making 4in diameter plugs

[Kacey Zach]

How can I make the buttons on the fronts?

They represent the lego buttons on a lego and are 4in in diameter on this model. I tried a hole cutter, but I had some problems and have been a bit skittish with the hole cutter since it twisted up some stuff on me last time I used it.

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae357/kszach/lego_base.jpg

[Stephen Edwards]

I would use a circle cutter/fly cutter in a drill press, making that that the cutter blade is oriented such that the circles that you'd be cutting have sides that are 90 degrees to the plugs.

[Radek Kowalski]

What about turning the buttons. It would be like a coaster, shouldn't be to hard to do. Let me know if your intrested in something like that.

[Paul Atkins]

Lathe - Or make a template and use a flush trim bit on a router.

[Kenneth Whiting]

I would use my scroll saw

[Chris Barnett]

Cut a spindle 4 inch diameter and slice on BS into the buttons. Less than a five minute job on wood lathe.

[Peter Quinn]

Circle cutting jig on the BS, then 1/16" smaller circle cutting jig on the router table if cleaner surface is desired, or clean up on horizontal belt sander if available.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Five ways to skin that cat. Every one will work.

I bet you $6.00 you couldn't get that much information elsewhere for $6.00

[Matt Day]

Cut a spindle 4 inch diameter and slice on BS into the buttons. Less than a five minute job on wood lathe.

I'm with Chris on this one.

[Bill Huber]

I vote for the band saw, and the router.

The problem with a hole saw or a fly cutter is you need to have a hole in the center. With the band saw or a jig saw you don't have to have the hole in the center, just a small dimple will do.

Last year I made 50 spools, the center hubs were 3 inches in diameter.
I first cut a 3 inch circle out of MDF and cleaned it up and made it smooth.
I then cut plywood circles for the hubs, the circles were over sized by about 1/8 inch (1/16 on each side). Used 2 sided tape and attached them to the template and finished them on the router table.

I did the same thing for the spool sides only they were 9 inches in diameter and I used hard board.

[Kacey Zach]

shifting gears a bit here...

I have 40 of those 4in dia, 1in tall discs (buttons or whatever they are called) to make. I may go with 3in instead, btw.

How would you make them?

The entire table will be painted as shown. I am thinking the jig (I'd have to make one), may be a bit time consuming.

Here is another idea... Cut 3 or 4in diameter PVC pipe into 1in sections and fill the inside with bondo or joint compound? Thoughts? Of course, attachment would be an issue.... hmmmm. must be an easier way.

[Mike Heidrick]

If you want them made from wood - I would use a plunge router with a Jasper 400J circle jig mounted to the bottom. There is a plate that can be used that you double stick to your work - no holes in the circle. Router makes a smooth cut so no clean up.

[Gene Howe]

Why not turn a 36" long 4" diameter "pole" and cut 'em off on the band saw?

[David DeCristoforo]

Any of the proposed methods will produce the result you want. But I'm curious why you are not comfortable with using a hole saw. Mounted in a drill press with your stock clamped securely to the table, this would seem to be a simple operation. With everything held fast, you don't even need to use the center pilot so no hole in the center to deal with. I can only assume that your "skittish" feeling comes from having attempted to use a large hole saw in a hand held drill which can often provide some unpleasant experiences. But with a drill press and a good stock clamping strategy I can't see why there would be any worries.

[Kacey Zach]

I think that i had the cutting edge of the hole cutter incorrectly positioned and it caught a knot in a board I was cutting twisting things up pretty badly. I don't have a hole saw the correct size and Rockler does not carry one that big, I may stop at Ace later today. The hole cutter that I have is this: http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Mfg-Co-In/dp/B00004T7P1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1257016357&sr=8-2

I don't know if I bent something when I did that twist up, cause now things shake a bit when I use it.

[David DeCristoforo]

That's not a hole saw, it's a "fly cutter" This is a hole saw:

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-49-56-0211-4-Inch-Hole-Teeth/dp/B00008Z9Z4