For this project, I wanted to make coasters like the ones from the Canvas training and the TA tutorials. I downloaded a flower vector from Noun Project and created a coaster design on Carbide Create. While preparing the wood for the cut, I noticed that it was uneven, like so:

Because of this, I ended up sizing down my coasters to avoid the uneven edge.

I had some issues with the wood moving while the cut was happening when I used just the double-sided tape. With Professor Bisesti’s help, I learned that you could add tape around the perimeter of the wood and then superglue the wood to the tape to help secure the wood even better. With this, I successfully cut out my coaster design. Here’s what it looked like after removing the tabs:

Pretty rough, so I sanded down the imperfections as best as I could. Then, I took it outside to apply a clear matte coat. Here’s what the final product looks like:

I’m not sure what sort of cups I could use these coasters for because they turned out so small, but they look nice!

If I could do this project over, I would take care to choose a better vector. The flower design I used had sharp inner corners, so the wood chipped away pretty easily while sanding. I would go for a design with more rounded edges. Additionally, I would try to adjust the tabs to make them easier to remove.

Cost Breakdown:

Softwood (~1 x 4 x 6in): $0.6 (Home Depot)

Double-sided tape and clear coat: negligible

Labor ($10 x 2 hr): $20