This project was inspired by Katie at Addicted2DIY’s project, Football Play Wall Art. Check it out for some more play ideas!
45 minutes
Four coasters can fit on the 6″ × 12″ Padauk piece. You can carve these on X-Carve or Carvey. “Using a 1/8” straight-cut bit":https://www.inventables.com/technologies/solid-carbide-2-flute-straight-end-mill is a great choice to minimize chipping and carve a smooth pocket.
If you want a steeper rim on the coasters, set the inner circle to a deeper depth.
7 minutes
Using the 1/16" acrylic makes this a really fast carve! You don’t need to carve very deep to get the white designs exposed. Upcut bits are an excellent choice for acrylic because they minimize melt and clear chips away from the bit quickly.
Again, you can use X-Carve or Carvey for this task.
5 minutes
Once everything is carved, sand down the inner edge of the wooden pocket and the edges of the acrylic. If you want to add a little more adhesion to the inlay, using a piece of double-sided tape on the bottom of the pocket works well.
Place the acrylic inlay over the pocket and double-sided tape. Place a flat piece of material (wider than the wooden circle) on top of the inlay and press hard with even pressure.
If you’re having trouble getting the inlay to set, try sanding down the edges of the acrylic a little more. Make sure to sand the edge evenly to get a snug fit all around!