Making Dog Rescue Coasters at Do Space

After taking the Laser Cutter Crash Course at DoSpace I had enough knowledge to start my first project, but what should I make? My wife and I volunteer with an animal rescue group that fosters, rehabilitates, and places Boston Terriers in new homes. The group is called MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue, check them out at adoptaboston.com. We love this group and the dogs we foster bring us so much joy. I knew I wanted to do something to help the rescue.

What to make? The small practice object I made in the intro course ended up looking like a coaster. I decided to make 3 sets of Boston Terrier coasters that the rescue group could auction off. I needed three elements: a design, material, and a laser. To get the design I found an image of a Boston Terrier at https://thenounproject.com. This is a great source for images you can etch. You can download the icons for free and give the creator credit or (as I did) buy the rights to reproduce images. With my design in hand I headed to a hardware store. Different stores have different options. I went with a 5.5×24 piece of poplar wood that was ¼ inch thick from Lowes. I then reserved time at DoSpace for the laser and created the coaster.

The end result was a cleanly cut piece of wood with a nice Boston Terrier on it. Poplar wood is fairly soft and a few practice coasters started to bow when the glass on top of them started to sweat. So we took the final coasters and coated them in about 5 coats of polyethylene. The end result was a really nice shiny coaster that can be auctioned and help the organization raise money. None of this would have been possible without DoSpace. Having the laser available, classes to get me started, and a really helpful staff made this possible. If you have not already sign up for the Laser Cutter Crash Course and get your project started!