Coasters. Everywhere I Look I see Coasters!

I'm having quite a bit of fun playing with the drafting features of my CNC software.  It has a polygon drawing tool. This lets you make polygons of any whole number of sides above 2.  Triangles to 45 sided polygons and above.  Of course once above 20 sides or so the shapes start to look more like circles.  

In a previous post I mention how nice this tool and a few others could be used to make complex geometric patterns.   One great use for such pattern work is to add detail to simple project surfaces.  To quash a bored few minutes I've been using the software to make patterns for coasters.  A simple shape.  Unlimited pattern possibilities.  Here are a few.

From simple to very complex. The tiny details on some could be left out with no loss of visual impact on a 4" diameter coaster. The patterns I've confined to the inner 3.5" diameter area.

While I like the shadow effects of the V-cut patterns, for practical use the cuts should be filled with epoxy or inlayed using the VCarve inlay technique and contrasting wood.  Clear epoxy might let you still appreciate the carved look.  The slight chamfered edge makes them easy to handle. I'd cut a circle of adhesive backed cork to stick to the bottom surface if I made them. 

A good project to do with a CNC using small scraps of wood and a short amount of time.   Even complex toolpaths don't take much time to cut on such small areas.  Four or maybe six could be cut from a strip of wood to make a set. Use the same pattern for all, or use unique patterns on each individual coaster.

4D