On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 10:13:54 -0700, "James \"Cubby\" Culbertson"
wrote:

Considering adding inlays to my toolbox of skills.

Try to find the Zachary Taylor book "Decorative Inlay"

I see David Mark's approach
on DIY is to cut them with a scrollsaw and rout out the receiving wood with
a 1/16" router bit.

This works. The "router" is a Dremel with a clamp-on base.

Often the scrollsaw technique is done in veneer as Boulle (or Buhl)
work. You saw two contrasting veneers together, then swap the pieces
around and veneer with them as if it were marquetry. If you're good,
you can do it with brass, nickel silver, or abalone shell too.

Some of the best inlay work (and easiest) is done by inlaying
commercial bandings. These are long thin straight lines, so you can
prepare the ground for them with a scalpel to cut the edges and a #271
mini-router plane to level the ground (useful little tools - get one,
and get a spare blade too so that you can grind it narrower).

Scroll saws are pretty cheap these days. It wouldn't hurt much to have
one, even if you use it rarely. Spending more buys you less vibration.
Make sure that it can accept unpinned blades (many take both, with a
couple of converter clamps). It will also need to be a parallel
action, not a "rocking C", if you want to do inlay work.

Glue is important - I don't know anything to beat hot hide glue.
--
Smert' spamionam