Wooden Poker Chip Cases - So Much Wood, So Little Time!

Whether you are looking to build or purchase a custom wooden poker chip case to house your chips, there is one thing that every woodworking project has in common...wood! With so many different types of wood available, where do you start? Here are a few helpful tips that you may want to consider before choosing the right wood for your case.

The wood of different species varies considerably in weight, strength, and appearance. Softwood is normally uniform in grain (texture) and color. Hardwood produces lumber in which the grain may run vertically or horizontally and may be coarse or smooth. Rarer decorative woods may be cut into thin layers and glued to other wood structures to form a vaneer. There are also several characteristics of wood that you will want to consider.

Grain - the stripes in the wood created by growth rings which may be tight, indicating slow growth, widely spaced, indicating quick growth, or any variation in between. Different woods have distinct grain patterns that help identify them.

Figure - the pattern in the wood that gives it a unique appearance that may be wavy, tiger striped, curly, flaming, or many other variations.

Burl - an unusual growth on a tree that may be caused by a virus or bacteria, often resulting in a highly figured piece of wood.

The type of wood that you may want to use in your case is dependent on a number of factors. 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. Don't try to save money by using a 2" x 2" piece of spruce from Home Depot! Cases generally need to be made out of a good piece of Hardwood, such as Maple, Cherry or Walnut.

A completely different way to look at things is to choose a wood based on aesthetics. You can choose wood based on figure, color, grain, or texture. Figure can range from Birdseye and Curly to Quilted and Burl. Different wood types have naturally different colors; from white (Holly) to black (Ebony) and red (Bloodwood) to green (Lignum Vitae.) You may want to create a case with a unique grain. Try on some Zebrawood, Rosewood, or even a nice Black Walnut. As far as texture, Leopardwood, Oak, and Wenge have large, open pores, whereas Ebony, Cocobolo, and Hard maple have a very fine texture, making the boards feel smooth to the touch.

Looking at specific wood types and their characteristics, the first type of wood to consider is Maple. The sapwood has the color of cream, and is very similar to heartwood, and has a straight grain. Maple is somewhat dense and is strong. Rock Maple is one of the strongest species, and has a reddish color. Curley Maple is especially prized by woodworkers as a hard maple that is generally considered more durable, and often yields woods with exceptional figuring. The undulating pattern of wavy lines found in curley maple results from wood fibers in the tree becoming distorted as they grow. This striking pattern is known by a variety of names, such as 'rippled', 'tiger-striped', and 'fiddle-backed'. Ambrosia Maple is a species of hard maple, and the 'ambrosia' in the name, refers to the ambrosia beetle. The beetle bores into maple trees that are already cut and deposits a fungus throughout the holes. The fungus reacts with the wood and creates the discoloration associated with ambrosia maple. While the ambrosia beetle penetrates other trees, the maple seems to have partnered with it uniquely to produce an enchanting result. Color can include cream, light brown, and some dark streaks. The grain patterns are artistic and are best characterized as arcing swirls.

The next type of wood which is commonly used for cases is Cherry. Cherry may have a pinkish color and may become reddish brown when it is exposed to the sun. Much like maple, cherry tends to have a straight grain and smells like roses when freshly cut. It has a medium level of strength and density, and the finish is excellent. Cherry has a pale yellowish sapwood and a darker heartwood. The wood's color deepens to its characteristic reddish brown, almost mahogany-like color when exposed to the sun. The sapwood never darkens to the same color of the heartwood. Cherry often shows a waving curly figure when finished. Heartwood can have dark spots or fine black lines that are actually gum pockets, that pose added challenges in finishing. Both maple and cherry tends to be midrange in price, and are excellent for those who want to have a nice case without spending a lot of money.

Walnut lumber is also frequently used for fine wooden cases. The wood's color deepens to its characteristic reddish brown, almost mahogany-like color when exposed to the sun. The sapwood is creamy white and the heartwood is a rich chocolate or purplish brown in color, with a dull sheen. Black walnut is normally straight grained and is noted for its beautiful grain character, producing more figure variation than any other wood. Over the years the wood develops a lustrous patina. Walnut woods can also have a wavy grain. It has a medium level of density, but is very strong.

Another dark colored wood which is very expensive is Ebony. The two types of ebony species which you will commonly see are African ebony and Indian ebony. While most ebony species will have a straight grain, they may also feature a grain which is wavy. It has a high level of density and strength, but is highly brittle as well. If it is well polished, Ebony will showcase a spectacular luster.

Oak is an inexpensive type of wood which typically comes in the form of a light colored sapwood. It has a color which ranges from tan to a yellowish brown color. While it can also be straight grained, it may be irregular as well. Despite being one of the cheapest woods, it has a high level of strength and density. It can also be stained, and although it is good for those on a budget, it is not typically used for custom cases. Much like oak, pine is an inexpensive wood which can be white or yellow in color. It does not have a high level of density, but you have to pay close attention to how you stain pine in order for it to work properly.

