hand, and I took short cuts...which resulted in a product that had it's fair share of "oopsies!"
But not this time! No, since this one is a commission, I made sure I did everything right! I bought new stock wood, and measured everything meticulously and took my time.
So, to begin, I cut 2.5" strips of 3/4" pine using my table saw. I cut the pine into (2) 13 7/8" strips and (2) 12 3/8" strips. These pieces will form the 13 7/8 square box.
I cut (2) more 12 3/8" strips to act as the cross pieces in the board. I also had to cut (6) small 3 5/8" strips to place in between the cross pieces. All together, these pieces will form (9) square 3 5/8" sections for the blocks to fit in.
To attach the wood pieces, I used a combination of brad nails and wood glue...
Once all the pieces were secured, either by brad nail or wood glue, I clamped everything together using large clamps and let it sit overnight...
The next morning, I removed the clamps and gave the top a nice sanding with my palm sander to smooth everything out and remove any splinters.
Once that was smoothed out, it's time to add a base piece on the bottom of the board. This will provide something for the blocks to rest on during play!
Like in the last post, I decided on using thin backer board material as the base. This piece is already going to be so heavy with the wood blocks, so it's important to cut weight when possible.
I laid the backer board underneath and traced out the shape of the game board...
Then, I cut out the square using my scroll saw! I gave it a quick sanding to remove the rough edges and prep for stain!
I stained the board first. This was tricky, but one of the things I learned from the last Tic Tac Toe board was that it's much easier to get into the small spaces if you paint/stain each piece before attaching them together!
Once the stain was dried, I flipped the board over and attached the base to the game board...
I used one screw in each of the four corners with a nail in between along the perimeter. I also used a thin layer of wood glue on the bottom of the board as an added level of security!
Can't forget to stain the bottom!
This is one of the detail things that I did not do on the one I made previously out of scrap wood! But, since this one was a commission, I want it to be a thorough and finished product!
While letting that dry, I moved my attention to the actual blocks!
I actually bought a 4" X 4" X 8 foot Douglas Fir post from Home Depot just for this project! I have plenty left for another board, just in case the need arises.
Now, they advertise it as a 4 inch square post, but it's actually 3.5" wide and tall. So, I need to cut each block at 3.5" long to make perfect squares that will fit in the board correctly!
And, of course, I need 9 of these 3.5" cubes.
Looking a little rough, huh?
Well, that's what sanders are for!
I sanded each block down using my palm sander and 120-grit sandpaper.
These blocks are heavy! But, they are much more consistent than my last attempt at this!
The blocks got a thorough wipe-down with a damp cloth, and it's off to stain!
I applied the stain to each block using a shop rag for a more rustic look. As with the board and base, I used Dark Walnut stain, per the customer's request!
While the blocks were drying, I turned my attention back to the game board.
Now that it's one piece and fully dried, it's time to decide on a poly to seal the deal!
I went with a fast-drying, high gloss, spray-on poly for this piece. It'll give it a nice pop and a really nice finish. It'll be more apparent later on with the blocks!
While the blocks were finishing up drying, I went ahead and made the stencils I'll be using for the "Xs"and "Os"...
I used cardstock for the stencils and cut out the letters using regular scissors.
Now that the blocks are dry and the stain is set, it's time to add the "Xs" and "Os!"
I started with the "Os" first. I used a sponge with white acrylic paint and "blotched" it on over each stencil to make the letter...
I let it fully dry and then flipped each block over to add the "Xs"...
After letting the "Xs" fully dry, it's time for poly!
I used the same spray on poly that I used on the game board. It was tricky to get all the sides, but I lined them all up and sprayed them in a straight line for even coverage.
I let the blocks dry fully and test-fitted them into the game board!
YAY! They all fit!
Not that there was any doubt...It's just nice to see my hard work pay off!
This one came out perfectly! I took my time, used the best supplies, and it really shows! I'm glad I got a second crack at this one to correct some of my mistakes!
This baby is going up on my Etsy store and I'll promptly let the customer know so she can go on and buy it. But, if you want one for yourself in a custom color or design, message me any way you would like (Etsy, email, etc.) and I'll be happy to make one for you!
-Kevin
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