Another request....

[Bonnie Campbell]

Could someone tell me how you 'mount' the wood and make coasters? I know it's oft joked about as a way to use a bad turning, but I just got an order for a set of canary wood coasters and I've never turned anything I could of considered a coaster. Also any ideas for the coaster holder? The set is to go along with a canary wood bowl as a wedding gift :o

[Neal Addy]

That's an interesting puzzle, Bonnie. Never really thought about it before. I don't have a vac chuck so it does pose some unique challenges.

I'd assume these coasters would have some kind of insert (i.e. cork, marble, etc) on top so there would be a shallow recess on that side. I'd start between centers and make a small tenon on the bottom side. Chuck the tenon and turn the top first, making a recess for the insert. Then flip it over and lightly expansion chuck the recess (with #2 jaws?) to remove the tenon and finish the bottom.

Of course, this only works if you are planning for an insert.

[George Van]

The new AAW Journal Summer 2007 has an article on making coasters. It covers the complete process.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Can the Journal be bought? Or do I need to join the AAW to get it?

[TYLER WOOD]

Maybe you could make a blank round to the lenght where all 6 coaster would come from the same blank. Chuck it up, and start turning from the oposite end. Part it off and start the next. You could recess the face of the coaster and finish sand all but the bottom. I would make a canarywood holder to a little larger diameter inside and deep enough to hold the 6 coasters with about a 3/8" to 1/2" thick wall, then if you have a band saw, cut slots on 2 quadrants don to the base of the holder to be able to grab the coasters.

[Bonnie Campbell]

That's a good idea Tyler. Though my band saw cuts like a snake (I'm sure I'm not using or setting things right on it). I did see the kind of cup holder for the coasters, and I liked that design a lot.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Bonnie
Yes the AAW Journal can be purchased at Woodcraft and other similar stores. You can also purchase it on the AAW website.

I would encourage you to join AAW. At $40 per year the Journal is worth the membership alone not to mention the good work they do promoting our craft. I'm old school on stuff like this. For an Abysserated turner not being a member of AAW (or a contributor here at the Creek for that matter) is like going to church and not throwing something in the collection basket.

I probably just lit a fuse so sorry in advance for derailing your coaster thread.

Frank

[Grant Wilkinson]

Bonnie

I pm'd you.

[Phillip H Smith]

Bonnie...

I just made a bunch of coasters. Here's how I did it:

1. Got some "free" cherry wood from a local (but very famous) furniture manufacturer's scrap pile in the town where I live.
2. Planed it down to appropriate thickness with my thickness planer. This also gives you a flat bottom...er, well not you, per se, but the coaster.http://sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon7.gif
3. Used an existing coaster as a "round" template, but anything of the right diameter would work...or use a protractor.
4. Rough cut the coaster blanks on my band saw to near final size.
5. Mounted a similarly rough cut piece of 3/4" plywood on my faceplate, then rounded it to size.
6. Mounted the coaster blanks on the plywood/face plate with double stick tape. I use outdoor carpet tape, which is really "grabby."
7. Turned the coasters to size, and made a shallow groove or two on the upper face for decoration. You can be really creative here.
8. Gave them away as gifts!

It was easy and FREE...all told only took me an hour or so to do. And it gave me some relief from grading the "dissapointing" final exams from my Medical Students. As an aside...don't get sick!!!!

[Bonnie Campbell]

Since they want the coasters in canary wood I'll need to buy the lumber for it. Hoping I can find it thin enough so there isn't to much waste turning. What's the average thickness of a coaster? Heck, we just use the cheap plastic ones here lol

I don't have a planner, but the sticky tape sounds like a good idea.


Grant, no PM showing up in my box....

[Phillip H Smith]

Bonnie...

The ones I made were 1/2in. I started with approx. 3/4in. stock that was fairly rough...so I planed it down about an 8th. on each side.

If you're going to buy the canary wood, you can probably specify the thickness. Or you could perhaps re-saw with a band saw...or use a 60-grit gouge!

I think the plastic coasters I've seen are probably a bit less than half in. and often have a cork insert. I was thinking of turning a space for a cork insert on the ones I made, but then couldn't come up with a good way to get the cork perfectly round. (Guess I could have tried mounting and turn it on my plywood/face plate. But thought it would really tear out too much.)

Anyway...by turning a groove or two..or three in the face of the coaster, it gave some interest to an otherwise round, flat piece of wood.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Speaking of cork.... I'd wondered about that. Do most put the cork circle in? Or just leave it plain? Seems like a waste of nice wood to cover it up. What kind of finish would you suggest?

[Lee DeRaud]

Speaking of cork.... I'd wondered about that. Do most put the cork circle in? Or just leave it plain? Seems like a waste of nice wood to cover it up. What kind of finish would you suggest?I always put the cork on the bottom to pad the table it's sitting on. But I'm in a dry climate where condensation is usually not that much of an issue.

All that aside, it never occurred to me to use the lathe to make coasters. :p
(Search on 'Coasters' in thread titles over in the 'general woodworking' forum and you'll see what I mean.)

[Bonnie Campbell]

Y'all have been a big help! Now..... Does anyone know a source for 3/8-1/2" canary wood? Thought I did..... :rolleyes:

[Dennis Peacock]

Bonnie,

Get you a sheet of cork for the coasters. You can take a scrap piece of electrical conduit (from a local electrical contractor) that is about a size you make need....maybe 2-1/2" or 3"?? Take one end of the pipe and "sharpen" the end of the pipe on your grinder leaving the "inside" of the pipe as the cutting edge. Place the pipe "sharp end on the cork" and whack the other end with a wooden mallet a time or two. Wah-Lah....you have a perfectly round cut piece of cork for the coasters. :D

BTW, I got that idea from Mark Cothren when I was over at his shop cutting some sanding disks one night. Thanks Mark!!!! Right handy tip there. ;)

[Bonnie Campbell]

That cutting tip is a really good one! Thanks :)

[Nancy Laird]

Bonnie, you could also have the cork cut on a laser, if you have a laserhead handy or nearby.

But Dennis' idea is a great one too!!

Nancy

[Bonnie Campbell]

No laser available here Nancy. I really can't decide on cork for the surface yet. I hate the thought of covering nice wood up.... Anybody try just using loose cork so it can be used or not?

[Nancy Laird]

Bonnie, in Mississippi, with the humidity, if you don't use cork or some sort of absorbent material in the well of the coaster, you're going to have ruined coasters inside of one summer. All that condensation on the outside of glasses that ruins tables will run down into the well of the coaster and ruin the wood. I know it's a lousy thing to think about covering up that wood, but I'd bet your customer would rather have the coasters for more than one season and would accept the cork. Just gotta let the customer decide.

(Whispering: By the way, we do lasering, if you're interested in that route.)

Nancy

[Bonnie Campbell]

These coasters will be a gift in Colorado. Do you think the condensation would be as bad there? I gave up on coasters here lol I just use folded paper towels to catch all the run off ;)

[Nancy Laird]

Depending on where in Colorado, it probably won't be as bad. Mountain areas with lots of forest will be humid though. Here in Rio Rancho, where I live, the humidity generally stays around 20-30%--more than that and it's miserable. Down by the river, along the bosque (forest), which is about 5-600 feet lower in elevation than we are, the humidity goes up to about 40% or so. We can always tell if the humidity is up when the glasses start to sweat.

Nancy

[Bonnie Campbell]

These will be in Longmont Colorado. From what my sister has told me the humidity is almost non-existent? I think I'll do the cork, but just set it in the coasters. Then they can decide for me lol