Need advice about string inlay (ala Steve Latta)

[Roger Feeley]

I've never done any kind of inlay before. I want to make a box for my daughter to hold the champagne bottle used for toasts when her boyfriend proposed. On the way out of the restaurant, I snagged the bottle. I figured it had to be good for something. The idea is that I will have their names engraved on it with the date of the engagement. Then, we will use it as a decanter for toasts at the wedding and have it engraved again. And so on...

So I need to make a box and I thought a nice touch would be to inlay their initials (K and I). I saw Steve Latta on the Woodwrights shop and he sure makes it seem easy.

I would appreciate any advice you good people might have. In particular, when you are doing compass work, what do you do with the hole made by the center point? Do you try to fill it? In my case, there may not be any compass work but inquiring minds....

thanks in advance for the good advice.

Roger

[C Scott McDonald]

Cant help with the inlay questions but that is a great idea you have!

[Larry Temins]

I would appreciate any advice you good people might have. In particular, when you are doing compass work, what do you do with the hole made by the center point? Do you try to fill it? In my

I can't comment on doing lettering but for compass work I use a small piece of clear acrylic with an indentation for the compass point. bottom of the acrylic has sandpaper glued on to help prevent the acrylic from slipping.

good luck

[mike holden]

Most compass type designs have the compass points hidden by other lines in the design, that is the compass point falls under another inlay line.

[Roger Feeley]

I got the Latta DVD from Lie Nielsen and he answered the question about the compass center holes.

Latta says that period furniture is full of holes and that's one clue to authenticity. Some of his customers don't want to see them so he uses a little piece of laminate with crosshairs on it. He double sticks it to the wood, makes his arc and then peels it off. I'm kind of thinking of using thin lexan with the lines scribed on the bottom and a little center hole.

[Mike Wilkins]

Steve Latta was on the Woodwrights Shop this past Saturday. He was demonstrating the string inlay process with both straight and curved stringing. I want to learn this skill someday, but figured I would just try and experiment on my own. Or get a DVD. Great way to embelish your work for a custom touch.

[Jerry Miner]

Then, we will use it as a decanter....

What? You're going to decant champagne? Ewww...

Why not engrave the box and use a sealed bottle each time (with bubbles) ?