Extras

Once you have decided on all of the basic requirements for your chip case design, you can move on to the fun and creative part of the design process.

Inlays
Add elegance to your wooden chip case with an inlay. Inlay is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of colored materials into groves in a base object to form patterns or pictures. Inlays commonly use wood veneer. 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 cut into the base material. The most popular way to create an inlay is to rout out a panel the exact size and shape, just a shade shallower than the inlay. The decorative inlay is glued down with the face side down. After the work has dried sufficiently, the surface can be sanded and finished. Inlays can be simple or intricate. If you have a theme or logo for your home casino or poker chips, you may want to consider adding the design as an inlay on the lid of your wooden poker chip case.





Splines
Another decorative accent, that is also a sound structural addition to your wooden poker chip case, is adding a spline at the joints.A spline is a thin strip of wood mounted between two joints, used with the intention of reinforcing the joints and adding extra support. Inserting a spline into a structure is as simple as adding an extra strip of wood between a miter joint. A spline will function to effectively add reinforcement and support to the joints, which is important when considering the weight of the case once all of the chips are init. The benefit of using a spline in such construction will help to add stiffness to the entire structure and reduce bowing. It will also help to prevent warping to the joint structure. A spline should be used anytime a joist structure is being built in an area where additional weight will be put on it. If the spline is added in a contrasting wood tone, the effect can also be decorative.

Monograms
If your home casino logo, company logo or other personalized design is too intricate for an inlay, you may wish to have the case laser engraved. Wood offers an excellent medium for laser engraving.  Typically, a light colored wood like Maple or Cherry is engraved and the image is stained a darker color for contrast. Some darker woods like Mahogany also yield wonderful results. The sky is the limit when using laser engraving. Initials, logos, personalized messages, and even drawings or photos can be engraved in wood.