Anyone done a turquoise inlay like this?

[travis howe]

Was wondering if anyone had any idea on how this was done? I'm taking a stab that the turquoise is simply mixed w/ some type of epoxy...my bigger question is what would be the method to getting this level of small detail in the outline(in this case bears)?

CNC machine? Thought maybe scroll for a bit but I've seen some of this on different moldings so I can't imagine that's a walk in the park to do w/ differnent angles involved?

Anyone have a source for this type of turquoise?

Thanks!

[David DeCristoforo]

It's not really a very complicated shape, easily router with a template and guide. You are correct in that the excavation is filled with crushed turquoise and epoxy

[Dewey Torres]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=104896&d=1230399376Yep I have!

I did it with turquoise and CA filler. When dealing with turquoise the cavity is the main challenge then you fill most of it with chunks of turquoise, coat with CA, then fill the rest with turquoise dust, then sand.

There is also a product called inlace (http://www.inlaceonline.com/) that is easier to work with and looks just like the real thing for a price.

With real turquoise always sand (60-80 gt)... don't put tools to it as they will dull immediately.

Not a bear shaped example but you get the idea in the (pic)

Left (Dust)
Middle (finished product)
Right (filler sized turquoise)

All bought here : http://stores.ebay.com/GILMER-ROCK-SHOP

I could easily coach you through this if you want to try it:)

[Robert Torkomian]

As a woodturner we use turquoise on rims of plates and use CA glue to hold it all together.

Rob

[Mitchell Andrus]

Travis, it's not hard to do..... if you own a laser. If you're in NJ sometime soon, stop in. I'll show you.

[travis howe]

No laser or cnc. After I posted, I was thinking about the cutout, I would suspect you would want at least 1/8" deep to get the rock into?

Was also thinking that considering it doesn't need to be a perfect bottom in your cutout that if I was only doing a few I could probably do it by hand starting w/ an xacto? It would seem like too small of an design for a router / pattern to work too well on? There is another one that is actually a bear paw w/ sharp claws, I can't imangine unless you have a laser or cnc you're probably going to be doing it by hand.

No major rush, still racking my brain on the rustic entertainment center for the sister and brother-in-law. Details, details...:rolleyes:

[Dewey Torres]

No laser or cnc. After I posted, I was thinking about the cutout, I would suspect you would want at least 1/8" deep to get the rock into?

Was also thinking that considering it doesn't need to be a perfect bottom in your cutout that if I was only doing a few I could probably do it by hand starting w/ an xacto? It would seem like too small of an design for a router / pattern to work too well on? There is another one that is actually a bear paw w/ sharp claws, I can't imangine unless you have a laser or cnc you're probably going to be doing it by hand.

No major rush, still racking my brain on the rustic entertainment center for the sister and brother-in-law. Details, details...:rolleyes:

Ok Travis I am tired of hearing about this "laser" business.

Post a pic of the inlay you are trying to do with that claw and the size (if you can hold a ruler up to it or a coin) and I will not only do it... I will post the tutorial!!!

And for the money I will save you on a laser ($7,000 plus) all I ask for is a post saying thanks.:D

BTW,
I am not against lasers at all. Just not for the average guy... needs to be earning $$$$ to justify.

[Dewey Torres]

Just to prove a point clock this post and I am going to go to my shop right now a create a mock up based on your picture. Drying time and posting time plus the time I take to write the response is all included.


I am not as fast or as accurate as laser and I am not trying to be. I just want to do a "quickie" to show you what you can do without a laser.
LASER (ha ha ha) <---- do you remember Austin Powers' 'LASER'???

[Mitchell Andrus]

Ok Travis I am tired of hearing about this "laser" business.

Post a pic of the inlay you are trying to do with that claw and the size (if you can hold a ruler up to it or a coin) and I will not only do it... I will post the tutorial!!!

And for the money I will save you on a laser ($7,000 plus) all I ask for is a post saying thanks.:D

BTW,
I am not against lasers at all. Just not for the average guy... needs to be earning $$$$ to justify.


Get a 'due by end of the month' order for 50 cabinet doors with a square foot of grapes and leaves inlay work on each... you'll run to the laser store and hope they'll deliver tomorrow. My need to stop working at 2:00 am made a laser a need, not a want. Mine was $26,000.00 and it's paid for.

