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Hardwood Coaster Set[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 25 coasters
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
The easiest gift in the shop. Every board is crosscut into five square coasters, so one 2ft pack makes 25. Ease the edges, sand, seal well against wet glasses and add cork feet. Tie them in fours with twine and you have six gift sets and a spare for yourself.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coasters | 25 | Boards 1–5, five each | 4" × 4" × ¾" | 3½" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Cork or felt dots (buy) | 100 | 4 per coaster | ⅜"–½" Ø self-adhesive | ⅜"–½" Ø self-adhesive |
No joinery: each coaster is one solid square, crosscut to the board's own width.
Edges: ⅛" chamfer or round-over on the top edges.
Feet: 4 self-adhesive cork or felt dots per coaster.
Finished size: S4S 4" × 4" × ¾" · S2S 3½" × 3½" × ⅞". 25 coasters either way.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- 100 self-adhesive cork or felt dots, ⅜"–½"
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Water-resistant finish: hardwax oil or wipe-on poly
- Twine or ribbon for gift sets (optional)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Stop block and a clamp or hold-down
- Router table with ⅛" chamfer or round-over bit, or a block plane
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Lay all five boards out and pick the best face on each. That face becomes the top of every coaster cut from it. Mixed species make a nice mixed set.
- 2 Square one end. Trim a whisker off one end of each board so you start with a clean, square edge.
- 3 Set a stop block. Measure the board's width (4") and clamp a stop block that distance from the blade. Cutting each piece as long as the board is wide makes every coaster square.
- 4 Crosscut the coasters. Cut five 4" squares from each board, 25 in all. Hold each short piece with a clamp or hold-down, not your fingers, and let the blade stop before you lift it.
- 5 Ease the edges. Put a ⅛" chamfer or round-over on the top edges. A router table with a push block, a block plane or a sanding block all work. Never rout a small piece freehand with a handheld router.
- 6 Sand. Rub each face on a sheet of sandpaper taped to a flat surface: 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220.
- 7 Finish all six sides. Wet glasses are hard on wood, so use hardwax oil or wipe-on poly, 2–3 coats. The end-grain edges soak up more, so give them an extra coat.
- 8 Let it cure. Leave the coasters on a rack until the finish is fully cured. Check the can; it is often a week or more. A cold glass on soft finish leaves a ring.
- 9 Add the feet. Stick four cork or felt dots under each coaster, one near each corner. Tie them in sets of four with twine: six gift sets and one spare.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Lay all five boards out and pick the best face on each. That face becomes the top of every coaster cut from it. Mixed species make a nice mixed set.
- 3 Square one end. Trim a whisker off one end of each board so you start with a clean, square edge.
- 4 Set a stop block. Measure the board's width (3½") and clamp a stop block that distance from the blade. Cutting each piece as long as the board is wide makes every coaster square.
- 5 Crosscut the coasters. Cut five 3½" squares from each board, 25 in all. Hold each short piece with a clamp or hold-down, not your fingers, and let the blade stop before you lift it.
- 6 Ease the edges. Put a ⅛" chamfer or round-over on the top edges. A router table with a push block, a block plane or a sanding block all work. Never rout a small piece freehand with a handheld router.
- 7 Sand. Rub each face on a sheet of sandpaper taped to a flat surface: 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220.
- 8 Finish all six sides. Wet glasses are hard on wood, so use hardwax oil or wipe-on poly, 2–3 coats. The end-grain edges soak up more, so give them an extra coat.
- 9 Let it cure. Leave the coasters on a rack until the finish is fully cured. Check the can; it is often a week or more. A cold glass on soft finish leaves a ring.
- 10 Add the feet. Stick four cork or felt dots under each coaster, one near each corner. Tie them in sets of four with twine: six gift sets and one spare.
Why cut them as long as the board is wide? It's the fastest way to get square coasters with no ripping. If your boards are a little wider than our planning size, set the stop block to your actual width.
Why seal all six sides? A coaster gets wet on top and sits on a damp ring underneath. Sealing every face, and the thirsty end grain twice, keeps it from cupping or staining.
Make It Yours
- Glass recess: rout a ⅛"-deep round recess in the top with a Forstner bit or a router and template. It catches drips.
- Mixed sets: tie one coaster of each species together for a sampler set.
- Burned initials: wood-burn or laser a monogram on the top before finishing.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection.
- Short pieces fly. Clamp each piece or use a hold-down at the saw, and keep hands 6" from the blade.
- Rout small parts on a router table with a push block, never freehand.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Not with a good finish. Hardwax oil or wipe-on poly on all six sides, fully cured, sheds condensation. Wipe them dry now and then, and refresh oil finishes once a year.
Any species in the pack works. Walnut and cherry hide water marks best. Maple shows rings more easily, so seal it well. Padauk and purpleheart make bright, colourful sets.
Use a crosscut sled with a stop block. Never use the rip fence as a stop for short crosscuts: the piece can twist and kick back.
Planned offcuts only: about 2½" off the end of each S4S board. On S2S boards the leftover end is about 5", enough for a sixth coaster per board (30 total).
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 50 coasters, ten per board, with a little left over.
