vacuum lamination of chess boards

Today the 5th and 6th grade worked on their chess boards, adding cherry borders of thin solid stock and using chisels to miter the corners. Then we began the process of vacuum laminating the assembled veneers onto a birch plywood backing material. You can see the results below. This one is my own demonstration piece and the kid's work is not quite so neat. But in the end, they will have made some useful and beautiful chess boards. After spring break we will begin making the chess men to go with their chess boards.