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Coasters are a common household item that can be found in almost every home. They serve as a protective barrier between a hot or cold beverage and the surface on which it is placed. However, not all coasters are created equal. Some are plain and unremarkable, while others are unique and eye-catching. In this article, we will explore the process of creating rad-looking plaid coasters that are sure to impress.
The process of creating these coasters involves selecting lumber and cutting strips, initial gluing and clamping, planing and preparing for the second glue-up, cutting and adding pinstripes, glue-up challenges and redesign, creating wide panels for scroll saw projects, cutting panels and preventing tear-out, gluing coaster blanks at an angle, sanding and cutting to final size, and making the coaster stand. Each step is crucial in creating the final product, and attention to detail is key.
Selecting Lumber and Cutting Strips
In the video, Newton Makes explains his process for selecting lumber and cutting strips for his coaster project. He starts by cutting a whole bunch of strips from three different species of wood: I Wing cherry and maple. After pairing up the pieces, he glues them together in pairs, but not all of them. He only puts glue in between the ones that are supposed to be glued together.
Once the glue dries, he glues each pair together to make one set. He repeats this process four times for a total of eight pieces. Next, he cuts a whole bunch of thin strips to make up the pin stripes in the pattern. He then slices them up into pieces and glues them back in place with some wood strips. He repeats this process multiple times, making sure the pieces are aligned properly.
However, he realizes that the coaster pattern is not meeting the quality he expects from himself. He decides to start over and make a couple of wide panels, similar to a cutting board, to make the pattern more consistent. He glues together a few thin wide panels and slices them up into pieces using a table saw sled. He then glues up each coaster one at a time, making sure the pieces are aligned properly.
After sanding the coaster down to the final thickness, he cuts them to their final size, creating a nice checkerboard pattern. To display the coasters, he decides to make a stand out of wing a that matches the coaster pattern. He makes a box out of wing a and cuts miter joints for a clean look. The holder is not complicated, but when put together, it gives a unique angle that enhances the coaster pattern.
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Initial Gluing and Clamping
The first step in creating these rad-looking plaid coasters is to cut a whole bunch of lumber strips from three different species: Wing, Cherry, and Maple. The pieces are then paired up, Wing and Cherry, and Cherry and Maple.
Next, the pieces are glued together in pairs, but not all of them. Only the ones that are supposed to be glued together are glued, and the same clamps are used for all of them. After gluing, the pieces are clamped down and left to dry.
Once the glue has dried, the pieces are glued together again to make four sets. The pin stripes in the pattern are created by slicing up a whole bunch of thin strips and gluing them back in place with some wood strips. This process is repeated several times to achieve the desired pattern.
However, during the last glue up, the creator realized that the pattern did not meet the quality that they expected from themselves. To fix this, they decided to make a couple of wide panels, like a cutting board, and then cut them into coaster-sized pieces. The thin panels are then sanded down to the same thickness as the curve for the saw blade and sliced up to the same thickness as the coaster pieces.
After gluing all the pieces together and letting them dry, the coasters are sanded down to the final thickness and cut into diamonds. Finally, a holder is made from Wing A to give the set a cohesive look, and the coasters are ready to use.
Planning and Preparing for Second Glue Up
Newton Makes in the video is making coasters with a plaid pattern using different species of lumber such as wing, cherry, and maple. To achieve the desired pattern, he needs to glue the strips of lumber together in pairs. After the first glue-up, he has eight pieces that need to be glued together in pairs again to make four sets.
To create the pin stripes in the pattern, he needs to cut a lot of thin strips of lumber and glue them back in place with wood strips. This process requires multiple glue-ups, which take a lot of time and effort.
However, during the last glue-up, he realized that the pattern did not meet the quality expected and decided to start over. Instead of making one long cutting board, he opted to make a couple of wide panels and cut them into coaster-sized pieces. This method allowed he to align the blocks more accurately, resulting in a better-looking pattern.
To create the pin stripes, he glued together a few thin wide panels and sliced them up to the same thickness as the coaster blocks. He then inserted the strips between the blocks and glued them all together. This process required multiple glue-ups and sanding to achieve the desired thickness and pattern.
After the glue dried, he sanded the coaster blocks to the final thickness and cut them to their final size. To display the coasters, he decided to make a stand or half a box that would elevate the coasters and showcase the pattern. The holder is made of wing lumber to match the coaster pattern, and he cut bevels on the wedge to mirror the angles of the box.
