Incrustation(inlay) "line" metal in wood

[dimovengraving]

Several members in this forum asked me about my method of incrustation "contour" of metal in wood.

I apologize for the huge delay


The common assumption is that the metal inlaid in wood is easier than metal inlaid in metal, perhaps judging is a more difficult processing of the metal as a whole.


In reality, it does not. The problem is the inhomogeneity of the materials (base and inlay). They respond quite differently to changes in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and others. In the inlay type "metal to metal" once healthy are busy, no power to escape inlay. To obtain stable during inlay "metal in wood" , must fulfill all along inlaid quality.

How to make inlay? In the animated schema I reflect the main stages:



1. Carve a V shaped channel *
2. Tamped in it a metal band (I use 1.00-1.2 X 0.25-0.3 , mm). Personally I glue it , but this is not necessarily **
3. Smooths above
__________________________
* the channel must be such that the metal must to be knock hard in late

** quality made inlay no needs of glue, the glue will not keep bad made inlay


I think the pictures will show more. Here in steps, how to put inlay.
For example - part of the spiral , shown by the arrow. In the case inlay on the handle of a knife. Inlaid is silver on walnut:

[Willem Parel]

Wow Evgeni, that's a nice tutorial of something I alway was curious about how it is done, thank you very much for sharing this with us !!!
Willem

[mrthe]

Great tutotial Evgeni,i was curious too in how you make this beautyfull inlays and today i have learn a little more,thank you for your kindness you are a great guy and a great artist!

[macsalvi]

Evgeni, thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. Inlays on wood are a pretty thing, it is amazing how so different materials from nature mix together wonderfuly.
I have also found this document on internet

[chujybear]

Do you cut your lines with a straight knife, or parting?

[SEngraver]

Hi,
Thank you very much Evgeni for the tutorial in pictures.
It is Much Appreciated
SE

[dimovengraving]

Thank You All

Originally Posted by chujybear

Do you cut your lines with a straight knife, or parting?

If You question is about the working knife :

[chujybear]

I watched your animation again. The way the wood burr is illustrated in the first step, it looks like a single line cut with a parting knife. In other words, the wood is cut, but no wood is removed... Would that be a correct charicterization?
It is a very nice process.
Thank you

[GSCarson1]

Evgeni, Thanks for sharing your techniques, really interesting and great work! Glenn C.

[dimovengraving]

Thanks again

Originally Posted by chujybear

... The way the wood burr is illustrated in the first step, it looks like a single line cut with a parting knife. In other words, the wood is cut, but no wood is removed ...

This is different.
When cut hard trees (like African) or bone,
have removal a little material of base.

[chujybear]

Thank you

[zota]

Very useful tutorial and again proves that skill is in the artist's hand and not his tools.Performant tools can work to ease.Thanks for sharing

[karamundi]

Hello Evgeni, as always, show a good lesson I hope for more

[chickenscratcher]

demo if I may be so informal. Do you use fine silver that is very soft and I thick hard to drive into the wood or sterling silver or nickle silver ? Also I was woundering if a deep scratch cut into the metal along its length with an a graver or knife would add to its holding power after the wood expands against it. Did I make myself clear? Thanks for the tips.....chickenscratcher

[Jeremiah]

Could you tell me where to get small metal strips like that? I would love to try it! Thanks

[DKanger]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah

Could you tell me where to get small metal strips like that? I would love to try it! Thanks

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/717/1

I used to carry it in .008 brass or german silver, but don't have a clue if I sold it all or still have some left

Dave

[DKanger]

Originally Posted by chickenscratcher

Do you use fine silver that is very soft and I thick hard to drive into the wood or sterling silver or nickle silver ? Also I was woundering if a deep scratch cut into the metal along its length with an a graver or knife would add to its holding power after the wood expands against it. .....chickenscratcher

Like everything else, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing. It's not really wire, it's flat ribbon. It can be brass, german silver, or silver. Pulling the ribbon over the edge of a file will provide the "tooth" required to hold it in the wood. You don't want to cut the wood, you want to compress and spread it. You first incise your line. Tools to spread the incision are often made from hacksaw blades. They can be bent to various shapes for going around curves and also cut to limit depth. They have a slight taper to compress the wood fibers as they are driven in. Once your wire is in place, the wood is wetted which causes the compressed fibers to swell and lock the wire via the "tooth" you made with the file.

[DaveP]

Hi,
Thank you Evgeni for posting those images. Wonderful work!! As Dave Kanger said there are many ways to skin the same cat. I usually use fine silver that is dead soft. However, I used brass wire on the early 17th century gun I built shown below. It worked well but is a bit springy compared with fine silver. Dave's comments largely describe the methods I use. I incise the lines with small wood chisels and gouges, but I also use tiny cutters made from hacksaw blades. These are very small (<2mm) and when the edge is viewed straight on, the cross section is slightly oval shaped. In other words, the ends are rounded a little. That allows me to punch in a tiny curve without the chisel leaving a jagged line.

dave

[Herpolsheimer]

THAT is way cool and well worth waiting for. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[paulsph]

Very nice work & a really interesting tutorial, Evgeni! Thank you for sharing, greetings Paulsph

[Gert]

Great tutorial! Merci!

[Ray Cover]

Nice tutorial! Thanks for posting this.

I understand the compression concept and how it would work on softer hardwoods like walnut.

How would you handle this in some of the harder tropical woods like ebony, zircote, or even desert ironwood? In woods that are very difficult to "compress" do you actually need to "carve" a channel and glue the wire in?

Ray

[DKanger]

Ray,
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we use flat ribbon wire. For those super hard woods, I suspect you would switch to round wire and inlay it as you would if doing it in metal. I think it would be really tough to use ribbon wire in a cut channel without some gaposis along the edges.

[dimovengraving]

Hello all
I'm glad that this topic is discussed .

Originally Posted by Jeremiah

...Could you tell me where to get small metal strips like that? I would love to try it...

Jeremiah, such a strip can be done at near you jeweler

Originally Posted by Ray Cover

... How would you handle this in some of the harder tropical woods like ebony, zircote, or even desert ironwood? In woods that are very difficult to "compress" do you actually need to "carve" a channel and glue the wire in? ...

The problem with inlay of metall in exotic woods is rather in their low elasticity.
Must to make so , that the channel is such , that the metal knock not destroy the tree
I just cut out little material at the top of the base

Regards

edit: Thank You DKanger and DaveP for Your advices

In realy like everything else, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing

[rod]

Ray: "How would you handle this in some of the harder tropical woods like ebony, zircote, or even desert ironwood? In woods that are very difficult to "compress" do you actually need to "carve" a channel and glue the wire in?"

Ray,

You mean like this, for example?

Ebony and silver flute after an original from 1720.

I developed the technique seventeen years ago, and made this ebony flute, which is now played by the Professor of Flute, Amsterdam Conservatory, Netherland.

Rod