The inlay for the leg and top is 3/32″ wide – a choice based on looking at material with the actual workpieces. I also decided on cherry as a complementary wood with the walnut. Cherry can have some sap/mineral inclusions and dark grain lines – so I try as much as possible to cut around those: mostly by making a lot of strips and choosing the best ones!
I start by cutting right along the grain on my bandsaw, to try to have inlay that avoids crossing grain lines.
Cut along the grain lines to have consistent inlay material.
Then it”s on to re-sawing close to 3/32″ using the bandsaw with the fence. I cut multiple strips, keeping track of their order in case I want consecutive pieces later on.
The bandsaw cuts the inlay material slightly oversized.
Finally I surface both sides using my drum sander to dial in the exact thickness of the router bit (3/32″) – checking as I go.
A drum sander can easily dial in the inlay thickness to match the router bit
Finally, I rip strips off, again on the bandsaw, a little oversized so they end up proud of the surface and I”ll flush them down with a hand plane.
I love the fact that without the bandsaw, this woodworking task would have been impossible! This shows why DIY woodworking and construction can be very addicting. I am trying to learn more and more about woodworking using various tools I collect from a nearby tool store, and hopefully I can get as good as you are someday. lol
Thanks for the informative blog post!
[…] a Chisel Workshops & Instructors Jan 152013 When I had finished making the inlay material and tested it in sample grooves, I realized that I needed a very small chisel to square off the […]