Copper Wire Inlaid Coaster

thingiverse

A laser cut coaster with an inlay of 18 g. copper metal jewelry wire in a simple circle and the planet Saturn. The two designs above are made with 18 gauge wire and 1/8th inch balsa birch wood. After laser cutting it's easiest to shape the wire around the cut out piece to get the basic shape set then lay the cut out inside the coaster and hammer the wire into place. I found it useful to use a thin file to help hammer in more stubborn pieces and even out the wire's level. The pressure of the wire between the two pieces of wood holds the coaster together. No glue or soldering was used for either design. The .svg file has both coaster designs in it. The PDFs are the individual designs. If you want to use a different gauge of wire I recommend finding the gauge diameter and making your gap between shapes about 0.02 wider than the diameter.