Making Coasters

[Scrollturner]

I want to make some circular coasters that are 1/4" thick and I want to place a recessed area in the top of the coaster for the drink glass. I know I can use a large forstner bit to make the recess, but the forstner bit will leave a dimple in the center of the recess. How can I make the recess without leaving a dimple?

Any suggestions??

Thank you,

Tommy

[Chris "The Wood Artist"]

If you have a router you can do it with that. I'd prefer that you use the dremel tool with router attachments but if your careful you can do it with a full size router. I suppose you could make a ring the thickness you want in the recess and attach it to the base also, but if you want to have it one piece use a router.

[wood-n-things]

I would use a router.
I think I would rout out the recess while the wood was still square though..

I have heard others have filed off the pilot on their forstner's. But I don't think I would go that route.

[Scrollturner]

Thank you both for the suggestion. If I created a square template with the hole cut out, do I need to make the template hole larger than the recess of the coaster so I can use a guide bearing with the router? Also, what type of router bit should I use? I've never used a template for routing projects. Thanks again, Tommy

[Wood Dog]

If you have SSWC issue 32 there's some autumn leaf coasters patterns.
You could cut the coasters on the scroll saw.

[Chris "The Wood Artist"]

I'm not sure of the use of a template as I don't use one but the bit I use is a straight bit. I take off a little at a time so I don't go to deep and use the plunge router attachment on my dremel. Once I get the recess area close I sand to final depth. You could make a guide circle out of another piece of wood to have your router run against I suppose I've done that a few times, but most of the time I free hand it.

[Woodworking Plus]

Hi Tommy
You can make coasters using the "Cut and Drop Method" which is a technique that I use frequently. Simply stated, you use your scrollsaw to cut the interior circle out at a 2 degree towards the inside which allows the interior circle to drop but not fall out. Then you glue the circle in place and sand off the part that protrudes flush with the bottom of the outside ring. Depending on the thickness of the wood and the thickness of the blade you may have to experiment a little to get the right angle of the saw table.

[Janette]

A big forsner bit would work, you'd just have to file off the point first.

[Wood Dog]

If you used your forsner bit, you could clean up the dimple and plug it with a contrasting wood. Sort of a button look. Just thinking out loud.

[normded]

if you look at the last issue (not holiday issue) of cwc they just did coasters the way Mike just said except i don't think they sanded it level they looked really cool and pretty easy to make