First inlay attempt......

[labrat]

Getting tired of scraping & sanding so I turned toward making a brass inlay. I cut some brass, engraved it and inlaid it as best I could. Copied it from H. Rupp design. I believe it suppose to be an indian girl. My inlay sucks with small gaps and I must decide on scrapping this one and cutting a larger brass piece to cover the gaps. I was wondering if the gaps can be filled with maple dust or something? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[necchi]

Your much better than I could do, but to critique?
The inlay looks fine, considering location, you only missed at the neck a tiny bit and that one spot on top, and those would be a tough cut with hard curly. Remember, the primer and finish will swell the grain some. I don't think ya need the glue fix there.
Please do straighten that lower lock panel line though. Make those lines parallel.
I'm no pro, just offering observation,

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

For future inlay mishaps: IF you use a plane somewhere on your stock, save a bunch of the shavings. They can be "inlaid" between existing wood and the item you are setting in. Use a dab of glue, slide the wood ribbon into the opening. When it is dry, you can sand it or plane it or use a scraper on it.
Right now, working on an English walnut stock, I have a soup can full of planed wood, so I can match for color and grain orientation if necessary.

 

[Brokennock]

I'd agree with Necchi. The inlay looks fine, but that lower lock panel line needs attention.

 

[Norman Brooks]

I am no expert but the gaps are not enough to worry about. Like Necchi say's the finish will fill in the tiny gaps. Nice engraving!

 

[Whughett]

On the lower lock lines, how much if that is just shadow from the flash or lighting source.

 

[Col. Batguano]

How are you holding the inlay in to the stock? Most use epoxy these days. I think it's fine as-is. Just make sure to roughen the back of the inlay. A few engraving scratches would do the trick. Just make sure to leave the burrs sticking out so the epoxy can grab it.

I find tools like files and curved tip checkering riffler files very useful for getting the base lines of raised features in the places I want them. Cutting with scrapers, gouges, and knives leaves you vulnerable to digging deeper when you run in to a softer spot in the wood, leaving your final figure somewhat wavy. You want a longer bearing surface to help keep things even.

 

[labrat]

Thank you all for the feedback. The left line is suppose to be a slight s curve and I had a grain chip out there. I will correct that and make the right side to match. This is a sweeping curve and is at the very lower end. For now I think I will leave inlay as is and hope the finishing sanding may fill and improve it somewhat........Labrat

 

[labrat]

Thank you Col. I was wondering how this was done without screws & rivets. I will be sure to burr the back so I get a good adhesion. Is there a brand of epoxy that works best?..........Labrat

 

[LME]

Getting tired of scraping & sanding so I turned toward making a brass inlay. I cut some brass, engraved it and inlaid it as best I could. Copied it from H. Rupp design. I believe it suppose to be an indian girl. My inlay sucks with small gaps and I must decide on scrapping this one and cutting a larger brass piece to cover the gaps. I was wondering if the gaps can be filled with maple dust or something? Any help would be appreciated.

When I have a problem like yours and the wood is mostly brownish in color and the space needed to be filled in minute I use plain yellow Titebond glue as it drys brown. Try a little on a piece of paper and see if it will do the job for you. You might be surprised at the results. You probably already know this but if you use wood dust for the filler don't use yellow glue use white glue as it drys clear.

 

[Robby]

First inlay? I don't think its bad at all, you'll get better, but even so, it still happens. I would have filed the ruffles in the cap and engraved the contour. If the gaps aren't filled already after the application of varnish, I melt as much bees wax into the seam as it will take with a heat gun. No one will ever see it.
Oh yeah, people are still debating as to whether its an Indian squaw, brave, man with a "Liberty Cap", or even a whore!!! Kind of cool that no one knows for sure.
Robby

 

[Ponderosaman]

I have never done inlay, but had a thought that those who have can weigh in on getting tight inlays. I wonder if you didn't cut quite to your perimeter in your recess and then beveled the under-edge of the set piece if you would push aside the wood and make a nice clean border?

 

[LME]

I have never done inlay, but had a thought that those who have can weigh in on getting tight inlays. I wonder if you didn't cut quite to your perimeter in your recess and then beveled the under-edge of the set piece if you would push aside the wood and make a nice clean border?

That is pretty close to the way it is done?

 

[mushka]

I would never venture any negative remarks on your work, and I would never attempt it. Good on you for doing it.

 

[Mark Herman]

For a first time I think its pretty good. Filling the small gaps you have may make it stand out when you finish the rifle. If you use a little darker stain they will probably be unnoticeable when you are finished.

 

[Packrat]

Never having done any my self, I was told to cut at a angle, smaller than needed and fit as required

 

[martin9]

IMO, and I have built a lot of rifles with inlays.... that looks good. Don't underestimate how much the wood will swell with finishing. I normally whisker 2-3 times, then stain with iron nitrate.....sometimes tannic acid then iron nitrate, then finish. That's a lot of stuff that's going to swell the wood up.

I like Robbys' bees wax idea too, I'll have to remember that

 

[Vaino]

In the rare instances that I've used epoxy to fasten an inlay, I don't depend on adhesion and to really lock in an inlay, I use a knife edged needle file and file a groove into the edges of the inlay at a few places. I've done this w/ 1/32" thick metals and the very narrow grooves fill w/ epoxy and the inlay will never fallout. Thicker inlays are much easier to file the grooves into the edges.

When doing this, the epoxy is only applied at the perimeter of the inlet....why waste epoxy?.....Fred

 

[sdilts]

On your next attempt, inlay it first before engraving. These small gaps can be eliminated easily by peening the edges of the brass to stretch the metal. You could maybe even try it now but you may have to re-cut some engraving. Inlays should be installed, filed flush to the wood then engraved.

 

[labrat]

Thank you all for your comments and help. I really appreciate the feed back and will consider them all. Expanding the metal is something I never thought about........Thanks again.