poker chip holder

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stewart

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Hi all
I'm planning to make a box to keep my poker chips and want to make semi-circular channels to hold them. The diameter needs to be 40mm. Any suggestions has to how to make them? So far I've wondered about using the table saw to make 40mm diameter coving but I'm not convinced that will work. I don't have a spindle moulder! I've not found a router cutter that's suitable, plus the cost would be prohibitive. What about bending very thin ply around dowel or a 40mm spade drill bit/forstner bit ( though i want each channel to be about 8 inches long - sorry for mixing metric and imperial!
Any suggestions??
Cheers
Stewart
 
Hi Stewart,

You can get extensions for flat bits and forstner bits.
I guess the you want the grain at right angles to the grove so you need to look at sawtooth bits like this and the extension like this, as this designed to drill end grain.
Its still not cheap, the pair will cost ~£25. To drill a hole through 8" of end grain I think you will need a large drill press and to clamp the stock to the table. Once the hole is drilled its just a mater of sawing it in half. 8)
 
I know nothing about gambling as i spend all my money on tools , but my thoughts are a hole or holes drilled from the underside the same or a mm above the size you need , then a base attached to the underside with springs fixed to it . On the top a larger hole offset so you can flip the chips out when you want them . Also i would make it out of the most expensive and exotic timber you can find so your opponents spend more time looking at your chip holder than the game :lol:
 
Hi

Wealden do a 38mm core box router bit at £24.40; Axminster a 1.5" round-nose bit at £16.45 (or Titman do a 40mm at nearly £70 :shock: ).

Alternatively you could hog out as much as possible with whatever router bits you have & then sand it to the right profile with 40mm dowel wrapped in sandpaper or a sanding block rounded over to 40mm dia on the edge - for a one-off project I'd probably go that route.

Richard
 
Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm still deciding the best course to take but all your comments have been very helpful.
I'll post pics on the progress I make.
Thanks again
Stewart
 
Hi Stewart

I probably wouldn't use a woodworking technique at all. I'd make a plywood box to the external dimensions of the chip box you want, take a length of 40mm waste drainage pipe and set it in the plywood box just above the base of the box. This would give you a mould for your poker chip container and you could then use a hard-setting putty to make as many chip containers as you wish.

If you wanted, you could then make wooden boxes to encase your cast holders.

Gill
 
Nice idea, Gill
I'll have to look into it. I had wondered about using one of the vacuum formers at school but somehow the idea of a thin plastic holder didn't really seem appealling.
Thanks
Stewart
 
Gill":ek0kvseq said:
This would give you a mould for your poker chip container and you could then use a hard-setting putty to make as many chip containers as you wish.

And if you lined this with green felt or one of the flocking type things it would look very pukka, clad in a good hard wood box.
 
How about turning them? Then cutting in half with a saw to leave the semi-circular profile?

or find someone with a spindle moulder? Ask them if they already have a suitable set of cutters? Or offer to buy a set of cutters - they aren't that expensive - certainly a lot cheaper than some of those router bits!

Adam
 
Just showing my ignorance here - what's the difference between a forstner bit and a sawtooth bit?
thanks
stewart
 
Here's another idea for you. Take Gill's idea of the form made of waste pipe and do a lamination of several layers of veneer glued up with epoxy.
 
Nice idea, Dave R
I really wanted the holders to be wooden and using your way they could be made from something exotic but not too pricey.
Cheers
Stewart
 
stewart":3s67yjem said:
40mm spade drill bit/forstner bit Any suggestions??
Cheers Stewart

Isn't domestic sink drainage pipe 44mm? If you lined it with veneer would it be about right?

Adam
 
I think you'll find it's 40mm, Adam - I just bought some from Wickes yesterday.

Taking the veneering idea a step further, would it be possible to make the mould and use a waste pipe to sandwich veneers into the mould, bending the protruding veneers flat? It might give a nicer result.

Gill
 
If you wrap the pipe in cellophane (cling wrap stuff from the kitchen) the bent veneers would pop right off if laminated with epoxy when the epoxy is cured. You could probably sandwish the veneers bewteen two pieces of pipe for clamping.
 
Stewart,
I just browsed Rockler site for something else but see that they offer a pre-formed tray for a wooden box which will hold poker chips, cards etc and which looks like what you are asking about. Still have to make the box though.
 
Thanks, Beech
Hadn't thought of looking at commercially available ones! discovered there are some on Ebay!! Still, I'm drawn to making them myself if I can. Experimented with a Forstner bit tonight but it didn't really like drilling in end grain. It was much better across the grain but i'll need to get an extension to make a channel any longer than 2 inches!
Cheers
Stewart
 
Or drill holes in lots of 2" thick pieces and laminate them together after.

Could produce an attractive effect if you use different species of wood.

Regards

Taffy.
 
Hi Taffy
That's an idea - i'm a little concerned about getting the individual pieces to line up neatly but I suppose it would improve my skill level and accuracy :roll:
I'll give it a go tonight if i get the chance.
Cheers
Stewart
 
What about kind of carving them out.

I've never tried carving, so don't know if this is possible, but some of the amazing wood carvings i've seen are mind blowing. Surely with a little practice you could get a reasonably straight channel.

Alternatively, some kind of ball rasp in a drill might help get most of the material away. I've seen Norm do this for the knuckles on a chair he made once.

Finish up with a suitible diameter Drum sander and some course paper?
 
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