If you are passionate about poker, and are looking to build or purchase a custom chip case to house your chips, consider incorporating a few woodworking extras to take it up a notch. Here are a few design recommendations that will make an ordinary wooden chip case extraordinary.
Frame and panel construction (also called "rail and stile") is a woodworking technique commonly used in the making of doors, wainscoting, and other decorative features for cabinets and furniture. The basic idea is to capture a 'floating' panel within a sturdy frame, as opposed to techniques like slab drawer fronts which are simply single pieces of material with exposed end grains. Usually, the panel is not glued to the frame - it is left to 'float' within it so that seasonal movement of the wood comprising the panel does not distort the frame or crack to wood.Hardwood plywood veneer selection is often limited, and you may have to special-order and still be limited to a dozen or so of the most common wood types. Veneer plywood is usually not available in exotic woods. Veneer panels also can vary in thickness from their stated dimension due to the foreign origin of much of this material and the resulting metric thickness measurement. U.S.-made hardwood plywood has face veneers averaging 1/30? in thickness. Some species, such as black walnut, are sliced thinner, to 1/32?. Foreign veneers are thinner still and can be tough to saw without splintering, and sand without destroying. The variation in thickness also impacts your joints. If you really want a good-fitting joint, the solution requires extra work. You need to mill the plywood edge that fits in the dado of your project.Inlay is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of colored materials into depressions in a base object to form patterns or pictures. Inlays frequently use wood veneer, but other materials like stone or shell may also be used.Principia's latest study MASONRY VENEER 2010 serves as an important baseline analysis for year-over-year forecasting and business planning purposes by existing and new industry participants. Principia Partners is a leading international business consulting firm, and has extensive experience in building products industry. In particular, the Firm has closely monitored the market for building and construction products over the past 10 years through various research efforts. For more information, visit the Industry Reports section of the Publishing portion of the company's web site at www.PrincipiaConsulting.com.Inlay differs from marquetry, a similar technique, in that marquetry is applied over an entire surface of an object, whereas inlay consists of small pieces inserted into cut spaces in the base material.Ken Jacobson, Partner at Principia Partners, says “Property owners are increasingly using masonry veneer products because they are significantly more affordable than natural stone and full dimensional brick. The growth in demand for masonry veneer products will be strongest in the residential new construction as the market rebounds. Moreover, manufacturers and suppliers are developing business with large home builders, contractors and architects to promote masonry veneer products in the residential market.”Most people perceive fireplace mantels as those shelves that extend out beyond the firebox. However, a mantel can encompass not only an ornamental framing around the firebox, but also the facing which makes up the outside of the fireplace "wall." If your fireplace has a mantel shelf, the panel or area above it can also be construed as part of the mantel as well.Adding a decorative lid to your poker chip case can also create a unique custom effect.Do-it-yourselfers can also give existing fireplace mantels a cosmetic facelift. This could be anything from simply painting the brick or resurfacing it with a thin stone veneer. Plastering or drywalling over an existing mantel are other options. Theoretically, you are only limited by your imagination and of course, your wallet! Just think things through before setting the wheels in motion for your mantel re-do.Mr. Jacobson continues, “According to our extensive research, property owners continue to seek products that are aesthetically pleasing, offer a wide range of design options in color, form and texture, and that can be easily installed. Masonry veneer products install easier than full-dimension masonry. More product can be moved and installed per man hour. Due to masonry veneer’ lower volume and weight, more product can be shipped per truckload than traditional masonry as with no load-bearing foundations required, thin masonry veneers are easier and less expensive to install than their full-dimension equivalents.”A dovetail joint is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.A butt joint is a joinery technique in which two pieces of wood are joined by simply butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the wood to the appropriate length and butting them together. It is also the weakest because it relies upon glue alone to hold it together. Because the orientation of the wood usually presents only an end grain to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak.When designing a poker chip case, you have to take into account the weight of the chips, which can approach 50 lbs for a 1000 poker chip case. The advantages of using solid wood include durability, strength, and practicality. There are also numerous exotic wood types to choose from.So whether you are building or purchasing a custom wooden poker chip case to house your chips, consider incorporating these few little extras to take it up a notch and make your ordinary wooden case extraordinary.The same technique can be used with a glass insert instead of a wood panel. The glass can be left clear to display of your chips, or etched with a decorative design or perhaps the name of your home casino.Because fireplace mantels are a highly visible element in any room, take your time and shop around for a few options. Fireplace stores will have a variety of options on their showroom floors. Even home improvement centers can offer up some ideas. Do a little research on the internet for inspiration. When you have narrowed down your designs, do a little budget exercise to see how much you are willing to spend on creating a new mantel. If you are not an adept handyman, enter the cost of a contractor into the budgetary equation.One thing to consider when finishing a wooden chip case is to use a chip friendly finish. Polyurethane or a non-soluble varnish is an ideal choice, as it does not stain or seep into your chips. You should especially avoid any type of Oil finish such as Tung or Danish oil, as these oils can penetrate into the clay poker chip over time.Use Dovetail Joints not Butt Joints
So whether you are building or purchasing a custom wooden poker chip case to house your chips, consider incorporating these few little extras to take it up a notch and make your ordinary wooden case extraordinary.
Author: Sven Asnien
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