Mahogany is one of the most expensive woods you'll find. It can only be found in west Africa, and it will have a reddish brown color. The grain can be straight, or it can be interlocked. Though it has a medium level of density, it doesn't have a large amount of strength. It can easily be polished and stained.

There are many varieties of wood available to create that one of a kind poker chip case. If you have a better understanding of the types of wood available, and how they can be used, you will be better equipped to achieve the desired result of a quality finished product.

What Differentiates a Fine Poker Chip Case from a Wooden Box?

So you have decided to invest in a poker chip case to store all of your poker chips. There are a multitude of chip cases and trays on the market, from inexpensive plastic trays to outrageously expensive sets. If you have your heart set on a wooden poker chest, here are some things to consider that differentiate a fine poker chip case from just a plain wooden box.

JOINTS

Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility, toughness, etc. - derive from the properties of the joining materials and from how they are used in the joints. Therefore, different joinery techniques are used to meet differing requirements. 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 chip case. The joints have to be strong, or the case will fall apart under the weight of the chips.

Most pre-made cases bought on the market utilize a butt joint. A butt joint is a joinery technique in which two members are joined by simply butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the members to the appropriate length and butting them together. It is also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used, it relies upon glue alone to hold it together. Because the orientation of the members usually present only end grain to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak.

When ordering a custom chip case, you can specify a dovetail joint. 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.

Another simple and strong joint is the mortise and tenon joint, which has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood. This is commonly used when the pieces are at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place.

HARDWARE

Hardware for a poker chip case must also be durable. A variety of hinges and hardware are used in commercial cases, but usually a stamped hinge is used which is the weakest type of hinge. When ordering a custom case, there are a variety of hinges you may request.A full length piano hinge is a long narrow hinge that runs the full length of the two surfaces to which its leaves are joined. This imparts additional strength to the hinge when a solid wood lid is used.

Concealed Hinges are used for furniture doors (with or without self-closing feature, and with or without dampening systems). They are made of 2 parts: One part is the hinge cup and the arm; the other part is the mounting plate. Also Euro/cup hinge. This gives a cleaner look to the case.

FINISH

One thing to consider when choosing a wooden chip case is to specify that the finish be ‘chip friendly.’ Polyurethane or a non-soluble varnish is an ideal choice, as it does not stain or seep into your chips. Specifically, avoid any type of Oil finish such as Tung or Danish oil, as these oils can penetrate into the clay chips over time.

CHIP SIZE

Commercial chip trays are usually 'one-size-fits-all', so be certain that your chips are appropriately sized for the chip case. If ordering a custom chip case, be sure to specify the size of your chips. The majority of chips are of the 39mm size. However, large denomination chips, as well as chips based on the Paulson Inverted Hat and Cane (IHC) fractionals mold, are a larger 43mm size. Casino Chip thickness can also impact how difficult it is too add or remove chips from a tray. As a chip begins to show signs of wear, edges may become less crisp and the chip becomes a bit thinner. Over time, chips may begin to wiggle a bit in the case.

So when investing in a wooden poker chip case to store your chips, remember to consider the type of joints, hinges, and finish used in the design of you case.

Useful Tips About Poker Chip Storage Cases

Poker is the most popular cards game in the world, known as a celebrated skill game, and sport. Since it's humble origins in the 14th century, The game's jargon has become a part of English and American culture.
Poker chips are almost synonymous with the game of poker itself. Early poker players sometimes used jagged gold pieces, gold nuggets, gold dust, or coins as well as "chips" primarily made of ivory, bone, wood, paper and a composition made from clay and shellac. Several companies between the 1880s and the late 1930s began making clay composition casino chips.
Casino chip collecting also became increasingly popular beginning in 1988, with the establishment of the Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (CC&GTCC). Poker chip collecting is the practice of intentionally taking chips from Casino premises, trading or collecting online, or in person, for the purpose of collection. Casino chip collecting is a part of numismatics; a variation of exonumia, or coin collecting. Before it became a more serious hobby, chip collecting was simply a case of people keeping chips as souvenirs from a casino they had visited. Some poker chips are now worth up to $50,000.
Whether a serious collector or a weekend gamer, some equipment will be needed in order to store or display your chips. The best way to store or display your poker chips is very subjective and will ultimately boil down to personal preference.

There are several alternatives to storing and displaying your chips. Frames specifically for displaying poker chips are available, or you can buy special mounting "backer" board to hold the chips and frame them yourself. Another display option is easel-mounted frames for one or more chips. For that extra-special or lucky chip, you might want to consider a poker chip Key Chain Holder. This is typically a clear plastic air-tight holder attached to a key chain.

