I had the idea of making some coasters after getting a “lecture” for marking a coffee table with my mug of tea! Pesky water rings .I decided to use up some mahogany skirting off cuts and a strip of pine I had. The two give a nice contrast to each other. The whole thing only requires few pieces and is quite easy to make. It’s great to see what can be made from something that would usually end up as firewood. Give it a go!

Step 1: Watch the Video!

Have a look at the video above to see how to make the coasters or follow the guide below. The overall size of each coaster is 3 5/8 inches (92 mm) square and 5/16 (8 mm) thick. The 8 mm pine strip is approx ¾ inch (20 mm) in from the edge.

Step 2: Gather Your Materials.

In my case it was 3 pieces of mahogany skirting board: 2@ approx 9(230 mm) inches long and 1 @ 5 (125 mm) inches long. The pine strip was approx 18 inches (260 mm) long. Also required is some ¼ inch chrome rod, mineral oil and some glue.

Step 3: Measuring.

I measured the wood to see what the max size I could get from the skirting. I then removed the molded part of the skirting board.

Step 4: Marking.

I marked the position of where I wanted the pine strip to go ( ¾ inch in from the edge) and then cut along this line.

Step 5: The Cut Pieces.

This is all the pieces cut and positioned ready for gluing.

Step 6: Gluing.

Using wood glue I glued and clamped the pieces together until the glue had fully cured.

Step 7: Splitting the Wood.

After removing them from the clamps I removed the part of the strip that was sticking out with a block plane. I then split the two pieces down the middle with a table saw. This was done in a few passes from both sides.

Step 8: Sanding.

After splitting the pieces I gave them all a good sanding.

Step 9: Cutting to Size.

After sanding I put all the pieces together and squared one and the marked and cut all the coasters to the same size using a chop saw.

Step 10: The Base.

For the base I cut some skirting to the same size as the coasters. I then placed a coaster on top it (like in picture above) and drilled some ¼ inch holes in the base for the chrome rods.

Step 11: Finish.

I used a mineral oil for the finish as I thought it could easily be applied again when needed.

Step 12: Cutting the Chrome Bar.

I had some chrome rod so I used this to hold the coasters in place. I cut 4 pieces the same length approx 3 inches (75 mm)

Step 13: Fitting the Rods.

I applied glue that bonds to wood and metal and then taped the rods into place with a hammer. Adjust them if needed before the glue sets.

Step 14: That’s It!

And you’re done! This is the finished project 8 coasters and a base to hold them all in.

This project cost me nothing as I had all the bits but it would not cost much if you had to buy some of the parts.

If you liked this project and would like to see more projects from me you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here:Subscribe to Eamon Walsh DIY. Thanks!

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13 Comments

muadibe

5 years ago

Great Idea. You can never find descent coasters that don,t cost silly money. Thanks for sharing.

pmrii

5 years ago

Nice project but using a chop saw to cut the length of the wood as shown in step 4 is very dangerous. A table saw is much safer. If you decide to use the chop saw, then use a hold-down device and get your fingers out of the way.