Inletting Tools?

[Zonie]

Your doing OK for a first attempt! :thumbsup:

For those who have not put in inlays, but are thinking about it, here's another thing to keep in mind.

Most of the inlays you will buy from the suppliers are made on a punch press using punches and dies (kinda like a hole punch).

When these punches and dies are new, the inlay made has fairly crisp edges where the top and bottom meet the sides like this: []
As the tool wears, it starts producing parts which still have one sharp edge where the side meets a face, but you will notice that the corner where the other face meets the side is slightly rounded like this: [)
This, of course doesn't make the inlay unusable, but you want to put the inlay into the wood so that the sharp cornered edge is UP or out. Bury the rounded edge in the wood.

The reason for saying this is if you install the inlay with the rounded edge outward, and don't file the wood and inlay exactly smooth, there will be a slight depression where the wood ends and the metal begans.
This will result in making a joint that is easily felt and seen, or you will have to file off a lot of the face of the inlay to remove the rounded edge.

 

[reddogge]

Don't despair. Take some beeswax and get it nice and soft and put some lampblack soot in it to make it dark and dirty looking and rub it around the inlay (after you put finish on the rifle). It will look like old dirty gunk in the gaps making them less noticable.

 

[Lee Cain]

Might try scarfing the back of the inlay and setting it with a little Acraglas colored to your finish. Makes for an almost invisable fix.