inlay

[zhaoyan]

hi if you know how to inlay pearl oyster ,could you tell me .
I a want know I hope may sir and lady discuss

[Lloyd Hale]

I don't know what kind of job you are trying to do , But inlaying simply requires that you have a set frame work you want to put pearl or some such materials in to beautifi that area,,, Tell me what you are trying to do and I'll tell you how I would go about inlaying it....Then we can get other opinions on your project..Lloyd hale

[Bob Warner]

I am looking forward to Lloyd's reply to this topic.

I have looked at some fo the inlay work done on guitars and it is absolutely perfect. I would love to be able to get that exact. Unfortunately, a CNC milling machine is not in my budget.

[Lloyd Hale]

You don't need a panograph or any fancy tools to do precise inlay work....all you need is a drimel or fordom tool and a good exacto knife with sharp blades...The key element here is lots of patience..
First ,determine what your perameters are --- what your design will be... Cut this pattern out of thin nickle silver, here is where a good coping saw with fine teeth comes in handy... when you have your pattern cut out and exactly the way you want it , using a small amount of 5 minute epoxy (devcon ) glue the pattern where you want it.... when it's set, take your exacto knife with a fine point and cut around your pattern .... I hold the blade straight up and down and push the blade down into the wood about an eighth of an inch taking very small steps around my pattern... Once I've got a good clean cut all the way around my pattern, I heat a piece of scrap 440-C and hold it down on my nickle silver pattern until it comes loose--taking care not to harm my wood with the heat...Then glue the form to your pearl or what ever you plan on using , scribe around it and using your coping saw cut it out..... Let me say one thing here about your inlays.. You can draw around your form on a thin piece of micarta or some such materials then fill in the pattern with various pearl, abalone silver -- all kinds of things-- once all the pattern is covered, epoxy the nickle silver pattern on that .... scribe around it , use the heat to take the pattern off , Coping saw, cut out inlay... now here is where we seperate the impatient from the patient...
You have to take out the material that's keeping your inlay out of its intended destination...I use a fordom tool with a round arber.. I will take away everything up to a sixteenth of an inch away from my line... then using a sharp chisel blade I'll clean it all out leaving a clean hole where my inlay will press in easily after a little cut here and there..... There's a thousand ways to do this and after 30+ years of doing it I've come to this conclusion- don't be afraid to scrap it and start over the key is patience...Lloyd

[Chuck Burrows]

Lloyd-
When making your inlay do you put a slight bevel on the edge?

Learned this technique many years ago from some of the Ky rifle makers where there are often lots of inlays. Was taught to put a 1-2 degree bevel front to back.

Another technique I learned was after marking the outline with an exacto blade was to move in about an 1/8" and score another line all the way around the pattern. Then use your dremel/foredom. The inner line keeps the edge from chipping out. Finish up with a fine chisel or exacto blade and smooth the base with some scrapers. Main thing I learned was to protect that edge and do not force the inlay into it's bed!

I haven't done any inlays for a while but I've got project where I'll be using some soon - - keeping my fingers crossed. Holding your tongue just right helps too

Bob - did you see Don Cole's Mandolin post? Beautiful!

[Lloyd Hale]

Yes, I'll put a a couple degrees angle on it if the it suits me at the time ...each project I do is usely different from the last so my approach will vary... I won't use an inside line anymore as it will sometimes become confusing ... My moto is patience and keep it simple....I like to use multi colored materials that high light each other in an elegant way and sometimes one inlay will have 5 levels to it.... when I learn how to post pictures I'll take you all through some of my proceedures....I'm in the process of building a new shop.....Lloyd

[Chuck Burrows]

Lloyd-
re: posting pictures
Option 1) Go to the computer center and check out the first two posts. They explain clearly how to post images.

Option 2) Email me your images and I would be honored to host them for you. Once I upload them I will send you the link which you can post at your leisure.

My motto is patience and keep it simple

A good motto - some of the later Ky rifles were so covered with inlays they looked terrible - just a hodge podge with no real layout. Less can definitely be more.

I won't use an inside line anymore as it will sometimes become confusing

I usually do simple one piece inlays so it's not a real problem but I can see with multi piece inlays it could be.

[Bob Warner]

Chuck,

I saw Don's picture of the Mandolin he made.

I gotta tell you, Don drives me nuts when he shows that kind of stuff because I just don't have the patience to do it. IF, and that is a big IF, I "could" do that, I doubt that I would be able to wait that long for the outcome.

I have a tendancy to screw up things that are made of steel and are large, I can't imagine working on something as soft as wood and as precise as the work in the Mandolin. Don sure impresses me with his abilities.

I have avoided folders so far because of the little pieces and parts that I have to try to fat finger together. If I can't grind it or weld it, I am lost.

Hey Don (if you read this) great work.

Lloyd,

I sure would like to see you step through this process. I also want to see pictures of the new shop.

Man, Now I want a new shop.

[Lloyd Hale]

We've sort of got away from Zhaoyns original question, Are you still out there and what was your intent for inlaying..?? Lloyd

[tonyx]

With Lloyd's last query, not certain what your intentions are, what your project is?

But his general overview is quite decent. I would opt for a jewelers saw with a #3 blade, in place of the coping saw (gives finer line, less sanding later).

One form of inlay that I like to do (my background is in art, printmaking and I work silver jewelty as a hobby)is wire inlay. I use gravers to cut out patterns (the cuts should look a bit like dovetails) than inlay with gold or other colored metal wires, hammering lightly to fill in undercuts of dovetail (which holds wire without solder or epoxy) and then file and sand to finish.

Tonyx

[HermanKnives]

A method I learned from Wolfe Loerchner is to cut out your inlay pocket in the material and finish the pocket. Lay a piece of plastic packing tape over the pocket and CAREFULLY cut out exactly with an exacto knife. The edges of the pocket help here. This gives you a perfect shape tp past on your inlay material then jewelers saw it out and file til it fits perfectly.
As Lloyd says, the main thing in inlaying is patience of JOB.

[Lloyd Hale]

I've never had the opportunity to meet Wolfe, but I've admired his work from the first time I saw it..... that's a great tip Tim.....Lloyd

[Gary Mulkey]

Lloyd,

I gather from this thread (and others) that most people make the depression before making the inlet but I would like to know how you would go about inletting a preshaped piece. I have an 1858 half/dime that I have thought about inletting into a handle but haven't attempted this before and would love to have your thoughts as to the easiest and best technique for this.

Gary