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Activities / Etikoppaka Toys / Etikoppaka Wax-Polished Coasters

Etikoppaka Wax-Polished Coasters

Etikoppaka-Inspired Wooden Coasters: Stain, Band and Wax-Polish

Level
Beginner
Duration
1 - 2 hours (plus drying)
Budget
₹1,174 – ₹1,898
Age
10+
State
Andhra Pradesh

Materials

  • Unfinished round wooden or MDF coasters, about 10 cm (4 in)
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Dust mask (N95 or FFP2)
  • Acrylic paint set (needs red, yellow, green, blue and white)
  • Paint brush set with a small round brush (size 2) and a flat brush
  • Beeswax wood polish
  • Self-adhesive felt pads, round, about 2 to 4 cm
  • Compass and pencil (a school geometry box works)
  • Toothpick
  • Two soft cloths (old t-shirt pieces)
  • Ruler and a pencil

Steps

  1. Understand the idea and set up your space
    Etikoppaka craftspeople turn wood on a lathe and rub natural lac onto it so friction heat melts it and leaves a smooth, bright finish. You will copy the look with water-based colour and a cold wax polish, with no lathe and no heat. Work near a window with newspaper on the table. Wear an apron and a dust mask for sanding. Lay out four coasters, sandpaper, paints, brushes, a compass, a pencil, wax and two soft cloths.
    Tip: Paint and stain can ruin clothes, so wear an apron.
  2. Sand each coaster until it feels silky
    Fold a piece of fine sandpaper in half and rub the top, the edge and the bottom of each coaster in circles for about 1 minute, wearing a mask. Wipe off the dust with a barely damp cloth and let it dry for 5 minutes. The wood should feel smooth like a pebble. Common mistake: skipping this, which leaves fuzzy fibres that stick up through the paint.
  3. Brush on a thin yellow wash as a base
    Mix 1 part yellow acrylic with 3 parts water on a plate. Use a flat brush to paint the top and edge of each coaster with the thin wash, so you can still see the wood grain through it. Wait 30 minutes until dry. The wash gives the glow that lac gives Etikoppaka wood. Common mistake: using thick paint, which hides the grain and looks flat.
    Tip: Strong black tea also works as a brown base on pine coasters, but not on MDF.
  4. Mark three guide rings with a compass
    Set the compass pencil to a radius of 4.2 cm and draw a circle from the centre of the coaster. Then draw circles at 3.9 cm, 3.6 cm, 3.3 cm, 3.0 cm and 2.7 cm, pressing very lightly. The bands between 4.2 and 3.9 cm, 3.6 and 3.3 cm, and 3.0 and 2.7 cm are the colour rings, each 3 mm wide. Common mistake: pressing hard, which leaves grooves.
    Tip: On a 10 cm coaster the edge is at 5 cm, so the outer ring sits 8 mm in.
  5. Paint the red, green and blue rings while turning the coaster
    Load the small round brush with a little red and rest your wrist on the table. Hold the brush tip still on the outer band and slowly turn the coaster with your other hand, so the colour flows around evenly. Do the same with green on the middle band and blue on the inner band. Wipe the brush between colours. This turning trick copies how a lathe spins the wood.
  6. Add a ring of tiny white dots between the bands
    Dip the end of a toothpick in white paint and touch it down gently in the gaps between the coloured bands, about 3 mm apart, going around each ring. Wipe the toothpick on a rag when the dots get bigger. Keep the dots the same size and spacing. Common mistake: too much paint, which makes the dots into blobs.
  7. Let the paint dry for at least 1 hour
    Leave the coasters flat on newspaper, away from dust. Touch the edge of one gently with a fingertip. It should feel dry and cool, with no tackiness. If it still feels cool and soft, wait another 30 minutes. Waxing wet paint will smear the colours.
  8. Rub on the wax and buff it to a shine
    Take a small blob of beeswax polish on a soft cloth. Rub a thin layer firmly over the top and edge of each coaster in circles, until the wax disappears into the surface. Wait 10 minutes, then buff with a clean cloth, pressing firmly, until it shines. The coaster should feel silky, not sticky. Common mistake: too much wax, which looks cloudy and sticky.
    Tip: Warm the cloth in your hands first. It spreads and buffs the wax better.
  9. Stick felt pads underneath and use them gently
    Peel the backing off four felt pads and press one near each edge on the underside of every coaster, holding it for 10 seconds. The wax protects against light splashes, but it is not waterproof. Wipe wet rings away quickly. Keep the coasters away from hot mugs, soaking glasses and the dishwasher.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses unfinished wooden blanks; beeswax is a natural product. Inspired-by exercise: real Etikoppaka uses lac heated by friction on a lathe

Safety

No heat or lathe work: wax is rubbed on cold. Sanding dust irritates lungs, so wear a mask; paint and stain stain clothes, so wear an apron