Overall, the process of planning and preparing for the second glue-up requires careful consideration of the pattern and alignment of the lumber strips. Newton Makes decided to start over and use a different method resulted in a better-looking pattern that met the quality expected.
Cutting and Adding Pinstripes
In the process of making plaid coasters, the woodworker starts by cutting a whole bunch of lumber into strips of three different species: wing, cherry, and maple. The pieces are paired up, and then glued together in pairs to create four sets of two strips each. The glue-up process is repeated to create four sets of four strips, each set consisting of a combination of wing and cherry, and cherry and maple.
To add the pin stripes to the pattern, the woodworker cuts a whole bunch of thin strips from the glued-up lumber. These thin pieces are then sliced up into pieces, and glued back in place with some wood strips, and then left to dry. The process is repeated multiple times until the desired pattern is achieved.
However, the woodworker realizes that the pin stripe pattern is not meeting the quality that they expect from themselves. Therefore, they decide to start over and make the coaster panels like a cutting board, by gluing together a few thin wide panels. The panels are then sliced up to a whole bunch of pieces, and glued together interchangeably to help prevent any sort of tear out.
Once the coaster blanks are glued up, the woodworker glues in the thin panels to create the pin stripe pattern, and then sands and cleans up the coaster to the final thickness. The coaster is then cut to its final size, with the pattern off at an angle, to create a diamond shape.
To complete the project, the woodworker decides to make a stand for the coasters. They make a box out of wing a to give it cohesiveness with the coasters, and cut a wedge to elevate the box up and tilt it towards the back for a unique angle. The holder is made up of three pieces, which when put together, gives it a clean and elegant look.
Glue Up Challenges and Redesign
In the process of creating a set of plaid coasters, the creator faced several challenges during the glue-up process. To achieve the desired plaid pattern, the creator glued together pairs of different wood species, such as wing and cherry or cherry and maple. However, the creator found it difficult to align the blocks properly, especially with the added complication of vertical and horizontal pin stripes.
After several attempts, the creator realized that the design was not meeting the quality standards expected. The blocks were not all the same size, which made it challenging to align them correctly. Furthermore, the large squares design did not showcase the pin stripes as well as a long, consistent stripe would.
To overcome these challenges, the creator decided to redesign the process. Instead of gluing together pairs of blocks, the creator made a couple of wide panels, similar to a cutting board. This allowed for longer, more consistent stripes and easier alignment. The creator then sliced the panels into smaller pieces and glued them together to create the coaster blanks.
To add the pin stripes, the creator glued together thin, wide panels and sliced them into pieces to insert into the coaster blanks. This process required several glue-ups and lots of time, but the end result was worth it. The creator sanded the coasters to the final thickness and cut them into diamonds for a unique look.
To showcase the coasters, the creator made a half-box holder out of the same wood species used in the coasters. The holder was designed to elevate the coasters and showcase the plaid pattern. The creator also added bevels to the wedge for a cohesive look.
Overall, the challenges faced during the glue-up process led to a redesign that resulted in a beautiful set of plaid coasters. The creator’s willingness to show their mistakes and experiment with new techniques is a testament to their dedication to their craft.
Creating Wide Panels for Scroll Saw Projects
When creating scroll saw projects, it can be challenging to align all the blocks, especially when they are not all the same size. This becomes even more difficult when adding pin stripes that go both vertically and horizontally. To make the process easier, one can create wide panels instead of gluing up individual blocks.
To create the wide panels, first, cut a bunch of strips of different wood species. In the video, Newton Makes used wing, cherry, and maple. Pair up the pieces and glue them together in pairs, leaving out the ones that are not supposed to be glued together. Clamp them down and let them dry.
Once the glue has dried, glue each pair together to make one set. Repeat this four times to make four sets. Cut a bunch of thin strips to make up the pin stripes in the pattern. Slice them up into pieces and glue them back in place with some wood strips. Repeat this process several times, adding more wood strips each time, until the desired pattern is achieved.
After the panels have dried, slice them up into a bunch of pieces like a cutting board. Use a table saw sled with a stop block to cut each panel up, and then glue them together interchangeably to prevent any sort of tear-out. Glue each coaster one at a time, making sure the pieces are aligned.
Sanding and cleanup work will be necessary after the glue has dried. Sand the coaster down to the final thickness, and then cut them to their final size. To give the coasters a unique look, cut them into diamonds by tilting the miter gauge to the desired angle.
To display the coasters, he made a half-box out of wing a that elevates and tilts the coasters towards the back. The holder is made up of only three pieces but gives a clean look that does not detract from the coaster pattern.
