I want to make some display frames for the Famous Women's Quarters being issues by the mint. I want the frames to be round and made of segments, so here is what i came up with (suggestions and criticisms welcomed).

First, I had to cut the segments and I didn't want to make or buy a sled just yet, so I used my miter gauge. This is an Incra 300 and measures angles down to 1/2° so I wasn't worried about that part. To keep the lengths correct I made a fence with a stop and adjusted it to cut the right length...then I cut 22 of the segments (2 extra, just in case) out of some cherry I had.

 

 

 

Here's how I decided (right or wrong) to turn the ring. There will be 2 layers overlapping to make the joinery easier and I started by making a backer out of floor underlayment (1/4" ply) and gluing (sparingly) the first ring to it. Then put the second ring on top of it.

 

 

 

Then to mount it to the lathe I made 3 pieces, one was a chunk with a tenon to put in my chuck, the second was a back support that got screwed to the tenon piece. Then a front support to clamp the underlayment backer down tight. You can see how these went together on the lathe. I drilled holes in the center of everything to allow me to align everything as an assembly. I put a 1/4" bolt through the holes and then screwed the pieces together.

 

 

 

 

Now it was time to turn, and since I didn't know what tool to use I went with bowl gouges and an EZ wood rougher. I've never done anything that generated this many chips, I was buried in them by the time i got it roughed out. In this pic, you are looking at the bottom of the frame, the rebate is for the inside piece that holds the coins.

 

 

So I sanded the outside and then had to remove the backer to finish it up. I took everything apart and put the frame in some cole jaws to cut off the underlayment backer. This was a little tough, plywood really dulls tools fast. I had to sharpen my gouge 3 times to get the dang thing cut off.

 

 

 

Once the backer was removed I had to clean up the face of the ring and trim some more out of the inside. But I finally got it done.

 

 

It's easy to see this isn't perfect, but it was more of a test to see if my plan would work. I want to make 4 of these, one for each year of the program, so I now have a way to go about it. One thing I didn't do was make the rebate for the bottom deep enough, I think I may use the router table to cut that a little deeper with a rabbiting bit. I also don't have a way to put a cover on this, like glass or plexi. I just couldn't come up with something that I thought was manageable. Sorry to drag this out, I hope you could make it to the end.

Wow Fred! That is awesome. Not sure if it would be helpful but could you use a paper joint between the backer and the hex frames? It might be easier to separate them. 

You're one up on Fred.  I have never done any segments.  Looks great to me!

Great job abd explaination. If you want to add a front cover (plex or glass) just cut rebate for glass and then another for backer much more shallow. The glass can be held in with glazing points.

Just an update, I did as Gerald suggested to make a ledge for a piece of glass (maybe plexiglass) and it worked out fine. I did with a very tall rabbeting bit I have, then I cut the rabbit for the case back a little deeper.

Edited April 18, 20251 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

Very nice Fred.

I did get the second of my 4 rings finished. This one is red elm, which turned out to be a real pain to turn. It doesn't show real good in the pic but I cut a cove on the center of the face, and then another smaller one on the inside. The hardboard is a piece a cut that will match the glass panes I have made, so it's a trial fit thingy. I used Gerald's suggestion of cutting a ledge on the inside to fit the glass up against. The next 2 will be sassafras and then sycamore. One change to my technique for these last three was to cut the segmented rings round on a bandsaw circle jig so I can start with the outside just needing to be trued.

Edited May 20, 2025May 20 by Fred W. Hargis Jr

Very cool Fred.  The joints look perfectly tight.

26 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I did get the second of my 4 rings finished. This one is red elm, which turned out to be a real pain to turn. It doesn't show real good in the pic but I cut a cove on the center of the face, and then another smaller one on the inside. The hardboard is a piece a cut that will match the glass panes I have made, so it's a trial fit thingy. I used Gerald's suggestion of cutting a ledge on the inside to fit the glass up against. The next 2 will be sassafras and then sycamore. One change to my technique for these last three was to cut the segmented rings round on a bandsaw circle jig so I can start with the outside just needing to be trued.

 

 

Awesome, @Fred W. Hargis Jr!

Most excellent Fred

Well, I got this project finished. As always, I now know there are quite a few things I would/should have done differently. But it was loads of fun and I'm satisfied (as opposed to delighted) with the way they turned out. The most noticeable thing is some of the gaps between segments and possibly the coins not being perfectly centered on some of the wafers I cut, but it's good for me the way it is. This is 2022,23, and 24. 25 is done but i don't have all the quarters yet. The Brass plate simply says "American Women Qyarters" and the year of issue.

 

Wow Fred!

I don't know, Fred< I think you should be both satisfied and delighted with the outcome! 

 

I love the choice of species and the contrasts in color. 

. Those are very cool Fred. I agree with Lew on the choice of species and and color contrasts. You're too modest; you have every reason to be delighted with how these turned out.

 

Do the quarters just "press fit" in their holders or are they held in by some other nondestructive means?

There's a BB size piece of stuff called "Poster Putty" holding the coins in Dave. It's what Wood mag used when they published a plan for a board that held the "States Quarters", I had some left from that and just used it. The recesses are 1", so they're a little large for the coins to be a press fit. I think that stuff is what teachers use to stick things to the school walls and then take it down later with no consequences. BTW, my glass panes were cut about 1/8" too small, so I also used a small piece of it in 4 places around the glass to keep it from rattling.

22 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

There's a BB size piece of stuff called "Poster Putty" holding the coins

Thanks Fred. Didn't think of using that. Perfect choice. It has excellent holding power and is non-marring. I've used it for various things before including its intended purpose, posters. 

Great look to the plaque. I must say it is impressive.

Those turned-out great Fred.