I recently finished up another batch of ceramic and wood pot holders and had a few pieces of herringbone wood purfling aka wood marquetry left over along with cut-offs from the picture frame type molding I made.  Also, I had left over aka unallocated wood from my curly maple coffee table and end tables as well.  The curly maple was from the square legs that I ripped down to 3 inches square for both the coffee and end tables.

The pieces in the above pix (picture frame) are what is left after I made ceramic and wood pot holders and three (3) coasters, of which two are in the above pix and below.

In the pix above, you can see the figured grain of the curly maple wood.

LAST OF THE HERRINGBONE WOOD PURFLING

I plan to make three sets of four coaster for our kids and make additional coasters for gifts, etc.

The above herringbone wood purfling was purchased from Gerard Dotzauer in Erlangen, Germany who no longer supplies wood purflings, therefore I ordered a hundred pieces from China and hope they will be as good a quality as the German made purflings.  I contacted a German manufacturer who specializes in wood purflings and rosettes, but have not heard back from him yet.  He is probably the one who supplied Gerard Dotzauer with the wood purflings since I recognized a wood purfling I had made back in the early to mid 1970s for a Gibson Mastertone # 5 Deluxe banjo that was displayed in his wood purfling inventory pixs.

A FEW SEQUENCE PIXS

Since the procedure for making the coasters is basically the same for making the ceramic and wood pot holders except for the curly maple wood insert and overall size, I will not do a complete step by step pictorial tutorial on making these coasters.

There is about eighty (80) feet of walnut molding I made, of which about twenty-four (24) feet is routed for the herringbone wood purfling with it installed.  I did not route a groove for wood purling on the other pieces of walnut molding, but I am waiting on herringbone wood purfling to arrive from China.  Hopefully, I will be able to purchase wood purfling direct from one of the main wood purfling and rosette manufacturers in Germany as stated earlier.

Also, I need to purchase additional wood purfling to finish up the last lot of eighty plus turkey box call bodies that I have machined, however I cannot purchase the old wood purfling style # 4 from retailers her in the US due to their inflated cost.  I will not doubt have to use a similar imported wood purfling from China unless the German manufacturer will sell to me direct!

Web page published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-28-2022.

JIGGING THE JIG

I use the Dowelmax 45 degree miter system to drill holes for the 1/4 and 3/8 inch diameter wood dowels in a few of my projects.  However, with the short leg member of the 4 inch square coaster frame, there is not too much material for the vise to grip to hold the leg frame member in place, of which you then align the Dowelmax miter jig with the 45 degree angle on the wood frame member and then hold the Dowelmax jig in place using a C clamp.

Below is a jig I made to hold the Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig while drilling the hole for the dowels:

This jig for the jig is about as simple as it can get.  Fred Flintstone design with George Jetson results....grin if you must!

The DeStaCo 225U generic toggle clamps (HH225D) have plenty of hold down adjustable pressure and there is plenty of real-estate to "feel" the flushness of the wood member to the Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig.

The jig holding the Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig is placed in the vise and the vise tightened down.  No more turning the vise handle for securing the miter member to drill and using another C clamp!

This is a dedicated jig just for the Dowelmax forty-five degree miter jig and my custom 13/16 inch square picture frame members, however I believe the idea behind clamping with the DeStaCo toggle clamps will work for other projects with a 45 degree miter. 

For example:  If I wanted to add dowels to the miters of something like my custom keepsake boxes using this technique, I would need to secure the Dowelmax 45 degree miter accessory plate to the base fixture using countersinked flat head screws instead of the C clamp, whereby there would not be any interference with the accessory plate that holds the drill bushings.  Also, depending on the width of the wood member, the DeStaCo style clamps might have to be moved farther out also, which would not be a problem; just relocate the clamps.   This was an impromptu fixture with all kind of possibilities!

The Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig is held in place to the jig platform (base) with one single clamp, whereas I do not have to insert the wood member to the Dowelmax jig into the vise and then align the Dowelmax jig with the forty-five degree mitered end against the Dowelmax drill block and then use a separate clamping device.  This jig holding the jig is a pleasure to use and is ergonomically designed for sure, even though made with scrap aka unallocated materials.

ADDED PARALLEL RAILS TO JIG THE JIG

The aluminum block that holds the drill bushings extends a little wider than the base of the 45 degree miter angle plate and I wanted to remove any variability when aligning the member to drill with the drill jig.

My solution was to add rails on each side of the drill block that contains the drill bushings which is parallel with the block in both X and Y direction.  While everything was clamped into position and parallel with the drill block, I predrilled holes in the base of each rail member and screwed it down with 3 inch deck screws from the bottom of the base.

