how to turn a coaster?

[skott nielsen]

I am fairly new to turning and a friend asked me to make some coasters. What would be the best way to mount a blank and more puzzling to me the best way to reverse mount it to finish the bottom? I do not have a vacuum chuck. I do have faceplates and a scroll chuck. I would want to make a a set of them if I was making.

[Rick Prosser]

I am new to the turning thing, but I would consider a coaster to be a tiny platter with no foot. I would cut a blank down to the size needed, turn a tenon with some extra space between the chuck and the bottom surface of the platter. One the top is complete, I would use a parting tool to remove the platter/coaster from the chuck (here is where the extra space is needed). I would push the parting tool in toward the coaster to create a slight indention when it is removed. Then hand sand the bottom. You could use a piece of sandpaper face up on the bench top, and move the coaster bottom across it to keep it flat/level.

You will probably get a better option from some of the experienced turners.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Skott,

If I was doing it, first I'd turn them in the spindle mode. I'd put the blank between centers and turn a tenon on one end of the blank. Then I'd chuck up that end and use the tailstock and live center on the other end. Turn the blank to a cyclinder of proper diameter. Then I'd remove the tailstock and turn one on the tailstock end of the blank leaving it attached with say a 1/4" tenon to the rest of the blank. I'd very lightly sand it and finish it and then cut away the tenon. The only part left to be finished would be the tenon area. Then I'd work on the remaining ones. I would use a blank that would produce say 6 individual coasters with extra material to provide the tenon areas between each coaster and some extra to keep you away from the chuck. I'd make jigs from scrap plywood or wood to gauge thickness and even the diameter. Using jigs is quicker and more repeatable than measuring each one individually. I found that out turning multiples....knobs.....wheels......furniture legs for couches....

[Keith Christopher]

Bandsaw rough circle, even up between centers, then put in a jam chuck with a release hole drilled down the center of the jamchuck. start with the correct diameter in wood then turn it round, slice off hunks on the bandsaw like a salami and put them in the jam chuck and turn lotsa them quickly. You could use some old scrap and make a 'friction fit' jam chuck and attach it to your faceplate quite easily.

[Kevin McPeek]

Maybe, I'm not getting some of the above instructions but it sounds like they would be end grain..?
If I were to make a set I would rough cut the circles on the band saw from a board and glue them on waste blocks. Then I would turn and finish the OD and top with a slight recess (1/8" or so) where you could add a cork layer later.
After the tops are finished part them off the waste blocks then use an expansion grip into the recess to clean up the bottom. You shouldn't need much work so a light grip should be sufficient.
If you do not have a chuck you could turn a jamb chuck but you will have to make all the tops exactly the same or you will need to re-turn the chuck for every one. Alternatively you can friction drive with tailstock engaged and have a little hand work in the center.

I don't know if this makes anymore sense or just another way of stating the above instructions... Either way good luck.

[Dewey Torres]

If you go the platter idea here are some instructions I found:
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur...ts/plates.html

[Jeff Nicol]

Maybe, I'm not getting some of the above instructions but it sounds like they would be end grain..?
If I were to make a set I would rough cut the circles on the band saw from a board and glue them on waste blocks. Then I would turn and finish the OD and top with a slight recess (1/8" or so) where you could add a cork layer later.
After the tops are finished part them off the waste blocks then use an expansion grip into the recess to clean up the bottom. You shouldn't need much work so a light grip should be sufficient.
If you do not have a chuck you could turn a jamb chuck but you will have to make all the tops exactly the same or you will need to re-turn the chuck for every one. Alternatively you can friction drive with tailstock engaged and have a little hand work in the center.

I don't know if this makes anymore sense or just another way of stating the above instructions... Either way good luck.

Kevin, If the tree is 24" in diameter the blank could be 12" long and not have any end grain on the face of the coaster. It seems that a lot of confusion is created that way. I almost never turn blanks that are all end grain just for that plain fact it is a pain in the butt compared to any other orientation of the wood.

So for the original question I totoly agree with Ken, this way all the coasters look like they came from the same piece of wood and look real good in the nice coaster holder you will have to make along with the coasters!

Good luck and have fun,

Jeff

[Roger Wilson]

I made some coasters out of 3/4 inch boards I had left over. There is plenty of thickness there for a coaster and the board is already flat and you are working with face grain.

I cut them square then tried to work on them between centers. That didn't work well. I pounded on them to seat them on the headstock spur drive and may have damaged my bearings. So don't do it that way.

If I were to do it again from a board I'd put a glue block on a face plate, then use CA, hot glue or brown paper to attach the square coaster to it. Be sure to use your tailstock as an aid in centering the square coaster on the glue block. You could then turn the outside and cup section. When that was done part off the coaster, do some finish sanding on the bottom and you're done. I made the cup section deep enough so that I could glue some cork sheeting in that I had lying around.

Post pictures when you are done.

[Curt Fuller]

You're probably going to want to make a set of them, 4 or 8 or more, I'm guessing. If you're using flat stock, 4/4 or 3/4, cut the 8 squares about 4"x4", mark the centers, and drill a recess in the center of each with a forstner bit, about 3/16" deep, that's just larger than the smallest outside diameter of your chuck jaws, usually about 2 1/4". You can also cut off the corners to make them quicker to turn to round. Then mount them with the jaws expanded into the recess, not too tight or you'll split the wood. Turn them round, turn the bottom of the coaster first with another recess about the same size and depth, add any decorative cuts or anything you like, sand. Then flip them over hold them in the recess you turned, again not to much pressure, and turn away the first recess and make the top how you like it and sand it. If you do each step on all 4 or 8 coasters at one time it's easier to make them match.

If you don't have a drill press or large forstner bit you can mark a center on both top and bottom, mount between centers on the lathe and use a flat scaper to turn the first recess for the jaws to hold. It doesn't need to go be flat all the way across the recess, just enough for the jaws to hold.

[ROY DICK]

pm sent. I can't figure out how to post multiple pice with explanation.

Roy

[Wally Wenzel]

Dosen't any one ever use double stick tape? I have made several sets using the tape and a small face plate, mount and turn one side then reverse, use tail stock to center.back away tail stock and finish turn. One set of the good tape will turn 2-3 coasters,then reaply tape, use the good stuff i get it from Craft supply. Wally

[ROY DICK]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=104645.

Roy

Much thanks to our Moderators for their help in getting this posted. Ken and Steve.

[Kevin McPeek]

Kevin, If the tree is 24" in diameter the blank could be 12" long and not have any end grain on the face of the coaster. It seems that a lot of confusion is created that way. I almost never turn blanks that are all end grain just for that plain fact it is a pain in the butt compared to any other orientation of the wood.

So for the original question I totoly agree with Ken, this way all the coasters look like they came from the same piece of wood and look real good in the nice coaster holder you will have to make along with the coasters!

Good luck and have fun,

Jeff

I understand how to get a blank to do it that way, but it would be a lot easier taking the blanks from a board.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Skott I turned a few sets of coasters, and here's a picture of one set and container for them, that we still have and use at home, made before 1967, not sure exactly how long before that date.
Also a picture of the kind of jig I made to hold and finish the back of the half done coasters, it is a block held in the chuck, it has a recess turned in it to fit the coasters and is sawn almost in half, a screw at the corner can be tightened to hold the coasters tight, and loosened off to release them when done.
I used two blocks IIRC to turn the coasters out of, by turning the block round and to size, then I turned the face of a coaster and cut it off, next, next etc. after that they were held in the jig and the backs finished, just flat for these.
#1 is the screw, #2 is the cut from the corner to almost the other side.