Automotive Chess Set: Knights of the Square Chessboard

Make these knights for your automotive chessboard from rocker arms.

Step 1: Remove the Rocker Arms.

These rocker arms are from a Saturn S Series 1.9L engine. They are the cast type with needle bearings. These tend to be found in smaller higher revving engines. Older V8s sometimes just had cheaper stamped rockers. You can use other rockers too, whatever you have available. You can get scrap cylinder heads from an automotive machine shop that tests heads for cracks and warping. Maybe for not much more than the scrap price. If you like these ones just get them to save you the next scrap Saturn S head they encounter, because Saturn made several million of them and many of them are still on the road. These ones kind of reminded me of the "cadeau" rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Step 2: Find a Mounting Base...

The Saturn rockers will stand up on their own but they're too tippy. I used the rocker mount from a Ford 302 V8 head as a base. The first picture shows the stamped rocker sitting on the base as it does in the engine. The second picture shows the base. You could use other small parts for the base as well. The third picture shows a base made from a valve spring retaining plate. You can see the steps for removing the valve springs and retainer plates in my previous instructable on the valve bishops.

Step 3: Glue the Rocker Onto the Base.

The best glue I found for metal to metal is JB Weld Epoxy, which calls itself the World's Strongest Cold Weld. You will need to de-grease both parts well and then use some sandpaper to roughen the 2 surfaces, as the package indicates. I used a vice to hold the 2 parts straight. You have to leave it overnight because it takes a long time to cure. Make sure its as straight as possible.Wipe off any excess glue. It dries grey in color and makes a pretty strong bond, good enough for chessmen anyway I think.