Make a cribbage board

With a little time and a beautiful piece of wood, you can build a special cribbage board for that avid player in your life. Pretty enough to be put on display, this project is also completely functional. The design is perfect for using up workshop scraps or showcasing a novel type of exotic wood.

* Click here to download a detailed illustration of the cribbage board

Build the base
Start by dressing and dimensioning lumber for the base, bringing it to a final size of 7/8" x 5 1/2" x 15 1/2". Use a 45º chamfer bit in a table-mounted router to create a 1/4" bevel around the entire top edge of the base. Mark out the recess for the deck of cards as shown in the plans, then use a 1/2"-dia. straight bit in a plunge router to mill a 3/4"-deep recess. You'll get best results if you prepare a router template from 1/4" plywood or hardboard, then use it to guide the process. (The plans show you how.) While you're at it, mark the location for a 1/2"-deep peg compartment at the opposite end of the base. A two-inch Forstner bit is the perfect helper to use for this job.

Top player
To make the game board itself, start by preparing a 3/4" x 4 3/8" x 14 1/4" piece of wood. I prefer a light and interesting species, such as bird's-eye maple, for this high-visibility piece. Finish-sand the surfaces of the board and get ready to drill a lot of holes. This is where a paper template really helps. Use your computer—or a friend's—to download the full-size template in Acrobat format. You can also have the template doubled in size on a photocopier with an enlargement feature.

Once you have the template, glue it to the best face of your game board blank using spray adhesive. Using a bandsaw, cut the rounded profile on one end of the board to within 1/16" of the template line, then sand up to it with a stationary disc sander.

Accuracy drills
While the template makes placing the holes easy, the real challenge lies in drilling them in such a way as to end with nice clean edges. The best way to help ensure a minimum of sanding later is to use a sharp, high-quality 1/8" brad-point bit chucked in your drillpress, and to spin it as fast as possible. A faster speed results in less tearout and cleaner holes, although you do need to monitor drill-bit temperature. Stop every few minutes, touch the bit and let it cool down if it's hot.

Drill all of the holes to a depth of 1/2", except for holes in the centre of the board at the 102 mark and at the centre of the score holes at the bottom of the board. These need to be drilled all the way through, using sacrificial scrap wood underneath to prevent tearout where the bit exits the game board. You'll use these holes later to assemble the base and top.