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Post by dadealeus on Nov 27, 2020 21:43:38 GMT -5
Decided I would take a shot at an inlaid cutting board for my dad and mom for their anniversary. The board is all end-grain - walnut, maple, and purple heart. Finished with mineral oil and wax after sanding to 320.
It came out alright, but there is some noticeable spacing between the inlays and the walnut in several areas. I used wood clamps to hold the inlays in, but it wasn't enough force for a good seal. For future projects, I'll use a hydraulic shop press (which I don't currently own, but plan on purchasing).
To repair the areas, I filled them with more wood glue and then sanded them down after they dried. This worked alright, but the wood glue either picked up some maple sawdust during the sanding, or lightened somehow and the edges are more visible than they should be.
Either way, I'm OK with it for my first attempt. I installed some rubber feet on the back and engraved a personal message to finish it off.
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Post by aluomala on Nov 27, 2020 22:46:49 GMT -5
Looks good, especially for a first attempt! The gaps actually provide a little bit of depth/contrast, so you can say that its a feature, not a bug!  Allan |
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Post by dadealeus on Nov 29, 2020 2:23:21 GMT -5
Hah! Thanks, Allan. I presented it to them today and they loved it, so that works for me!
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Post by traindriver on Dec 6, 2020 22:31:55 GMT -5
That's pretty sweet! By the way, you don't need a hydraulic press to do inlays. I've done several and I use F-clamps and deep c-clamps from Harbor Freight.
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Post by mnwoodbee on Dec 7, 2020 6:51:34 GMT -5
Looks pretty nice, I have yet to get a inlay made.
What values did you use for the male and female?
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Post by traindriver on Dec 11, 2020 21:06:03 GMT -5
I typically use a 60 degree v-bit and a .125" end mill to pocket everything out. The settings for the board you're inlaying into is Start Depth = 0.0, Flat Depth = 0.2. The settings for the inlay are Start Depth of 0.1, Flat Depth of 0.1. Don't forget that you need to flip the image over for the inlay so it is a mirror image (thus, it will be right side up, but backwards). When you mate the two pieces together, the inlay will not go all the way to the bottom of the base board. You will have a pocket below the inlay where the glue will go. Also, because the inlay has a start depth of .1 and flat depth of .1, it will stick up a little bit, even when pressed tight into the other board. This will allow a gap so you can use a bandsaw after the glue dries to cut the excess inlay off and sand down the rest.
By the way, I did some testing and discovered that even though I could cut the excess inlay off and run the project through the drum sander after 4 - 6 hours (using TiteBond III) of drying time, the glue in the pocket under the inlay is still wet, and will be for days because the glue needs air to cure, and there is no air getting under the inlay.
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Post by dadealeus on Jan 11, 2021 21:16:11 GMT -5
I don't know why I never get updates from the forum about replies to my posts.
Sorry for the delay. Basically what traindriver said, but I'd like to dial mine in a bit more. I simply don't have enough experience yet to give advice about the process.
It's definitely a fun project if you've been considering it though - and the end product is something you can really be proud of, regardless of how it turned out because of the work you put into it.
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Post by mcraigchr on Jan 21, 2021 12:18:45 GMT -5
I don't know why I never get updates from the forum about replies to my posts. Sorry for the delay. Basically what traindriver said, but I'd like to dial mine in a bit more. I simply don't have enough experience yet to give advice about the process. It's definitely a fun project if you've been considering it though - and the end product is something you can really be proud of, regardless of how it turned out because of the work you put into it. Looks great! I have made a couple of test inlays and I am really happy with the results. The v-bit I use is the Amana 45611-K. 15 degree bit. For cutting boards you can make the inlay deeper using a tighter angle. I plan to do 3/8" deep inlays. I got the idea of using a 15 degree bit from a youtuber named Stephan Forseilles. He does spectacular inlay work with equipment that is likely not nearly as nice as what we are working on. Great job! Keep posting pics. CC This is just a test using the bit above:  |
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