small curved inlay

[Corvin Alstot]

I was looking at the Fine Woodworking website and noticed this Spice Cabinet in
the Reader's Gallery. I have always admired geometrical patterns in wood but
wondered how to get consistent, repeat curved reveals in the wood to glue in
the inlays. Are these hand cut reveals in the veneer or is there an easier / better method.
The spice cabinet is striking.

[Doug Shepard]

Well I've done some curved inlay but nothing as elaborate as that. If I were trying to duplicate that piece I'd use a router (or lam trimmer or dremel) and templates. Looking at the patterns I really only see 3 templates involved. The thin design in the center looks like it could be done with one template repeatedly rotated through 7 positions. The thin ones in the corners look like the same template relocated into 8 positions. Then there's the central thicker circle which could either be done around a round template or using a trammel arm arrangement.

[Corvin Alstot]

Makes sense! I am off to the local woodworking store tomorrow to look for a Router book which might show how the router is captured by the template.

Looks like more time would be spent in making the template than actually cutting the reveal, (but that does not really matter as long as they look good). Hopefully there are some good books out there that show this process.


Take care,
Corvin

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Corvin;
Very nice piece of inlay. Not difficult to do with a laser-see inlay topics on the SMC laser forum.
George

[Ralph Steffey]

My money is on that being done on a cnc machine.

[Rob Bourgeois]

nope, no need for a laser, router , or CNC machine, this stuff can be done with home made scracth stock cutters....See the Woodwrights shop. This can be done with hand tools basically a cutter on a piece of wood turned about a radius. The name of the guy who was teaching it with Roy Underhill was Steve Latta. He was demo-ing a method that was done on colonial furniture. It did not look that hard and is something I hope to try one day.

[Doug Shepard]

Well I still cant count for beans. First it was 6, then 7, finally 8 positions. But here's one way you could do the thin center design with a router and template. I'm guessing the central red colored point on his design hides a hole he used as a pivot point for a trammel arm to cut the thicker circle channel. You could attach this template at the same point. Put index marks on the panel and line them up with the centerlines on the template as you rotate it. I would make 2 versions of the template. One with radius R1 and one with radius R2. Use the R1 template to trace with a pencil as you rotate around. That way you'll have lines laid out and know when to stop when you're usng the R2 version. The R2 version will be for the necessary offset to allow for the template guide collar. Ideally you could just use one template (R1), but with as narrow of a channel as you need, I don't think you'll be able to find a bit that small that has a bearing guide for cutting flush to the template. Put a hole at the center of R1/R2 and cut out the arcs with a trammel arm. Then cut the template so it's a perfect square. You'll have to clean up the endpoints of the arcs with small chisels/exacto knives where the intersect.

The ones in the corners look like they could be done with a template with attached stop blocks that would register off the sides.

[Corvin Alstot]

nope, no need for a laser, router , or CNC machine, this stuff can be done with home made scratch stock cutters....See the Woodwrights shop. This can be done with hand tools basically a cutter on a piece of wood turned about a radius.Rob/ I looked up The Society of American Period Furniture Makers and found Latta. On the SAPFM forum they also mention using a scraper/chisel around a template. Here is what I found on their site . . "I make marking gauges with broken off drill bits. You can find a bit that is the exact width of the stringing. Grind the end to a chisel point. Set it up to scrape away the material in the groove. You can set the bit to the depth you want to end up at. If you turn the bit parallel to the fence it works like a cutting gauge. The bits are hard and stay sharp a long time. For doing curves I grind the end of a wing divider. Start slow and light until you get a track to work in."


Well I still cant count for beans. First it was 6, then 7, finally 8 positions. I did the same thing. Its a simple geometric shape but I had to look at it a while to get to 8.
Thanks for the sketch, very cool. Looks like I have a couple options now.

[Doug Shepard]

Corvin
If you do end up going the machine route, 1/16" is the smallest 1/4" shank router bit I recall seeing. Those are available from Amana, Eagle, LV, etc., and can often be found in the standard display cases at local suppliers. Only thing is, they're standard straight bits. I think you'd probably want a downcut spiral to avoid veneer tearout. Can't really tell from your pic how wide a cutter you'd need. I'm guessing maybe thinner than 1/16 anyway. I think that puts you into 1/8 shank Dremel territory.
You can get 1/4 to 1/8 collet adapters. Amazon has them, but look around. I think you might be able to find them cheaper elsewhere.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004TRAW/002-6975261-0604848?v=glance

For the bits, one place I know of for sure that has smaller 1/8 shank down-spiral bits is Stewart-MacDonald. I'd definitely do more looking though as they have a rep for being high priced.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Dremel_rotary_tools,_attachments/Carbide_Downcut_Inlay_Router_Bit.html