In ,
Andy Dingley spewed forth:
On 5 May, 05:04, "ChairMan" wrote:
What adhesive is usually used to glue mother of pearl inlay in with.

Usually?.... Don't go there. Probably whatever is nearest.

For good work, this should be hide glue. It's also fussy, and some
workers had their own favoured formulations. The problem is
differential expansion with heat or moisture changes. For that reason
I wouldn't use hide, I'd use rabbit skin (same suppliers, widely used
for bookbinding) because it's much more flexible. Some also use fish
glue because it has better tack and hold onto awkward materials like
shell (this can depend on the roughness of the back surface).

Epoxy is also used on modern work, takes a colour for gap filling and
fills nicely. I'd probably use it on modern work, but not for repairs.

Victorian inlay, especially with brass, often used early "rubber
solution" glues, based on neoprene (et al) dissolved in fiendish
solvents like carbon disulphide. These were also used for sticking
leather wraps onto brass tubes for scientific instruments. There are
also period glues like Croid.

On the whole, it depends. it depends on your materials, your needs and
your care for authenticity. But I'd experiment with the same materials
before and practice on small pieces first.

Glassworking tools, like a ring saw, are great for accurate shaping if
you know someone who does stained glass.

Thanks for the good info