Woodturn Rustic Cedar Natural Edge Coasters
by Alan Stratton on Saturday, January 24th, 2015 | 4 Comments
This project is relatively easy, a great way to practice with natural edge forms without the risk of a bowl. These coasters are wet, freshly harvested, cedar. After slicing a limb into discs, I started them drying with a quick soak in Denatured Alcohol to accelerate the drying process. They had lost about 30% of their weight before I started turning them.
Then in a quick but repetitive process cut a mortise on the bottom, smoothed the rim wood and smoothed the top surface.
Later I realized that they were reversible — the mortise was large enough to hold a cup or mug.
These coasters are irregular size between 3 and one half to four inches and finished with walnut oil.
Your cedar coaster project is a great method and enjoyable to watch.
Her in central Oregon, I buy log truck loads of Cedar, both western red, and incense varieties.
The bark on your cedar branch is one I can’t identify. Ws this a decorative cedar perhaps?
Thanks
jim
The arborist who cut it down for me identified it as an Atlas Cedar native to north Africa and close relative the Lebanon cedar. It had short needles and had a bluish color. The wood is supposed to be more dense than western cedars. (we’ll see).
Does this fit into your experience?
Alan
A nice project Alan. Thanks as always for your wonderful videos. One quick, non-technical question. When you use alcohol for something like this, do you save and reuse the alcohol, or do you get rid of it and start with fresh on the next project? Thanks again!
Lou
Absolutely, I reuse it. It’s expensive. I keep it in a large Tupperware container with a lid and save the empty cans in case I need to pour some off.
Thanks for the question.
Alan