Storing your chips can range from very inexpensive to extravagant, depending on the type of chips you own, and whether you want them on display or not. Several vendors offer "Poker Chip" binders that are basically a padded binder with the words "Casino Chips" printed on the front and spine. These binders are designed to hold the three-ring binder pages that are in-turn specifically designed to store casino chips.

Flips are typically stored either in binders or flip boxes. The former offer the convenience of being able to view your chips much like viewing a photo album. The flip boxes on the other hand, allow you to store more chips in a small space and are more efficient and practical for those of you who don't have a lot of shelf space for chip albums.

Chip or coin, wallets are small vinyl albums that typically hold anywhere from 24 to 80 chips depending on their size. Air-tights are transparent plastic coin holders that store a single coin. An air-tight consists of two halves that snap-together around a coin to form a snug, air-tight fit. Air-tights are great storage solutions to show-case your best poker chips, but tend to be pricey, so it can be cost-prohibitive to store your entire collection in them.

Coin tubes are hard plastic tubes that can store approximately 20 chips in a small space. The coins are tubular on the inside but are molded square on the outside to prevent rolling and allow stacking. When ordering coin tubes, you should order the 39mm, or "medallion" size. Coin tubes are a good storage solution to store your many traders, but you should be aware that the poker chips are not separated from contact with each other in the tubes. As a result, if not handled properly, it's theoretically possible that the chips could mar each other. For well used or older chips, this may not be a concern, but you may want to think twice before storing your mint-condition chips in a storage tube.

There are several varieties of cases available from aluminum to leather to vinyl to wood. Your budget is your only limit! These cases usually store anywhere from 300 to 500 chips although there are some 1000 chip models. There are several varieties of special presentation cases that are excellent to showcase your most prized poker chips.

Wooden poker cases may include chip trays that can be used to protect and store your chips, or can be removed to stack each players chips at the poker table. There is a shallow groove on the back of the trays to permit you to stack the trays at the poker table. When buying or ordering wooden chip trays, it is important to specify the finish be polyurethane or a non-soluble varnish. Specifically, avoid any type of Oil finish such as Tung or Danish oil, as these oils can penetrate into the clay chips over time.

Again, be certain that your chips are appropriately sized for the chip case. Generally speaking, the majority of chips are of the 39mm size. Large denomination chips, as well as chips based on the Paulson Inverted Hat and Cane (IHC) fractionals mold, are of the larger 43mm size.
Another measurement that may be referenced is the mold size - 66.7 or a 67.7 rack. This number is an indication as to the length (in millimeters) that is required to house a stack of 20 chips. Paulson chips require a 66.7 rack, others are on the 67.7 size. This may not be a major concern, but it is worth mentioning. Poker chip thickness can also impact how difficult it is too add or remove chips from a tray. As a chip begins to show signs of wear, edges may become less crisp and the chip becomes a bit thinner. Over time, chips may wiggle a bit in the case

Starting from scratch . . .

Over the next couple of days, I am going to take you through the steps to see how a poker tray comes together.  There is nothing fancy about this, nor is this procedure cast in stone.  I'm sure there are different ways to accomplish this, but without a 4-axis milling mac

hine and CNC, this is the way I envision I'll be cranking 'em out for a while...

Here I have selected some 5/4 Quarter-Sawn White Oak to use as the primary wood for the tray.  I'll sandwich a slice of Claro Walnut between two pieces of the White Oak, and cap it off with some more Walnut.  Here I have a 6" wide board freshly milled.

I am setting up to rip the 6" White Oak down to 3 pieces, 1.5" wide.  I like to use the bandsaw for this, as the blade is rather thin and it minimizes the waste from the ripping process.

The view on the right shows you that I was able to get three pieces with very little waste.  The boards came out rough from the bandsaw, so I'll run one side through the jointer to get a smooth surface, then run it through the surface planer to make sure all of the pieces are smooth and of a uniform thickness.

The boards have been run through the planer, and I have taken off less than 1/32" on the pass.  Using the slow setting on the Dewalt 735, the boards come out silky smooth, and there is no need to sand them down at this point.

Since I am planning on making 8 trays for this project, I 'll need a total of 16 pieces, cut to 10" each.

Welcome to the Shop...

I'm just getting started moving all the Poker Trays and accessories up to Etsy.  Right now, I have a set of 6 Walnut and Ambrosia Maple trays available, and I am finishing up a couple more really nice sets.

Take a Look at my ETSY site to see what I currently have available:

  Walnut/Ambrosia Maple Poker Trays

Also, let me know if there is something special you would like to see.

-Sven