How to Inlay Wood
Select your base and inlay., Cut the inlay into a simple shape., Stick the piece temporarily onto the base., Trace the inlay onto the wooden base., Gradually cut into the traced lines with a sharp knife., Remove the inlay and cut out the wood...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Select your base and inlay.
Pick a wooden object to decorate, such as a piece of furniture, box, guitar neck, or practice block.
For your inlay, you can use any thin, flat material, such as wood veneer, mother of pearl, or a small cut of bone or ivory.
One dark and one light material will create a pleasing contrast and make gaps between them less noticeable. -
Step 2: Cut the inlay into a simple shape.
You may already have a piece in the size or shape you desire.
If not, saw it into a simple shape.
Wear a respirator dust mask whenever you saw mother of pearl or other material that produces dangerous, sharp dust.
Any type of sharp, well maintained saw will cut mother of pearl, but you should periodically dip the mother of pearl in water to prevent burn marks.Limit yourself to simple freehand cutouts or tracing small geometric designs.
See the instructions for complex designs if you want something more ornate. , You can use double-sided tape or a tacky glue that takes a long time to set.
This will keep the inlaid piece steady for you to trace and cut around.
Alternatively, you can trace your piece onto tracing paper and tape that onto the base.
Particularly simple pieces which take little time to trace can be held in place manually if they are large enough to hold without cutting yourself. , Use a pencil to trace the outline of your inlay onto the wood.
Err on the side of making the design too small rather than too large. , Using an x-acto knife or other hobby knife, cut into the traced lines.
Start by lightly scoring the wood to get a groove going.
Once the groove is established, you can cut further down with less risk of your knife slipping along the wood grain.
Only cut into the wood just deep enough to fit the entire inlaid piece.
If you end up slightly shallow, you can sand the inlaid piece down.
If you end up too deep, you'll have to sand the entire wooden surface to make it flush. , Now that the edge is established, you can make a recess where the inlaid object will fit.
Be careful not to cut too deeply.
Small simple designs can be recessed using hand tools such as a router plane, chisel, or sharp knife.
Larger or more intricate recesses will be faster and easier to create with a power tool such as a Dremel, laminate trimmer, or full size router.If you used double sided tape, you may need to wiggle a putty knife or other flat, wide blade beneath the inlaid object to pull it away from the base. , Use a small piece of sandpaper to flatten out the base and edges after the majority of the wood is removed. , A tight fit is ideal, so if you can't quite force it in you may be able to gently hammer it in after applying glue.
Optionally, you can sand the edge of the inlay at an angle to create a wedge, narrower at the bottom than the top.
This makes it easier to fit without revealing any gaps.
Rarely, your piece will fit so well you can't get it out again.
In this case you can brush a thin layer of clear glue over the inlay for additional strength and let the tight fit do the rest. , Thoroughly mixing the sawdust you've created into the glue disguises any gaps to make them look like part of the original material.
Use any wood glue for inlaying wood into wood, or an epoxy if you're inlaying another material. , Cover the recess and the bottom of the inlay with glue and stick the pieces together.
Hammer gently with the handle of a tool to push it down to the base of the recess. , Clean off the excess glue, but not the glue in the gap between the two materials.
If the inlay is slightly raised above the surface, sand it down until it's flush with the surface of the wooden base.
Use 220 grit sandpaper or finer to keep the inlay nice and polished. -
Step 3: Stick the piece temporarily onto the base.
-
Step 4: Trace the inlay onto the wooden base.
-
Step 5: Gradually cut into the traced lines with a sharp knife.
-
Step 6: Remove the inlay and cut out the wood beneath.
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Step 7: Smooth the recessed area.
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Step 8: Check that the pieces fit.
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Step 9: Mix the wood dust into the glue.
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Step 10: Apply glue liberally and attach.
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Step 11: Make final adjustments.
Detailed Guide
Pick a wooden object to decorate, such as a piece of furniture, box, guitar neck, or practice block.
For your inlay, you can use any thin, flat material, such as wood veneer, mother of pearl, or a small cut of bone or ivory.
One dark and one light material will create a pleasing contrast and make gaps between them less noticeable.
You may already have a piece in the size or shape you desire.
If not, saw it into a simple shape.
Wear a respirator dust mask whenever you saw mother of pearl or other material that produces dangerous, sharp dust.
Any type of sharp, well maintained saw will cut mother of pearl, but you should periodically dip the mother of pearl in water to prevent burn marks.Limit yourself to simple freehand cutouts or tracing small geometric designs.
See the instructions for complex designs if you want something more ornate. , You can use double-sided tape or a tacky glue that takes a long time to set.
This will keep the inlaid piece steady for you to trace and cut around.
Alternatively, you can trace your piece onto tracing paper and tape that onto the base.
Particularly simple pieces which take little time to trace can be held in place manually if they are large enough to hold without cutting yourself. , Use a pencil to trace the outline of your inlay onto the wood.
Err on the side of making the design too small rather than too large. , Using an x-acto knife or other hobby knife, cut into the traced lines.
Start by lightly scoring the wood to get a groove going.
Once the groove is established, you can cut further down with less risk of your knife slipping along the wood grain.
Only cut into the wood just deep enough to fit the entire inlaid piece.
If you end up slightly shallow, you can sand the inlaid piece down.
If you end up too deep, you'll have to sand the entire wooden surface to make it flush. , Now that the edge is established, you can make a recess where the inlaid object will fit.
Be careful not to cut too deeply.
Small simple designs can be recessed using hand tools such as a router plane, chisel, or sharp knife.
Larger or more intricate recesses will be faster and easier to create with a power tool such as a Dremel, laminate trimmer, or full size router.If you used double sided tape, you may need to wiggle a putty knife or other flat, wide blade beneath the inlaid object to pull it away from the base. , Use a small piece of sandpaper to flatten out the base and edges after the majority of the wood is removed. , A tight fit is ideal, so if you can't quite force it in you may be able to gently hammer it in after applying glue.
Optionally, you can sand the edge of the inlay at an angle to create a wedge, narrower at the bottom than the top.
This makes it easier to fit without revealing any gaps.
Rarely, your piece will fit so well you can't get it out again.
In this case you can brush a thin layer of clear glue over the inlay for additional strength and let the tight fit do the rest. , Thoroughly mixing the sawdust you've created into the glue disguises any gaps to make them look like part of the original material.
Use any wood glue for inlaying wood into wood, or an epoxy if you're inlaying another material. , Cover the recess and the bottom of the inlay with glue and stick the pieces together.
Hammer gently with the handle of a tool to push it down to the base of the recess. , Clean off the excess glue, but not the glue in the gap between the two materials.
If the inlay is slightly raised above the surface, sand it down until it's flush with the surface of the wooden base.
Use 220 grit sandpaper or finer to keep the inlay nice and polished.
About the Author
Christina Gordon
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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