Inlays for the inexperienced!

[johnthemc]

Hi everyone, I need help. I am new to the whole building thing and wanted to start out slow. I know some may laugh but please remember its a start for me. I didn't want to get an expensive kit because I don't know if I am capable of building fine works of art like alot of the members but I would like to give it a try. I have a Traditions Tennessee flintlock kit. I would like if someone can give me pointers on installing inlays. I bought 2 books on building but just don't understand the technique nor know what tools to use. I don't want to buy another stock if i can help it.
Thank you

[briarsdad]

I am not an "experienced" builder by any means. I have however built one gun and watched my dad build guns for most of my life. The best advice I can give you is go very slow and take very little wood out at a time. When you start cutting your outline stay inside the lines to start and use your chisels to shave when you get close to fitting and dont gouge out too much. I was taught to file a bevel on your parts your inletting and they make a good tight fit when they are set in.

I hope that helps. Again the most important thing is to go slow and keep checking your fit as you go.

[johnthemc]

Thank you briarsdad,  what way do you bevel the inlay and the inlays I ordered does not have any way to anchor them, can I use some type of glue?

[briarsdad]

Bevel them towards the bottom so they are a little narrower at the bottom than the top. That is the way my dad taught me. That way you start out with a smaller hole and fit the top flush and tight.

Im sure there are a lot of different opinions on how to install inlays. Some use epoxy I have heard. The way I was taught is to use a very small fine screw either brass or whatever matches your inlay. Countersink the little screw head in the inlay and file it flush when you get it set. I have a few guns my dad has done this way and you have to look very close to see where the screw is.

[Captchee]

i  thought i had a tutorial on doing inlays on here
 don’t see it now .
  What I do is use chisels  and gouges to inlay .
. I place the inlay where I want it and then carefully, using a very fine pencil , outline it.
 Then using a small chisel , I plunge down  just inside the lines  that I have traced . This spreads the wood . Come back and carefully remove wood from inside that plunged line so that the inlay sets  down in the wood .
 To hold it in place , you can glue it in . but when I do that I  eather raise small burrs or scribe lines on the back of the inlay so that the glue has something to grip to.
  Most time however I use  counter sunk pins  and nail the inlay in place .
 I then wet the wood around the inlay . This swells the wood  back up tight against the inlay  . If you have  traced the part tightly , did not remove any wood outside that line . The wood will swell back up  very tight  and leave no gaps ..
 Once finished ,  use a file and sand paper to  level and polish the surface

[johnthemc]

Thank you both very much. Hopefully I will have a decent enough job that I can post pic's.

[briarsdad]

I always figured that if its yours and your happy with it and enjoyed working on it then that is all that matters.

Good luck and post up pics.

[Captchee]

briarsdad is spot on .
 i uploaded some photos  that can help exsplain things better for folks in the future
 lets inlay this  takes just a few minutes
 no prep work to the inlay


 this is what ill use


 small hand made chisel made  from a micro screw driver

[4-Liberty]

This is just in time for me to inlay my hunters star! I was considering just using a 2-part epoxy to secure it, but I'd kind of would like to do one countersunk pin. What type of pin could be used?

[Captchee]

if its brass then make a brass pin  or a silver or iron one in the center

[breachloader]

"I was taught to file a bevel on your parts your inletting and they make a good tight fit when they are set in. "  Sage advice.


Using a small screw driver is a great idea. I am in the process of installing a patch box and it works great for inletting the curves and tight outlines. I am using a chisel and a dremel to remove heavy material. So far so good. Thanks for the post.