I have made coasters with and without cork. I finished the wood with poly and have used them for almost 10 years with no trouble. I suggest making sure the grains are perpendicular to minimize cupping. The cork does help prevent the glass from sliding on the coaster. BTW, I love using maple and walnut together. It provides great contrast. Good choice.
I don't know the copyright laws but many moons ago I had to write a users guide for a college class and we had to include the staement "Copyright" and the year. I may start dooing that on patterns that I make. I know it won't always keep people from selling them as their own but it might keep a few more honest.
Outstanding work Gator, both on the pattern and the design. The apron works better for the guy in the pattern. Lol
BTW, I went to school with a guy named Chuck Waggon. Cruel parents, but he had a sense of humor.
Nice design. Is it your design? You're moving in the right direction. Are you using a spiral blade? My preference for circles is a flat blade because it's easier to control and leaves less fuzz to deal with. Also if you stack cut thin wood you will be able to control the cuts more. It took me a while before I figured it out.
You may be surprised at how good it may look. I suggest trying it. If it doesn't work for you then just try another background. I've seen some folks use a photo as a background, too.
A girl at work asked if I could make these signs for the different rooms in our building. She gave ne some rough sawn 8/4 ash. Best thing is that I have plenty left over.