Prototype Coaster - All from scraps

[Pete Schupska]

I posted pictures of the bamboo flooring I installed a few weeks ago. Well, the installation left a large number of ~4 inch scraps. Once I ripped the tongue and groove off, I have a potential pile of ~3.5in squares.

This is just a prototype, but I'm planning on making a few sets of coasters with the flooring as the center. This one has the flooring piece dadoed into 7/8 x 3/4 black walnut. I did learn a few things:

1. Rabbet the bamboo in next time. Except for some of our coffee cups, the recessed panel isn't quite wide enough for our glasses... so this one is living at my desk at work now.

2. Black walnut is almost always a joy to work with.

3. I still hate miters.


If anyone else has comments or suggestions before the next round, feel free to let loose. Finish is 2 coats of wipe on satin poly buffed with a scrap of denim.

[gary Zimmel]

Great way to use up a bunch of those scraps Pete.

And with xmas coming would make good gifts....

[John Thompson]

Nice looking Pete. Another idea as I am about to complete a large carcass piece and probably need to go into a Xmas Gift Mode at this point. You did a nice job on the miters in spite of the fact you hate them.

[Doug Carpenter]

I love bamboo. I would be tempted to make some kind of butcher block with all those peices. Mostly because my inlaws don't know what to do with coasters.

M go blue, baby

[Pete Schupska]

Thanks for the kind words!

Miters came out well... the hard part is I have two right angle clamps, and they're too big to catch all four corners, so it ends up with a pretty beg mess of clamps. I have a feeling these are going to become a pretty substantial portion of some Christmas gifts this year.

I thought about a cutting board, but I wasn't comfortable taking the finish off and not having control on what glue was used. As it is now, I taped off the bamboo before finishing, and didn't sand it at all. I figure the flooring finish is as waterproof as any other at this point.


_____________________
Owning U of M since 2008

[Jacob Robinson]

that's a nice looking coaster! almost to nice to put a drink on. ¬.¬
about a year ago, i was involved with installing a bamboo countertop, its a fantastic material. the drop from cutting the sink holes (counters in bathroom and kitchen) ended up as cutting boards for the owners. i really wanted to pilfer the drop for a cutting board for myself though!

[Ben Martin]

1. Rabbet the bamboo in next time. Except for some of our coffee cups, the recessed panel isn't quite wide enough for our glasses... so this one is living at my desk at work now.

Can you elaborate on this a bit? I don't quite understand what you are saying.

I have a bunch of bamboo flooring to get rid of too....

[Pete Schupska]

Basically, I didn't check any sizes or measurements when I made this one; I just did it. The flooring was, I think, 3 5/8" visible surface with a 3/16-1/4" tongue and groove and microbevel. So after I ripped those off, 3 1/4" wide pieces. Insert 1/4" into dados all around the outside, and the "flat" bamboo surface is 2 3/4" square. The walnut sits about 1/8" proud of the bamboo around the perimeter.

Most of my coffee cups, and some beer cans, are ~2 7/8 or 3" in diameter. On the coaster, one side would rest on the walnut, and the other on the bamboo; leaving an uneven beverage and risk for tipping

Sorry, that's an incredibly complicated explanation. I'd take a better picture but it's at work now. The next round, I'll use rabbets instead of dadoes; keeping the bamboo flush with the walnut and increasing the flat area.

[Ben Martin]

Sorry, that's an incredibly complicated explanation. I'd take a better picture but it's at work now. The next round, I'll use rabbets instead of dadoes; keeping the bamboo flush with the walnut and increasing the flat area.

Thanks for the explanation!

[John Thompson]

[QUOTE=Pete Schupska;1231125]Thanks for the kind words!

Miters came out well... the hard part is I have two right angle clamps, and they're too big to catch all four corners, so it ends up with a pretty beg mess of clamps. I have a feeling these are going to become a pretty substantial portion of some Christmas gifts this year.


Have you considered using packaging tape on a small project with miters. I lay the pieces down in sequence with the outsides up. Butt them together and a few pieces of clear package tape across the seams. Turn the thing over.. apply glue and it just wraps up like a package. Another piece of tape to hold the wrap-up.. then wrap the whole box with 3/8" surgical tubing.

I use this method on a box and I also use it to do Quad-linear legs (veneered QSWO on core so fleck is on all 4 sides) with 30" long leg pieces. I find it more effective than clamps and a whole bunch cheaper.

[Pete Schupska]

I'd forgotten about using tape!

I think there was even an article about it recently in either FWW or Family Handyman... time to dig through the piles.