Autumn Star and Moon Laser Cut and Engraved Coaster

01a. Download the attached XTool Creativespace file or Lightburne File

01b. Open File <(^.^)> Pick the size coaster you prefer, small for teacups, medium for glasses and beers or large for those who need a massive cup of coffee (like me) Decide if you want to engrave the design or cut the whole design… if you want to cut the whole design or make a layered cut, simply select the engrave part and change it to cut, editing the settings. You can choose to make your design from this file as a full cut, engraved inner with edge cut or layered cut.

01c. Position your chosen material on the lazerbed.

01d. Move the image in the CreativeSpace so you can align your lazer with the material so as to avoid material wastage. 

01e. Set the correct processing parameters for your material, check it's set to output and cutting. For Blackwood & Jarrah Plywood, the cut setting on my S1 20w is PWR 100 SPD 7.27. This is because the glue is thicker inside this ply, but it's lazer safe and formaldehyde free.

NOTE: When making engraved coasters, I like to flip my coaster and engrave the back with the same design so my coasters are double sided!

02a. Remove the cut parts from lazer machine (lol)

02b. (Optional 01 - Paint Your Engravings) Paint your Fonts or Engravings. One of my favourite things about a Matt Black Acrylic Sheet is that it comes with a protective paper surface protector. I leave this on when cutting and engraving so that I can easily paint in my engravings to create some really lovely metallic highlights on a piece. It's the little extra things you do that always seem to make everything look fancier! So, don't remove the surface protection until you paint in those engravings. Remember to remove it before the paint fully dries though as it can pull dry paint up off your engraving surface if you leave it too long.

Note: If your material doesn't come with a sheet surface protector, just use painters tape on the surface where the engraving will be before engraving it to get the same effect. 

02c. (Optional 2 - Simple Engrave.) Just engrave the material… that's it… if it comes with a protective paper coating like my gloss black, once the engraving is done, remove the paper. 

02d. (Optional 3 - Wood Layered Cut Design) Cut the whole design and cut in a different wood the outline of the design. Then because it's wood, Clean your parts. I used a water tray with a paper towel to quickly dry my project. You can run it under a tap too! Make sure to rub any edges to remove smoke marks and ash from the Lazer cutting process, because no one wants ashy smoke stains on their tables. If there are stubborn smoke marks or the wood is rough, lightly sand it, if you used acrylic no sanding. Pat dry thoroughly on a towel, paper towel or tissues immediately after to stop any ply wood separation that happens when there's too much moisture on unvarnished wood, which in some cases can cause the veneer separation as the water affects the wood glues. 

After they are dry. Varnish them. Any remaining smokey residue will be set into the varnish, making these perfectly touch safe. I recommend varnishing BEFORE gluing them together, as it's tricky to varnish into all the layered gaps once they're glued.

Add glue to the back of the design cutout and glue it onto the edge cutout. Press or put it under a book until the glue is dry. 

Note 01: I use a water-based wood varnish, less toxic vapor wise (yay) easy water cleanup. 

Note 02: You can use a big brush to varnish quickly in 1-2 minutes, however I prefer to use a tiny brush so that I can take my time (30minutes lol) and get the varnish evenly on the design and perfectly into all those little nooks and cut edges without leaving too much excess varnish.

Note 03: Make sure you varnish the edges where there is the most smoke residue to seal them up. 

Note 04: Varnish does change the tone of the wood, Jarrah becomes darker and richer with clear varnish and Victorian Ash gets a bolder wood grain when varnished.

Note 05: If your wood comes pre-varnished, still do this step of prep and varnish, except instead of varnishing the top and back of your cut parts, avoid the already varnished surface and varnish the lazercut edges along the side to stop that smokey residue marking hands and clothes.

03a. Let it dry and then put it on the table, make yourself a drink and use it! 

Viola, you are finished. 

I hope you enjoyed my Autumn Moon and Star Coaster set. Please support my designing and making online <3