| Project by James | posted 180 days ago | 326 views | 0 times favorited | 6 comments |  |
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This is a Poker sign I made for my uncle-in-law’s poker house. On Saturday our family gathers there to visit and play poker. It’s a real fun time for adults and kids alike and I wanted to make something to say thanks for allowing all of us to come over and eat and enjoy each other’s company.
I used a 1/4” router bit in a plunge router to recess 1/16” for the cards and 1/8” for the chips. The lettering is hand engraved and then painted black. As for the “antique” look, I first sealed the project in a clear poly. then i beat on it with a small chain, hammered in some nail heads, and basically just dented it randomly. Then I took some ebony stain and rubbed it into the dents, which created the black spots.
-- James, Bluffton, IN
6 comments so far
a1Jim
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17198 posts in 477 days
posted 180 days ago
Hey HM
Super great job looks good
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com
Blondewood
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100 posts in 244 days
posted 180 days ago
Cool sign! Did you use a jig to route the depression for the cards and chips? Must have hurt to beat it with a chain.
James
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161 posts in 181 days
posted 179 days ago
Hi Blondewood,
I just clamped a straightedge to the table to rout the straight sides of the depressions. Then rounded out the corners freehand. My uncle-in-law loves antique items so it was actually kind of fun to beat it up, since I knew the “worse” it looked the better it would be received. :)
-- James, Bluffton, IN
JPKnapp
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19 posts in 186 days
posted 179 days ago
This is nice. This may be my holiday project. How did you keep the cards from bending when adding glue or tape? Or did you cover it in the bar shelac?
-- I specialize in expensive mistakes.
James
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161 posts in 181 days
posted 179 days ago
Hi JPKnapp-
Thanks!
I used glue, and cut scrap blocks a little smaller than the cards and set a heavy cinder block on them to keep them flat. Since it was to be antiqued, I then just wiped on some coats of poly, not caring if it got in there and stained the cards up a little bit.
-- James, Bluffton, IN
KevinT
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4 posts in 530 days
posted 178 days ago
HM
Looks nice. One idea to give it an aged look is to use Sassafras wood.
Also to add some intrigue to it you could leave the last card face down.
-- Kevin