Adding Rails to Your Poker Table: A Guide

Step 1 - Find the Wood

Visit a local lumber store to purchase your wood. Speak to a lumber expert about your project or recycle lumber from another project. You will need two pieces large enough to cover the top of your poker table.

Step 2 - Trace the Poker Table Top

Turn your poker table upside down and lay it on top of one of your pieces of wood. Use your pencil to trace the shape of the table top onto the wood. Remove the table from the wood and place it right side up.

Step 3 - Mark the Poker Table Rail Pattern

Use a ruler to measure two inches out from both sides of the traced outline you drew onto the wood board. Your rail pattern will have three lines and be about four inches wide when you are finished drawing the pattern.

Step 4 - Cut the Poker Table Rail Pattern

Use your hand saw to cut along the outside line of the rail pattern. When you have finished with the outside line, continue using the hand saw to cut along the inside of the rail pattern. When both sides have been finished you should have a large wooden ring that is about four inches wide.

Step 5 - Make the Rail Support

To keep the poker table rail in place you will need to use your second piece of wood to build a support for the rail. Take the wooden ring you just finished cutting and lay it on top of the second piece of wood. Use your pencil to trace only the outside shape of the ring. Do not trace the inside shape of the ring.

Take the wooden ring off of the second piece of wood. Use your ruler to measure two inches from the outside circle that you traced. Continue drawing the shape until you have a complete ring inside the circle. The new ring you have drawn should be two inches wide.

Step 6 - Cut the Rail Support

Use your hand saw to cut along the outside shape of the new ring. When you have finished, continue using your hand saw to cut along the inside shape of the new ring.

Step 7 - Attach the Support to the Rail

Use your wood glue to adhere the support ring to the rail. The two wooden rings you have cut should fit together around the outside.

Step 8 - Cover the Rail

Use a fabric, paint or varnish to protect your new rail. If you are using a fabric, trace the rail ring onto the fabric and then cut the fabric about four inches wider to be able to pull it around the edges and glue it down. If you use a paint or varnish, be sure to sand down the wood first. Allow the paint or varnish enough time to dry completely before adhering the new rail to your poker table.

Step 9 - Attach the Rail to the Poker Table

Use your wood glue to adhere your new rail to your poker table. The top ring of the rail should fit flush with the outside ring of the table. The bottom support ring of the rail should fit just under the table top and along the table edge to hold the rail in position.