Costs and Materials
- 1 six foot Fir 4x4 (King and Kubbs)- $7.22
- 2 four foot 1.25" closet rods (batons) - 2x$3.87
- 1 four foot .75" dowel (stakes) - $2.65
- String to mark court (I had some laying around)
- Finish of Choice (I used Boiled Linseed Oil)
Mandatory Tools
- Table Saw
- Tape Measure
- Square
- Pencil
Optional Tools (the ones I used)
- Router (table or hand held) with Chamfer Bit
- Chop Saw
- Band Saw
- Palm Sander
1) The very first thing I did was to cut the 4x4 to something more manageable. I ended up cleaning up one end with the chop saw so I can work around a knot in the wood. Since a 4x4 is really 3.5" square, it happened to be the exact size I needed for the King. So I marked off 12" and cut the King to size. I set him aside. The rest of the 4x4 will make up the Kubbs.
I chose not to cut the Kubbs to length just yet. Since I needed to get the Kubbs to 2.75" square, I'll be needing to run them through the table saw. I felt it would be easier and safer to run larger chunks of wood through the table saw, rather than the little ones. So I cut 3 Kubb blanks from the remainder of the 4x4. Each blank was a little longer than 2'.
2) Now I needed to trim down the Kubb blanks to 2.75" square. This gets a bit hairy because you have to raise the blade up so high. So be extra careful and be sure to use a push stick. My saw wouldn't cut all the way through, so I had to make two passes. So I set my blade a little higher than 1/2 through the block. I pushed the blanks through, flipped it end for end, and ran it through again to finish the cut. I did this again on the other side so that its square.
3) This step is optional. But I wanted to chamfer the edges (45 degree cut to knock off the edges). I figured since these pieces will recieve a lot of abuse, chamfering the edges will make the game last longer. You can use a regular handheld router equipped with a chamfering bit with a guide bearing. I chose to use a small router table I had instead. Either way works well. I ran the King and Kubb blanks through on all four vertical edges.
4) Now lets turn our attention to the King. I've seen some kings have a nice V groove around the head area. I felt this would be much too difficult to accomplish with a table saw (too much trial and error). You could use a V bit in a router, but I didn't have one and I figured it would splinter the edges anyway. So instead, I chose to put 3 shallow grooves the width of my sawblade around all 4 edges.
On a cross cut, it is much too dangerous to push the stock through with it resting against the fence. There is a high risk of kickback that will ruin you project (and your day if the worse happens). So I added a spacer block. This block positions the stock to the exact measurement without pushing your stock resting against the fence. I'm using my miter gauge to push the stock through at 90 degrees exactly. This is much safer, and you'll get perfect results every time. I put the grooves about 1/2" apart.
5) Now I need to make the King's Crown. I used a speed square and marked 45 degree lines from each edge. I found the center point and marked 45 degree lines from the center point. This will give you a nice crown without any math. I repeated it on the next side.
To cut the crown, I used a bandsaw. I've read some instructions that say you can run it through the table saw tilted at 45 degrees. I think that's an accident waiting to happen. There isn't enough support for the King on end to make it safe without some serious tools/jigs. Bandsaw or a jig saw is what I would recommend. Now that I'm off my high horse, lets return to the bandsaw. Just followed the lines you just drew. The bandsaw blade will drift a bit, so take it nice and slow. Once the pieces fall out, flip the king to the other side and follow those lines. In the end, you'll have a really nice looking King piece.
6) Now lets cut the Kubbs to size. You can mark each Kubb to 6" and cut them on you chop saw. After the first 2, I figured I'd rather use a stop block so I can get through them quicker. I set up a stop block 6" from the chop saw blade. That way I can push the blank up against the stop block and make quick, clean, and accurate cuts everytime. Worked awesome.
7) Here are the all the finished playing pieces. I liked the decorative grooves on the King so much, I added a groove to the bottom of each Kubb (3/4" from the edge).
8) I hit each one of the playing pieces with a palm sander. I didn't spend too much time on them. I just wanted to smooth out some rough spots, remove pencil marks, and any tear-out on the edges. I don't remember the grit I used. I'm guessing 60 grit.
9) Now its time to cut the batons. While I'd prefer 2" closet rod, I couldn't find anything larger than 1.25" at my big box store. So I had to settle for that. I should have shopped around a bit more because I'm afraid 1.25" might not play as well. At any rate, I cut 6 of these at 12".
While I was at it, I cut the stakes too. I used 3/4" dowel for these. I cut one edge at 45 degrees so it can be pounded into the ground easier.
10) Now you can add your finish of choice. I had some floor polyurithane laying around and considered using that. But I figured the poly would get caught up in those decorative grooves. I had some spray finish, but I'm not sure how good of a protection it would get...besides, it's expensive. I decided to go with Boiled Linseed Oil. I mixed 1/2 BLO and 1/2 Mineral Spirits. I poured it into a paint tray and just dipped each piece into the BLO mixture. I used a foam brush to make sure it got everywhere. I let the excess drip off quickly, and I put it on a drying rack (a bed of nails). After a few minutes of letting the oil soak in, I wiped off the excess with a rag, and put them up to finish curing. Be sure to dispose of the rags properly, oily rags are known to spontaneously combust.
11) The last thing I did, was cut my string. This is used to mark the court. I made mine 16'x26'. I tied a little loop at each intersection so it can go around the stake. I used cotton string, but in hindsight, I should have used a synthetic. It would be stronger, not stretch, and tangle less. I'll just wrap the string around the stakes after the game is finished.
The Final Product
Conclusion
This game was a lot of fun to make. I found you really need a table saw to dimension the lumber correctly. However, a bandsaw would work too. The chamfers can be made on the table saw, and all cross cuts can be made with the table saw too (using the miter gauge that came with your saw). The pointed crown is purely decorative, so if you don't have a bandsaw or jigsaw, I would skip it. Like I said, I think making the crown on the table saw is too dangerous without the proper jigs.
This game cost me $17.61 to make. I didn't time myself, but I'm guessing you can make this game in less than two hours (minus drying times). I think this game would be a lot of fun at church picnics, family reunions, or at the beach. Quick and easy game to make and play. Give it a try!
