Inlay how to help needed

[Craig D Peltier]

Hello, I have been commissioned to build an end table and coffee table. I plan on having a CNC do this inlay but wondering if it could be done in the shop without one.

Both are oval inlays to my discretion of size an shape. Lets just talk about one of them.
It will be 12x36 out of Padouk going into a Sapele table. Aorund the inlay will be a 1/16th inch strip of dyed black pearwood.

I have done inlays that were rectangular before with a simple router jig set up and a sanding blade on the table saw to get the tight fit.

Personally I think fitting a oval inlay into and oval hole with complete accuracy may prove to be difficult without it being CNC.

Thanks for any suggestions

[Timothy Juvenal]

Craig,

While Geo. Hepplewhite always used his CNC for inlays, it is possible for us mere mortals to make nice fitting inlays by hand. >8^)

First make the inlay. Put the inlay into position. Scribe a sharp line around the inlay with a scribing knife. Cut out the pocket for the inlay. It should be a close enough fit that any fine adjustments to the edge of the inlay will be made with a hard sanding block, not with a disc sander.

StewMac sells a real nice router base for dremel tools that makes cutting a uniform depth pocket for the inlay a lot easier. Start at the center and work your way to the edge obviously.

Timothy

[dave toney]

Timothy covered it, the only thing I would add is that a router plane and a curved gouge can be handy for working the edges to a perfect fit.
Dave

[Richard Coers]

You could pay a CNC shop to just make a template with the oval hole (or three templates if you only want to use one guide bushing) or one hole template and use a variety of guide bushings for the strip, then the veneer, then the table.