2x4 Challenge

This is a step by step instruction of a checkerboard. The 2x4 challenge is challenge where you have to make something only using 2x4's and you have to use at least 1 2x4 for your project to pass the challenge. it also must be 80% wood.

Supplies

You will need 1.5 2x4's, the darkest wood stain you can find, a miter saw, table saw, band saw, disc sander, and F-style clamps and wood glue.

Step 1: Cutting Your 2x4 Down to Size

Once I got my 2x4, I cut it in half in order to make cutting on the miter and table saw easier. So I cut it at 5 ft. Then I marked my woods width at 2 inches all the way down the board to cut vertically on the table saw.

Step 2: Cutting Your Checkerboard Squares Out

I then marked my 5 ft 2x4 at 2 inches and cut out blocks every 2 inches so that they would be 2x2 blocks on the miter saw. I cut out 64 blocks. I used 1 of my boards on cutting out my blocks.

Step 3: Sanding and Staining

Next comes the most annoying part of the project. I sanded all 6 sides of my 2x2 blocks (64) on the Disc sander but you can also use the belt sander. Next I used walnut stain and stained 32 of my 2x2 blocks. I only stained the tops of them to conserve stain.

Step 4: Gluing Your Rows

Next I glued my 2x2 blocks together coordinating dark block then unstained block. make your board in 8x8 of blocks. I glue each row then clamped the row together using an F clamp.

Step 5: Gluing Each Row Together

Next I took the F clamps off of each row and proceeded to glue each row to each other and then used bigger F clamps to clamp all of the rows together. Make sure you are coordinating colors of your block to make the checkerboard pattern.

Step 6: Cutting Out Your Border

Then I cut another 2x4 10 ft board in half then marked one inch vertically down the middle. then I cut it out on the table saw. Next I Cut two of the boards at 18 inches and two at 16 inches so it would make an overlapping border.

Step 7: Sanding and Gluing Your Border

Next I used the Disc sander to sand out my border. then I glued each border around my already glued together checkerboard and clamped them together with an F clamp.