What Wood To Use??

[kmmcrafts]

I made these coasters and have sort of just finished up with the coats of poly on them.. I intend to make a coaster holder.. kinda just thinking another square larger than the coasters are and using wood dowel rod sort of in the corners for the sides... BUT.. I have no idea what woods to use.. and not sure about the dowel rod wood types.. I think I have some 1/4" red oak and maple.. might actually be poplar now that i think about it.. anyway.. not too sure what other types of wood I can get dowel rod in.. and not sure what type of wood to use for the bottom of the holder.. I feel like doing the holder the same way as the coasters might make someone think there was another coaster there..  and.. so If I was to do it out of another type of wood.. what would I use and what dowel rod type of wood to use that wont really clash with what I have here... I did sort of think I could use a non- wood rod such as brass or another steel rod.. might look good with a solid Walnut base? 

Anyway, I'm looking for some ideas and thought I'd ask you all what your opinion is.. what would you do?  whatever it is.. I made 10 coasters and thought I'd make two holders to split them up...   

BTW.. the wood used here is Walnut and the thin strip is Cherry.. the other is an exotic wood that I don't recall what it was.. wanna say it's bubinga ?  Not sure that is spelled right... 

[Roberta Moreton]

Cherry is the wood to use. Check woodworking stores for dowels. 

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

I made these coasters and have sort of just finished up with the coats of poly on them.. I intend to make a coaster holder.. kinda just thinking another square larger than the coasters are and using wood dowel rod sort of in the corners for the sides... BUT.. I have no idea what woods to use.. and not sure about the dowel rod wood types.. I think I have some 1/4" red oak and maple.. might actually be poplar now that i think about it.. anyway.. not too sure what other types of wood I can get dowel rod in.. and not sure what type of wood to use for the bottom of the holder.. I feel like doing the holder the same way as the coasters might make someone think there was another coaster there..  and.. so If I was to do it out of another type of wood.. what would I use and what dowel rod type of wood to use that wont really clash with what I have here... I did sort of think I could use a non- wood rod such as brass or another steel rod.. might look good with a solid Walnut base? 

Anyway, I'm looking for some ideas and thought I'd ask you all what your opinion is.. what would you do?  whatever it is.. I made 10 coasters and thought I'd make two holders to split them up...   

BTW.. the wood used here is Walnut and the thin strip is Cherry.. the other is an exotic wood that I don't recall what it was.. wanna say it's bubinga ?  Not sure that is spelled right... 

I like things with some contrast so if it were me, I might go with maple base and whatever dowel rod you have if they are light wood.

 

[WayneMahler]

First thought for me was  Maple. As for dowels. Why not make a square post and cut in half ? Use 4 triangles on the corners to keep them in place ? Just a thought.

[meflick]

I'm a matchy type girl so I would use woods that I had used in the coasters.  Since the Walnut is the primary wood used, like Roberta, I would probably use cherry since it is only an "accent" strip in the coaster its self.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

There are so many ideas you can make doing drink coasters and the sky is the limit. My suggestion for this group is the walnut base with maple dowels. I would make the base small enough so that the coasters fit on a diagonal and not parallel to the base. In other words all corners of the coasters fit between 2 dowels and hang off the base. You could have used one dowel in the center and drilled center holes in the coasters and stack that way. That is a good way if making round coasters in the future. That wood is indeed Bubinga. It will darken over time. 

[kmmcrafts]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. My original thought was to do cherry for the main wood and do a walnut stripe and maybe even a bubinga stripe just kinda opposite of the coaster. But then I didn’t know what to do for the dowel. Maybe have to do the triangle idea.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

By the way Kevin you can buy just about any wood dowels. Over the years I bought walnut, cherry, paduk, maple, rosewood, oak and a few others. Now that I have a lathe if i need something special I just spin it. 

[tomsteve]

hhhhmmm....welp,kev, i think id suggest a wooden wood.

 

personally i think id use maple- add some contrast

[SCROLLSAW703]

Howdy Mr. Kevin,

I am kinda like Mr. JT. Seein' how I have two lathes in my meager little work shop, I spin out might near any type of dowel I come in need of. IMO Mr. Kevin, I believe if it were me, I would use maple for the base, and consider walnut or even padauk as your corner posts. The maple, bein' lighter in color, would really brighten up your darker colors of the coasters, Mr. Kevin. For what's it's worth, you could go so far as to finish the maple out with say 400 grit sandpaper, then apply a couple coats of clear shellac, then apply your poly to the maple. My reason for suggesting the the shellac, my friend, is to darken the maple just a tiny bit before you begin your poly application. I use a lot of maple for my dreamcatchers and have had very successful results with this. I shellac the outside ring, or the center, whatever the situation, the shellac would darken the maple just enough to highlight those parts against the lighter places, and give the dreamcatcher a complete different look. Just a thought, Sir.

You might even consider cuttin' your corner posts at a 45* angle as JT suggested just as a highlight to the project. Just my .02 pennies worth, Sir.

Sawdust703(Brad)