Cutting Panels and Preventing Tear Out
In the process of making a plaid coaster, the woodworker needs to cut a lot of thin strips to create pin stripes in the pattern. To do this, they slice up the glued wood strips and glue them back together with some wood strips. However, this process involves a lot of glue-ups and takes a lot of time.
To make the cutting process easier and prevent tear out, the woodworker decides to make a few wide panels instead of gluing up all the blocks into a giant block. They use a table saw sled with a stop block to cut each panel up and then glue them together interchangeably using a sacrificial board. This way, they are less likely to get any sort of tear out in their cuts.
After gluing up each coaster one at a time, the woodworker sands them down to the final thickness and cuts them into diamonds with a miter gauge tilted at the angle they want. They then make a half box out of wing a to hold the coasters, using double-sided tape and miter joints for a clean look. The box is elevated with a wedge and tilted towards the back to give it a unique angle.
Overall, by making wide panels and using a sacrificial board, the woodworker is able to cut the thin strips needed for the pin stripes without causing tear out. The end result is a set of rad-looking plaid coasters that are held in a stylish half box.
Gluing Coaster Blanks at an Angle
In the process of making coasters with a plaid pattern, Newton Makes explains how to glue coaster blanks at an angle. The first step is to cut a whole bunch of strips from three species of wood: cherry, maple, and wing. He pairs up the pieces, glues them in pairs, and clamps them down to dry. Once dry, he glues each pair together to make one set, repeating the process four times.
To make the pin stripes in the pattern, he cuts a whole bunch of thin strips and glues them back in place with some wood strips. After letting the glue dry, he repeats the process, slicing the pieces up, adding more wood strips, regluing them up, and doing some cleanup work.
He then makes a couple of wide panels, slicing them up into pieces like a cutting board. To prevent any sort of tear-out, he uses a sacrificial board and a table saw sled with a stop block. He then glues up each coaster one at a time, making sure the pieces are aligned.
After the glue dries, he sands the coaster down to the final thickness and cuts them to their final size, creating a checkerboard pattern. To make them stand out, he decides to make a holder for the coasters. Using wing a wood, he makes a box with miter joints and bevels on a wedge to elevate and tilt the holder towards the back, giving it a unique angle.
Sanding and Cutting to Final Size
After gluing together the various wood species in pairs, the next step in creating these plaid coasters is to slice them into thin strips. These strips will serve as the pin stripes in the pattern. The strips are then glued back together with wood strips and left to dry. This process is repeated multiple times to create the desired pattern.
Once the panels are dry, they are sliced up into pieces to create the coaster blanks. The coaster blanks are then sanded down to the final thickness and cut to their final size. The pattern is cut at an angle to give it a unique look.
To finish off the project, a stand is created for the coasters. The stand is made out of the same wood species as the coasters and is designed to elevate the coasters at an angle to showcase the pattern. The holder is not complicated, consisting of only three pieces, but when put together, it gives the coasters a unique and cohesive look.
Making the Coaster Stand
The maker begins by cutting a whole bunch of lumber into strips of three species: I Wing cherry and maple. The pieces are then paired up in two’s – wing and cherry, and cherry and maple. The next step is to glue them together in pairs, but not all of them. The maker glues them in pairs of two, using the same clamps, but doesn’t put glue in between the ones that aren’t supposed to be glued together. After clamping them down, the maker waits for them to dry.
For the second glue-up, the maker has eight pieces and needs to glue them up to make four sets. The sets are made up of wing and cherry, and cherry and maple. The maker then glues each set together to make one coaster. This process is repeated four times.
To make the pin stripes for the coaster, the maker cuts a whole bunch of thin strips. The thin pieces are used to make up the pin stripes in the pattern. The maker then slices them up into pieces and glues them back in place with some wood strips, letting the glue dry. The maker repeats this process several times.
The maker realizes that the coaster’s pattern is not meeting the quality expected from himself. To solve this, the maker decides to make a couple of wide panels, similar to a cutting board. The panels are then sliced into pieces using a table saw sled, and then glued together interchangeably to prevent tear-out.
The maker then glues each coaster one at a time, making sure the pieces are aligned. After the glue dries, the maker sands the coaster down to the final thickness and cuts them to their final size. The pattern is cut off at an angle, giving the coaster a unique look.
Before applying the finish, the maker decides to make a stand for the coaster. The stand is made out of wing a, giving it a little bit of cohesiveness with the coaster. The maker cuts a wedge and bevels it to mirror the angles of the box. The holder is not complicated, only three pieces, but when put together, it gives the coaster a unique look.