One dark and one light material will create a pleasing contrast and make gaps between them less noticeable.
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. [1] X Research source Limit yourself to simple freehand cutouts or tracing small geometric designs. See the instructions for complex designs if you want something more ornate.
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.
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.
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. [3] X Research source [4] X Research source 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.
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.
Use any wood glue for inlaying wood into wood, or an epoxy if you’re inlaying another material.
Use 220 grit sandpaper or finer to keep the inlay nice and polished. [5] X Research source
Avoid tiny pieces and complex lines until you are a skilled inlayer. Consider which materials you’ll use for each piece. Use multiple inlay materials for better contrast and aesthetic.
You may also wish to include a few “reference marks” around the design to help you orient yourself while inlaying. If you don’t have any carbon paper, cut out one of your copies and tape it in place, then trace around it onto the wood. You’ll then need to cut out each piece and tape it within the larger design, tracing around its edge as well.
Cut your pieces larger on edges that will end up underneath another piece to create an overlapping effect. You can even cut the entire “implied” piece out, such as a leaf that will be half hidden behind another leaf.
Only use laminate or carbide blades or a carbide drill bit to cut fiberboard. Use eye protection. Clean table saws thoroughly to remove debris that could cause a bad cut. Clamp the fiberboard in place and score with a utility knife before using a circular saw or jigsaw.
Use an x-acto knife or other utility knife for wood veneer. Score lightly first to avoid slipping along the wood grain instead of the desired pattern. For materials that can’t be cut with a knife, use a jeweler’s saw or other precise saw. Always use a respirator mask and a fan blowing away from you when creating this type of dust.
Alternatively, you can use a long-setting glue. This should hold it steady but not attach it permanently to the base while you cut an outline. If your double sided tape is too weak, try to find the type called “turner’s tape” at a craft store. Once it’s in place, use a utility knife to cut off the excess tape so you can see what you’re doing.
Remember not to erase the marks you’ll need to place the next pieces.
Set the depth of your cutting tool a hair smaller than the height of your inlay piece – just by one millimeter or 1/32 of an inch.
When you stop seeing dust and rough, frayed wood appear at the surface, stop immediately. You’ve reached the groove you created. [10] X Research source This is much easier to see with a magnifying headset.
Use a wood glue for veneer. Use an epoxy or other strong, specialized adhesive for a different inlay material. Slightly sanding the edge first will create excess sawdust to mix with the glue and disguise its appearance. Once the piece is wedged in flush or almost flush with the surface, smooth the glue into the gaps with your finger.
For mother of pearl or abalone, polish additionally with 300 grit sandpaper after flattening the surface with a coarser grit. [11] X Research source
Remember only to make oversized pieces on edges that will be underneath another segment. The other edges should fit your design as precisely as possible.
