Acrylic Beverage Coasters - Design Tech Project

By


For my design tech project, I created 5 coasters and an accompanying coaster holder. Everything is made from clear acrylic, and the coasters are adorned with engravings of the Post Oak Bearkat paw. 

I made the coaster using Adobe Illustrator to create the design and a laser cutter to engrave and cut out the coasters. The coasters are 3.5 inches in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick. Firstly, I created circles and found the design of the Bearkat paw. The background of the coaster is filled with topographic lines. I designed the coaster holder in pieces on Adobe Illustrator, and after cutting it out with the laser cutter, I used acrylic cement to bond the pieces together. 

I like the see-through aspects of the coasters the most because it feels unique and kind of futuristic. I also really like how the coaster holder allows the coasters to stand on their sides. 

The most challenging aspect of the project for me was designing and assembling the coaster holder. It took me a rough draft to straighten out all of the kinks in my design, and I had to be extremely precise with the acrylic cement in order to connect the pieces correctly. The acrylic cement causes a chemical reaction in the acrylic plastic, effectively melting and bonding it in a matter of seconds. 

If I had to do the project again, I would probably use wood instead of acrylic so I could design a wooden coaster and utilize the CNC Router. I would also change the base of the holder to be flush with the sides instead of longer. 

Now that I have these coasters, I plan to use them on the dinner table, keeping the table dry.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meet me at Midnights coasters - Design Tech Project - Federico Sanchez

By
Image
  My coaster project, which I based on four different Taylor Swift albums, was a unique and fun experience. Prior to my work in this course, my skills with 2D design, laser cutting, and engraving/cutting materials were basic. Throughout this project, I learned different skills and became more confident in my 2D design work.      For me, the most challenging part was designing the coasters. I wanted to make my coasters resemble the four album covers as best as possible, while still making sure they would translate well when being engraved. However, with the help and feedback from my teacher, I successfully created four designs that were both replicas of the album cover and looked good when engraved. My favorite part of the process was watching the laser cutter create my designs. It made me feel proud of the hard work and time I spent on the project.  One of the biggest takeaways from this experience was thoroughly brainstorming your design. Specifically, thinking how you would re-create
Read more

Quidditch Set coasters - Max Barger

By
Image
 Quidditch Set Coaster Project     For my coaster project, I wanted to do something that represented one of my top interests. I chose to design and create something Harry Potter related. Through this process, I changed the design and made lots of edits to ensure I could create my ideal design. I ended up going with my first idea and made three different coasters with designs based on Harry Potter's Quidditch set and the definitions on the back.       To make these awesome coasters, I had to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator as well as the proper procedures for the laser cutter and the CNC router. Prior to this, I had virtually no experience with these materials and tools, so it was a long process that was definitely worth learning. The most challenging thing for me was learning how to use Adobe Illustator and figuring out what designs I wanted, and how all of the little details I wanted would be included.      The thing I like most about my project is that it is very unique, and r
Read more

Flower Coasters Jaycie Fazande

By
Image
                                                                       Flower Coasters for my Grandmother   For my coaster holder project, I decided to make coasters for my grandmother that represent her. The first thing I did was take the flowers that my grandmother drew and traced them to put them in Adobe Illustrator. After editing the flowers to my liking, I uploaded them to the laser cutter so I could start prepping my acrylic to become the actual coaster.  While my coaster holders were being designed, I decided to start planning out my coaster holder. For this design, I wanted to do something simple so it wouldn't take away from the actual coasters. So I went with a three-slot coaster holder with a bible quote on each side. After my coasters were done in the laser cutter, I took a minute to look at them to make sure everything turned out well, especially the flowers, afterward I put adhesives felt back so the coasters wouldn't go sliding all over the place when my grandmo
Read more