Related Video

I made a video on the process of building a Quarto game, and also have free plans and a board template available.

About the Project

Over the holidays I built three Quarto games – each with a board and 16 pieces. Two were gifts for my brother and brother-in-law and their families and one I made for us. My wife and I made the canvas bags for the pieces. I based my build on a video by Bob over at I Like To Make Stuff. Since I don’t have a CNC I had to get creative with how I cut the game board.

Tools and Materials

Wood: Hard Maple (Light Pieces), Cherry (Dark Pieces), Red Oak (Game Board)
Fabric: Canvas
Finish: 4:1 ratio of Mineral Oil and Beeswax (Sourced locally from 3 Bee Farms)
Tools Used: Drill Press, Hole Saw Kit, Table Saw, Router, Belt Sander

Gallery

I didn’t take pictures of the process, but here are pictures of the final project. The captions offer some additional details.

Game board, instructions, and canvas bag

Blaise Müller in 1991" />

This game was invented by Blaise Müller in 1991

The drawstring bag that holds the pieces was made from canvas fabric and jute.

There are 16 pieces, each with different characteristics. Tall or short, round or square, dark or light, with a hole or solid. Get four in a row of any characteristic and you win! Only one catch… the opponent chooses the piece you play!

The round pieces were made using a 1/2" round over bit in a router table." />

All the 1"x1" pieces were milled from square stock.
The round pieces were made using a 1/2" round over bit in a router table.