Nothing wrong with neander methods... I still do MOP inlays in guitars and banjos for a few custom makers the old fashioned way for fun. Quite frankly, hand cutting is easily detectable and in my mind denotes a very high degree of 'hand-crafted spirit' - it's why the better makers want hand-cut inlays.

I see the laser as just another shop tool... like a table saw.

[Dewey Torres]

You can stop the timer:
Step 1 Your pic and a scrap of QSWO from the Morris Chair project
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Step 2 Make the groove
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Step 3 Groove complete
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Step 4 Carbon paper
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Step 5 Line up for tracing
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[Dewey Torres]

Step 6 All traced out
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Step 7 Dremel setup with grout bit (1/16")
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Step 8 Excavation
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Step 9 Excavation complete
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Step 10 CA brand I use (LOCKTITE PROFESSIONAL)
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[Dewey Torres]

Step 11 Fill the groove with CA
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Step 12 Sprinkle some big stuff in there
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Step 13 Looks sloppy don't worry
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Step 14 Time for the fine stuff after another CA layer
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Step 15 Over the big stuff with the fine stuff
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[Dewey Torres]

Step 16 Looks like crap... don't panic
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Step17 Start sanding (this stuff eats paper quick so be ready with more
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Step 18 Keep on going
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Step 19 Finished product!:D (ok now stop the timer) 9:24- 10:06 ... all complete with pics, postings , spelling, work, editing, and the kitchen sink.

I never get tired of revealing the final product. It makes me smile every time:D:D:D;)!
106120 106121

[Dewey Torres]

Get a 'due by end of the month' order for 50 cabinet doors with a square foot of grapes and leaves inlay work on each... you'll run to the laser store and hope they'll deliver tomorrow. My need to stop working at 2:00 am made a laser a need, not a want. Mine was $26,000.00 and it's paid for.

Nothing wrong with neander methods... I still do MOP inlays in guitars and banjos for a few custom makers the old fashioned way for fun. Quite frankly, hand cutting is easily detectable and in my mind denotes a very high degree of 'hand-crafted spirit' - it's why the better makers want hand-cut inlays.

I see the laser as just another shop tool... like a table saw.

Mitch,
You have me bent. I actually gave you big props in the Morris chair thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=968860&postcount=231

I don't oppose lasers at all really and didn't mean to offend. I happen to know Travis and also know he is NOT in the market for a laser. He just wanted to learn how to do this inlay. I still love you man!

[Roger Barga]

Thanks for taking the time to post this tutorial. While I had seen this before on turned bowls, mostly thin accent lines, I never appreciated what an entire figure would look like. The finished product looks like stone inlay, which I've long wanted to include in marquetry pieces, but tutorials on inlaying stone scared me off. Definitely going to give this a try in '09.

thanks again!
roger

[Mitchell Andrus]

Mitch,
You have me bent.

No benting intended and I'm not offended. Just denoting the advantages (and possibilities) of mass production in the small shop and spreading the word that there are always 2+ ways to get a result.

Invite is still open.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Nicely done, and in well under an hour.

[Steve Mellott]

Dewey:

In step 8 (excavation) are you freehanding the tool or are you following a template? Thanks.

Steve

[Joe Cunningham]

Wow, neat tutorial, thanks! Good idea for a nice future Christmas present.

[Dave Bureau]

How deep are you going with the tool?
Dave

[Roger Warford]

Wow Dewey! That's impressive. I've seen some of your work (like the amazing marquetry in your "shoe cubby") and thought "man, I'll never be able to do anything like that". I'm more autistic than artistic! But this little tutorial is downright inspiring. You make it look easy. Even I might be able to tackle simple shapes (like a circle maybe!:)). I'll have to give it a try.

Travis, thanks for posting the question. It may have seemed like a simple question to you, but it's opened up a new door for me, and hopefully has provided you with at least a couple different ways to accomplish your goal.

[Dewey Torres]

Dewey:

In step 8 (excavation) are you freehanding the tool or are you following a template? Thanks.

