Silver wire inlay

[Osprey Guy]

Back at the Moran expo, I watched both Bill Moran and Jay Hendrickson demonstrating silver wire inlay. Each of these two masters of the art form spent about 1 1/2 hrs each showing us how they do it. It seemed relatively simple and I've been itching to try it ever since.

Both of them used the same size silver "ribbon" wire (I'm almost positive it was silver as opposed to nickle silver...after all, sterling silver in that size is very cheap). They both mentioned the size they regularly use and for the life of me I can't recall what gage it was.
I'm guessing it was somewhere around 20 gage...I'd like to know what is typically used for their style of inlay work (you know...with all the wonderful twists, turns, and curls).

I picked up a jeweler's chasing hammer (like they both used) and am lucky enough to have a jeweler's supply shop less than 10 minutes from my house. The shop owner is a good guy and can get any size silver or gold wire I want. I've got a small jeweler's chisel/knife similar to what they used (with thanks to Ron Nott)...Now I just need to get the right wire...

Any suggestions?


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

[Darren]

Hi Dennis:

I have done alittle of this a long time ago with fairly good results.

I'm not sure what thickness 20 gage is but you'll want to use something in the .010" to .015" thousandths area, if I remember right I used .012", and about .125" wide.

What I would do is first file a chisel edge on one side of the ribbon. this will help it go into the wood clean. Then I would draw my design on the piece. I used the point of an xzacto knife with a swivel head and cut my line in the wood, I went over it two times.
Then starting at one end I lightly taped the silver into the cut line,
filed edge into the cut.

I hope this helps, It's been many years since I did this, so don't take this as gospel, I'm sure some of the other guys will be able to enlighten this for you alittle better.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Darren

[simmonsk]

Hi,
This guy,
Allan Eldridge
7731 Four Winds Dr.
Ft. Worth, Tx 76133

Sells wire, kits, videos, etc for wire inlay. He has been at it a very long time.
I have used 1/8" x 10thou fine silver with good success on rifles and jewelry. Less tarnish with straight up silver. Cut from thin sheets with a good paper cutter. It cuts better if cut along with a sheet of typing paper. (At least for me)
Enjoy, Ken

[Shakudo]

although i haven't tried wire inlay yet ,i do have several projects waiting.nothing is ever as difficult as starting something without a visual reference.here is a little something to look at,along with suppliers. http://www.hooverandstrong.com/artic...late.php?id=22

[Paul3]

Try this place Dennis:

Hoover&Strong

[tonyx]

you can use almost any size wire...depends on effects you want, fineness of details. Fine wires like .012 are really fine and an exacto blade would be enough to make necessary cuts. Larger wires, you might want to use your chisel or engraving tools. I would burnish the wire to make sure it is well seated in cuts.

One thing you want is to make sure the bed of your cuts is consist, as any where you have accidentally cut to deep or to shallow will affect the seating of the wire. When working inlay in metal I undercut the shoulders a little so as wire is pressed it and fills the cut it will be held in by metal shoulders. This does not really work in wood, as the wood edge is to fragile.

If you have to file down the silver to get it all even, use a fine file that has not been used on other metals. And work in over an area where you can save the filings, put them in a jar and save. If you do a lot of it, over time you can sell the shavings or trade them for more wire. Hoover and Strong, Rio Grande will trade that way (but it is not cost effective unless you have several ounces saved). Or you can use the shavings later, to create surface effects on other metals...but beware, you will be working with temperatures approaching two thousand degrees to melt or fuse the silver.

tonyx

[Jeremy Krammes]

Hay Dennis...
I never saw what Bill Moran has done with silver, but if its in wood give this thread a look. B. Buxton did a nice job on a Hawk.
http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....highlight=Hawk
He explains how he did it further down the thread.


Jeremy

[Osprey Guy]

Thanks guys-

All good info...

Darren...when I saw the sizes you mentioned it triggered my memory...They use .015"...I'm certain of it.

I should be able to pick that up from my local guy...If not I'll contact Hoover & Strong (I've had their site bookmarked for nearly a year...that's how long this has been on my mind)

I may also check out the video from Eldridge...His name came up in another thread when I first did a search trying to find the correct thickness of ribbon wire.

Between Bill Moran and Jay Hendrickson, I got to watch about 3 hours worth of demos...I think I got the idea of how it's done...More a question of getting some other stuff off my plate and getting to it!



Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

[Osprey Guy]

Here's a fantastic example of the sort of inlay that really revs my jets...It's a folder by Mark Sentz. Mark (who BTW is a Mastersmith from western Maryland) was also at the Moran Expo and I sat in on a good part of his demo on lockback-making. As we all sat at the picnic table during his demo, Mark passed around several of his knives. His top-of-the-line "Presentation Grade" model, like the one so nicely shown here, was truly a work of art!...8o

http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....threadid=17504


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

[Bob Warner]

Allen Eldridge does inlay work for Gene Osborn. I am not sure if Allen did this knife but I would say it is typical of his work. This is an image posted on Gene's site


Allen does first rate work so if he has a video you will learn a lot. Allen also makes his own tools for this work and you would be amazed how simple it looks to see him do this.

[Osprey Guy]

Thanks for that post Bob...Man I just love the look of the silver against a rich wood!

Yeh I can understand about it looking simple...As I said, watching Bill and Jay making it look so easy, very much incented me to think more seriously about giving it a try.


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

[Darren]

More a question of getting some other stuff off my plate and getting to it!

OK Dennis:

Now get that plate cleaned off and get to it !!

I want to see some pictures for sure....

I might even have to give this a go again, I haven't thought of wire inlay in a long time.

Darren

[Mace]

Dennis,
I just hapen to have a piece of paper on my desk with the notes I took while sittng across from Bill during his demo.

These are my notes:
Silver wire inlay
13 thousands X 57

1/16" Round wire for end of scrolls

Linseed oil and shellac finish
French rub

Light brown dye cut with alcohol



Hope this helps
Mace

[flashinthepan]

Hey ta Dennis;
I saw an article in Muzzle Blasts about wire inlay on old flintlocks..
The author had made a set of small chisels out of good hacksaw blade pieces..
He kept the depth on all the different shapes the same..
He did this by creating shoulders; and then the blade part.. say for example - 1/8 of and inch..
Heated them up, profiled shape ( ie. slow curve, fast curve, straight line, etc..)- then reheated and tempered...
Most of this was taken from the Rococo
and Baroque shapes....
Take yer little chisel- put on drawn line- you did draw yer pattern out on the wood, didn't ya ?? tap with small hammer till it shoulders, and then repeat till yer line is finished.. and then start inlaying ribbon of metal..make sure edge of metal going down into channel is roughed up and sharpened, so it takes "hold"..
I know of a guy who just uses his jack knive to cut the furrows, and then bangs in the brass with a ball pien hammer.. and it looks like it !!!
When any type of finish is used, wood expands and grips like crazy..
Back then a lot of brass was used, cause it was cheaper and easier to get..
You can get some supplies in some buckskinner and black powder catalogs..
Hope this helps- I've seen yer file work on this forum and am absolutley amazed..
Above all else - LOOK GOOD !!!!

Thom

push on the chain ???

[Osprey Guy]

I spent most of the day yesterday helping Coop out at his photography table at the Chesapeake Knife Show here in Baltimore. By a flipped-out coincidence, there was a fellow setup not 10' feet away from us, who was demonstrating silver wire inlay!!!! Unfortunately I missed the actual demo which was held during the morning while I was off in the main room showing Coop's portfolio around to all the custom makers (I think I was able to coax a few customers over to the table to add to the mix...Coop was really busy all day) ...It wasn't until later on that I realized the silver inlay fellow was sitting so close (his name was Keith, I missed his last name). I did however get a chance to have a long chat with him...

He uses .013" - .015" thickness X .053" in width. As I saw demo'd by Moran and Hendrickson, he keeps it simple as well,... makes his channels with homemade "chisels"...and like Bill and Jay, he roughs the silver with sandpaper and gently coaxes into the channel with a sort of modified jeweler's chasing hammer.

Turns out he'll be part of a 3 day hammer-in early in the Spring. It's called the "Rendezvou", sponsered by the Appalacian Knifemaker's Guild, and will be held just a little ways north of here (not far from Baltimore). You know I'll be attending...


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!


PS. Mace- Thanks, I jotted down a few notes during Hendrickson's demo that Saturday afternoon, but then misplaced the paper (somewhere over near the forging area I think...maybe my newest buddy, Larry Harley tossed 'em in the fire when I wasn't looking ).