Flushing inlay w/ router?

[Stoutman]

When making an inlay I usually leave the inlay a little proud and sand it flush. Sometimes this will leave the area filling uneven as a result of the wood surrounding the inlay getting sanded lower in the process.

I recently tried flushing the inlay with the plunge router and a straight bit by first zeroing the depth with the work piece surface. I then make small passes over the inlay instantly making it flush with the work. I wonder why I never thought of this nor never seen this done before (Marks nor Nahm nor FWW).

Is there a reason it is not done?

[CW]

Pat Warner sells a router base just for that.

[mike hide]

Having trouble understanding the concept, with the bit zeroed out and the base running on the inlay arn't you back to square one. Think I will stick with the scraper...mjh

[Gordon Airporte]

I've done that to level a patch I put in one of my benches. I made a very quick-and-dirty router base from hardboard which is more or less a regular base cut in half. Just drop the bit down to the reference surface, then push it into whatever needs leveling, making sure to keep weight on the base so the router doesn't tip forward and gouge the work.

[J T]

Mon, May 7, 2007, 7:41pm .@. (Stoutman) doth query: Is there a reason it is not done?

I'm thinking because most people don't do inlays, for one reason. Most of the rest it probably wouldn't think of it. You get an atta boy from me at least.

The only down-side I could figure would be if you used something for inlay that wouldn't rout well, would crumble, probably nothing cheap, just something expensive. I don't inlay myself, at least never so far, but I would think it would work with most inlay material. But I can't help wondering how it would work with prehistoric ivory for example.

JOAT What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[Stoutman]

Base doesn't ride on the inlay.

[Leon]

The same thing can happen when tryign to make a plug flush with the surface. I suspect you are using a sander to level the surface. Don't do that. Wrap a piece of sand paper around a piece of wood and hand sand the high spot. The cushy bottom of the sander is the culprit. The hard non-flexable piece of wood under the sand paper will keep the paper from dipping into the area around the inlay.

Some woods are very prone to tear out. That can happen using the router method.

[Leon]

If you inlay long narrow strips similar to pin striping this will not work out well either because the base will have to set up on top of the inlay.

[Stoutman]

Good tip! Thanks.

That's what I was thinking. But boy, the router makes quick work of leveling an inlay when the wood cooperates.

>

[Leon]

Absolutely, and if you are puting in a patch of the same wood and grain the router would probably be a good idea.