Poker Inlay Template

The Poker Inlay Template is perfect for card playing tables, humidor lids, wall plaques and any other project for card game fans. Two different sizes of each suit are CNC milled into the plate. The small symbols are approximately 3” tall. The larger ones are 4” tall.

Woodpecker Poker Inlay Templates are machined from ¼” thick industrial grade phenolic. Unlike acrylic and other plastics, phenolic is not prone to distortion during hot or cold weather, won't wear even after hundreds of uses and is virtually indestructible. The template is approximately 16” x 16”.

What exactly is an inlay template? Quite simply, it's a pattern for routing a recess into one board and an opposite piece to fit into the recess. A professional looking inlay should fit well without gaps and not so tight to fracture when being glued in.

Most inlays are rather thin, like 1/8” to 1/4” in thickness. It's even possible to inlay very thin veneers.

With a little practice, you can master this process and make your woodworking project quite unique.

A well made template is the foundation to this process. Templates need to be accurately machined, dense enough to not dimple from the side pressure of the routing process, durable enough to last and large enough for sufficient surface area to stabilize a handheld router.

There are a few ways to attach templates to a work piece; double sided tape, small nails and clamps. Tape is the preferred method. Commonly available double sided tape like carpet tape will work, but tends to leave behind sticky adhesive that is difficult to clean off.

Special template tape has excellent temporary grabbing power, releases easy enough to avoid cracking thin inlays and doesn't leave behind sticky residue. However it is expensive. After the sticker shock, keep in mind a roll will go a long way. You won't need more than 6” to 12” for each job.

As a side note, if the inlays are thin, warm the tape with a blow dryer before removing. This makes it dramatically easier to remove from the work piece without splitting.

If you're planning on using nails, use small ones. You will need to drill small holes through the template. These holes shouldn't be much bigger than the nail and should be chamfered to put the head below the surface.