Inlaying Tools

[William Wells]

Where can I find the tools for cutting inlays? Thanks for any help

[Rick Nelson]

If you have a router, this works real well. The main drawback is that inside corners will be radiused to the size of the bit but that can be easily cleaned up with a little file.

can also get a Dremel with a router base and a tiny straight bit for more intricate inlays, but nobody that I know of makes any sort of bushing system for template inlaying. You'll need a good eye and steady hands if you go this route.

Good luck!

-Rick

[DarylRos]

Depends on what type of inlay you are referring to. I generally do them by hand, as taught to me by Garrett Hack.

It's easy to make a scratch stock by hand, just a piece of hardwood about 1" square and 3" long. If that is tough to visualize, then get the Lee Valley bead cutter, it's the same principal. I use their blanks for scratch stock: easier to file to any shape you want than you thought possible. With almost no practice, you will have a cutter shaped in ten minutes. Th ekey is keeping it sharp. You use slipstones inside the shape, but basically keep the sides honed. It works like a specialized scaper tahat way.

The advantage of doing it by hand is that you can make very think inlays. With power tools, you are limited to the smallest diameter cutter you can buy. I wrote an article for some cheaper inlay tools, whic will come online the second week in July for our club newsletter:

Also, check out the November 2003 issue, for a review of Garrett's Technique. There is a link for a longer article I put together, but it no longer seems to be valid.

[charlie b]

If you want to keep it simple and just do line inlaying Michael Fortune has a neat method using a modified cabinet scraper.

b

[DarylRos]

What an elegant and simple solution! No wonder Michael Fortune's work is so sensational.

[charlie b]

On the other hand, you should see some of the jigs he makes for some of his "curves everywhere" pieces. Some are so complicated that he video tapes their use in case he needs to use them again. (He trained as an industrial designer and does a fair amount of production oriented pieces.)

In addition to being an amazing furniture maker and jig maker, he also teaches, writes and travels to other countries and helps set up small furniture factories in "under developed" countries. He often develops designs that are tailored to the resources available in small towns and villages.

I really admire the guy and have had the privilege of sitting in on several of his free demonstrations/classes at woodworking shows. The guy has no big ego - and a wry Canadian sense of humor.

charlie b

[Andy Dingley]

of quirk routers ? I've just acquired my first one, haven't honed it yet (or thought how I'm going to), and in the words of the octopus & bagpipe joke, I haven't even got the 'effin tartan knickers off it yet.