Whether you’re making them for yourself or giving them as a gift, wooden coasters are always a crowd pleaser. In this intermediate level project, we’ll walk you through how to build ten to twelve solid wood coasters made from a variety of woods of your choosing. Here’s what you’ll need for this inexpensive project:
TOOLS
- Tape Measure
- Table Saw
- Miter Saw
- 18 Gauge Nailer
- Sander
- Sanding Block
- Clamps
- Paint Roller
- Drill
MATERIALS
- 12” Long and ¾” Thick Wood
- 1 ¼” Nails
- 1” Nails
- ¾” Scrap Plywood
- ½” Scrap Trim
- Wood Screws
- Wood Glue
- Latex Gloves
- Desired Finish/Wood Stain
- Rag
When taking on this DIY task, be sure to equip yourself with the proper safety gear. Throughout the video, we’ll alert you regarding when you should and should not use the safety gear.
STEP ONE
Cut wood. Start by selecting the type of wood you’d like to use for your coasters. An assortment of woods will give you some interesting color variations. You can choose up to five for this project. But, feel free to use just one if you’d prefer. Whatever wood you select, be sure it’s about twelve inches long, five inches wide, and three fourths of an inch thick. Once you have your wood ready, rip it down to four and a half inches wide on your table saw.
STEP TWO
Arrange pieces. If you’ve decided to use different types of wood, stack them in a way that highlights their differences. Arranging them from darkest to lightest will also work well. Whatever you decide, be sure to place the wood exactly how you’d like it to appear in your coasters before gluing.
STEP THREE
Laminate Wood. Now that you’ve settled on a wood sequence, it’s time to apply wood glue. Take your first piece and apply an even coat of glue on one side. A paint roller will help evenly distribute it across the board. Lay your next piece on top, and, using an eighteen gauge nailer, drive a one and one fourth inch nail into each corner. Apply glue to the second piece as you did with the first. Stack your third piece, nail the corners together, and glue once again. Continue this process, which is called laminating, until then stack of five pieces is glued together. Attach spring clamps on the laminated stack and let dry per manufacturer’s instructions.
STEP FOUR
Sand block. Once fully dry, remove the wood from the clamps and use an orbital sander with 80 grit sandpaper to smooth out the sides.
STEP FIVE
Make fence. Using scrap plywood, cut two pieces and fasten them into an L shape with wood screws. Nail a half inch piece of trim to the inside of the fence with an eighteen gauge nailer to act as a stop, setting it three eights of an inch from the blade. Once your fence and stop are complete, center it on the existing fence and secure it.
STEP SIX
Cut coasters. It’s time to cut your coasters. Start by cutting off the end of the block that contains the nails. Then, begin cutting slices, each one three eighths of an inch thick. The fence and stop you made in the last step will ensure a consistent slice each time. When you’re finished, you should have a stack of coasters, all of them an even three eighths of an inch thick.
STEP SEVEN
Sand coasters. Sand each coaster, starting with 80 grit sandpaper, progressing up to your desired smoothness, using a sanding block around the edges to remove any sharp edges.
STEP EIGHT
Finish. Use a wipe on finish of your choice to seal your coasters and give them the look you want. Then, let dry per manufacturer’s instructions.
Your project is complete.
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