The game's afoot..........

About a year ago I started making a vintage games chest.  Every now and then I've taken it out of its box and looked at it disconsolately, before packing it away again.

However, today I got it out again, and spent a few hours working on it.  Prototypes are a mixed blessing.  They're for working out just exactly how to do something, making all the mistakes as you go along but hopefully ending up with something which you know can be improved upon.
I actually finished it, or as much as I want to do on an object which will have to go through several further incarnations before I can even think of offering one for sale.

It's far from perfect, but I've worked out how to do some things better, and have several ideas for fundamental improvements to the basic structure.

So here's the prototype.  It isn't fully finished, as in completely decorated on the front and sides, but you get the idea........

It's made from jelutong wood, which is easy to work with for the initial prototype, but I may make the next one from mahogany or walnut, which would look better.

In the body of the chest is a sectioned drawer, which contains  tiny dice and a selection of coloured wooden and metal playing pieces.  Beneath the drawer are 4 pull-out wooden game boards, each printed with a different vintage game in full colour.

I need to source some better tiny brass knobs for the game boards and thinner stripwood for the dividers, as well as devising vintage-style decals for the back and sides of the chest.  However, hopefully now that I've actually completed the prototype, the improved version won't take as long to work though.........

Other than the games chest, I've also started preparations for a new range of menagerie pullalong toys with some exciting new animals.

All in all a good, productive, creative day.