I had plenty of the base wood elevation blocks for the DeStaCo 225U generic toggle clamps already drilled using my drill fixture, and used the drill fixture to drill holes in the cut down 2 x 6 scrap material used as a platform for the clamps and Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig.

To use, simply place the member to drill against the rail and push the end to drill flush with the drill block and clamp down using the DeStaCo generic clamps. 

This jigging the jig is more or less dedicated for using my custom picture frame type molding which is 13/16 inch square for the coasters and the wood and ceramic pot holders aka trivets, however to use wider material like on my custom keepsake boxes, simply remove the two side rail members.  I have approximately 56 feet of molding to fabricate additional coasters and pot holders aka trivets and this jigging the jig is working to perfection along with the Dowelmax forty-five degree miter jig which is the heart beat of this jig!

With this jig, it is about impossible to have the member to drill not centered properly in all directions for the dowels.

REMOVED C CLAMP (IRWIN VISE GRIP 11SP)

I screwed the Dowelmax 45 degree miter jig to the jig base using a couple of drywall screws which were countersinked.

I am stoked with my jigging the jig.  As stated earlier, it is a pleasure to use!  I have another Dowelmax 45 degree miter angle plate ordered (this one is aluminum) and will probably leave this jigging the jig as is just for the picture frame type molding for doing the 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch diameter dowels.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 08-02-2022 and 08-02-2022.

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Above drilled coaster frame members ready to transform into coasters.

INVENTORY OF "GRANADA" WOOD PURFLINGS

I still have a good number of the pre-war style Granada aka stitch wood purfling and decided to use it on additional coasters and/or wood and ceramic pot holders.

I did a trial run on a couple 4' lengths of the custom picture type frame molding and I like the stitch wood purfling better on the coasters than on my turkey box calls.

Above coaster in the rough; no sanding, etc.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-29-2022 and 08-03-2022.  

SPRAYING LACQUER

I have five (5) sets of four coasters ready for the finish.  I am using Mohawk brand musical instrument lacquer from an aerosol can versus using my production type spray equipment due to such short runs of spraying and don't enjoy the cleanup either. 

I am only spraying two coats of finish on the coasters, just enough to protect them.  In the above pix, I am leaning more toward the front left wood purfling which I refer to as Granada instead of the herringbone wood purfling on the right.  As stated earlier, I have a good quantity of the Granada aka stitch wood purfling and plan to use most of it for these coasters and/or pot holders aka trivets.

The current reproduction wood purfling I am using is not an exact match for the pre-war Granada wood purfling (black/white stitch)  that I sold in my musical instrument supply catalog back in the 1970s.  I believe I sold the stuff for $ 5.00 per 31.5 inch length and I purchased the stuff in quantity for around .50 cents each piece.  Those were before the recession and devaluation of the dollar in West Germany and I don't think we will ever see those days again in my humble opinion!

After the finish dries, I will glue the curly maple top to the coaster frame, whereas they will be tucked away until Christmas as gifts.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 08-04-2022. 

GRANADA COASTERS

I slotted sixteen (16) pieces of the walnut molding and glued the Granada aka stitch wood purfling in place with Titebond III Ultimate glue.  The stacked slotting cutter in the table router works great.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 08-04-2022. 

SAWED THE 45 DEGREE MITER ON THE ABOVE MOLDING

I sawed the forty-five (45) degree miter on the above molding using my home made miter sled, of which I should have plenty of coasters for gifts.

My "jigging the jig" works fantastic and you load your material into the jig without a lot of hassle or mistakes!

 Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 08-05-2022 and 08-06-2022.

FINISHED THE COASTERS

I finished up the coaster project today 08-27-2022 and have at least 64 which is 16 sets of 4.  This project was a little labor intensive adding the dowels to each corner, but I wanted them to last a very long time.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 08-27-2022.

ADDITIONAL COASTERS AND/OR SMALL TRIVETS

I had about 43 pieces of the black white stitch wood purfling left and decided to make additional coasters, of which the tiles were 4 inches square +- which is large enough for a small trivet.

I ordered 15 board feet of aromatic red cedar which was planed down to 13/16 inch and ripped out about half of it into 13/16 inch widths and below a few pixs taken.  I didn't do sequence pixs since there are plenty already posted of the same procedures used.

I have 10 of the last 12 frames that I did with one coat of finish on them drying under the deck.  I have a line between the support posts and wire hooks that I suspend them from while they are drying.  Two frames are still in the Merle band clamps.

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 04-16-2024.

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation will be attained.   

Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Open this link about faith in the King James Bible.