Steve

Steve,
I am good but not that good. This whole thing took me less than an hour including the pics and post so I didn't have time to make a template. It is done freehand.

[Dewey Torres]

How deep are you going with the tool?
Dave

Dave,
For this particular application the recess needed to be deep enough for the big chunks of turquoise to set down into. 1/16”

[Dewey Torres]

Wow Dewey! That's impressive. I've seen some of your work (like the amazing marquetry in your "shoe cubby") and thought "man, I'll never be able to do anything like that". I'm more autistic than artistic! But this little tutorial is downright inspiring. You make it look easy. Even I might be able to tackle simple shapes (like a circle maybe!:)). I'll have to give it a try.

Travis, thanks for posting the question. It may have seemed like a simple question to you, but it's opened up a new door for me, and hopefully has provided you with at least a couple different ways to accomplish your goal.

Thanks for the complements Roger!
If you try it and get stuck, come back and post. I am drawn to all of the inlay questions.

PS. I have a new tutorial coming out soon which is a bit more in depth and will cover a new material (Copper). Look for it if this interests you.

[john bateman]

You can also just print your image onto an Avery Label. They make sizes up to a full sheet of paper size. Then peel and stick in place. Saves tracing, especially on more complicated designs.

I used black dyed casting resin, rather than stone dust, but the rest was done similarly to Dewey's way.
http://members.verizon.net/%7Epecker/jbox/003small.jpg

[Bruce Page]

Dewey, great tutorial, you make it look easy.

Ps, I think the bear on the left has a cuter nose!

[travis howe]

Outstanding Dewey, thank you very much! The hand routing part totally makes sense w/the simple idea of a much smaller bit in use!

Yeah, no desire for a laser here, I'm still figuring out how to use everything I have already!;)

[Dewey Torres]

Travis,
If you post the claw pics I can show you how to do them as well or of you think you know enough to give it a try go ahead and let me know if you have problems. Also don't forget the pictures!;)

[Roger Warford]

I used black dyed casting resin, rather than stone dust

John, that looks very nice! Does casting resign cure hard and bond to the wood?

[Don Bullock]

Dewey, that's fantastic!! Thank you for the tutorial. Your post certainly has inspired me to try it. I will definitely do some turquoise inlay as soon as I have a project I can use it on. BTW -- I'll be doing an inlay of a basset hound profile.;)

[William Hutchinson]

Great timing for this post. I'm working on a (Taekwondo) belt display case for a friend's daughter. I wanted to add letters to each of the sides and have been experimenting with various dyes in epoxy resin.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/routedletter.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/lettertypestudy.jpg


After seeing the turquoise inlay, that is exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks Dewey for the excellent tutorial.

[Dave Bureau]

WOW, this is cool. I tried some of that Inlace stuff on a round handle. I cut a 1/8" spiral and filled with inlace. Perfect!! Even where the point of the spiral meets the outer ring. I also ordered some turquoise from the site Dewey recommended. I got the Inlace from Woodcraft.

[john bateman]

John, that looks very nice! Does casting resign cure hard and bond to the wood?

It did take a long time for the resin to get completly hard.
If I were doing it again, I'd use epoxy instead. You can leave the Avery label in place after carving out the inlay area, to mask off the wood as you apply the epoxy.

[travis howe]

Dewey, what's the base plate for your dremal called? Not seeing it on their site anywhere. Only thing I see that looks close is their plung router attachement.

Thanks!

r/t

[Dewey Torres]

Travis,
You are correct it is the plunge attachment BUT be sure your Dremel has a threaded collar at the neck or it will not fit.

This an example of a model that will not work.
106299

I have the 200 series standard Dremel that plugs in and it does not show up on the compatibility list because it is newer than the models that were avail when they printed the boxes for the plunge router attachment so best bet is to get the 200 series or make sure it has the threded collar. The XPR, for example will not work.

Here is a shot of my Dremel
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And Here is the model for the plunge base kit. And for this kind of work it is nice too because it has an edge guide and other cool features.
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And here is the 1/16" grout bit (of all things a grout bit:rolleyes: works great...who would have thought???) It is $11.00 at the BORG
106298

[travis howe]

Perfect, thanks again Dewey!