I. Dowels. Checkers may be made from dowels ⅝” or ¾” for small
checkerboards and ⅞” or 1” for the larger boards. Broom handles, etc.,
may be used as substitutes for the dowels.
The checkers should be of a uniform thickness, and this is best secured
by using a combination mitre-box, saw, and gauge. If this is not
available, any other means may be employed to saw the dowels into disks
⅛” or ³⁄₁₆” in thickness.
Lay a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface and rub the checkers on this
to remove saw marks. Two grades of sandpaper give a better finish than
one.
To play the game, it is necessary that there should be two colors of
checkers. Some woods present sufficient difference in their natural
colors to serve this purpose, but it is generally better that one set
at least should be artificially colored. For this, use stain or ink.
Place some of the fluid in a shallow dish, and drop the checkers into
it. Remove at once with nippers or two sticks, and lay on a paper to
dry.
Most stains will stand some water, but common ink would wash out if
rained on. So to preserve the color, checkers dyed with ink should
afterward be dropped into a thin shellac and taken out and dried. Those
of natural color should also be shellaced as they keep clean much
longer. After the shellac is dry, there is a little roughness on the
surface. If this is rubbed off with fine sandpaper the checkers are
much more agreeable to handle. Twelve checkers of each color are needed
for a set but three or four extra ones may be added. Put these in a
strong bag securely tied.
II. Button Molds. Instead of using dowels, as just described, wooden
button molds may be colored and used.
III. Buttons. Two contrasting colors of flat buttons make excellent
checkers.