A quick update with a small project I put together. I like to casually play Go, and I fell in love with the wooden board and glass stones that my friend had at his apartment. I ran across a thick butchers-block style table left on the curb, and decided to make it into a Goban. The expensive boards are wonderful because of their weight and feel.

I used a laser engraver to make the lines, once I had sanded the wood as much as I wanted to. It’s a 15x15 board, which is not standard. Most Goban are 19x19. However, there is historical precedent for 15x15 boards, centuries ago in China. The wood grain is a little dark, but it’s definitely functional and (I think) a pleasure to play on. It makes a very satisfying sound when a piece is played.

The stones are flat-bottomed glass vase beads. They aren’t totally consistently circular, some are more oblong. I think the clear ones look like droplets of water.