Although I have never attempted a brass inlay in a rifle stock I have done quite a bit of this work on furniture. Although it has been some time ago here is what I did. First you need very sharp tools and no outside distractions. Cutting a small channel in wood is not an easy thing to do, especially if you are going for an intricate design and you will be alternating cuts with and accross the grain - this takes a certain understanding of the piece of wood you are dealing with. There can be tear-out if the tools are not sharp and you have got to have a design drawn on the wood to follow. Freelancing is for artists. I always used extruded brass wire because I felt it was easier to work with. When you cut the channel it should be smaller than the wire and as consistant as possiblein deapth and width. I always pressure fit the wire into the channel and left the wire a bit proud of the wood. The excess is sanded down to be flush with the wood. (not filed - filing just is not going to work as you will have wood grain issues to deal with and all kinds of problemes if you file the wire). You should run a small amount of matching stain in the channel before setting the inlay wire. The process I used was as follows. At the begining of the run, and as inconspicously as possible, drill a very small hole of about 1/8 inch in deapth and a bit smaller in diameter than the wire and place the end of the wire in there to lock it in place by hammering it home and then start your "chaising" of the wire run with a plastic or hard leather faced hammer in the channel (if you use a steel headed hammer I guarentee that sooner or later you are going to dent the wood and probably crush the wire or kink it real bad). Have the wire on a spool secured over your work area so it feeds freely but is not in your way. I strongly suggest that you practice, practice and practice some more before trying this on a rifle stock. Lastly, the brass will discolor a very small amount of wood down the channel. Frankly, I never tried to discourage this so I have no suggestions in how to prevent it. The discoloration matched the antique quality of the furnature I was working with. However, in terms of pollishing; well, I never polished the inlays I made on furniture I just hand rubbed them from time to time and they perked right up. In them days, I never had a customer complain about the inlays turning green. I would think that on a rifle stock that now and then you could polish the inlay by simply rubbing with a rag having a bit of linseed oil on it. By the way -- I was not "cooking" furnature to pass of as antiques. The deal was to antique reproduction piecs. I never made any money at it, but it was fun for a while.
