Joe McMahon
12-10-2015, 7:33 PM
I was watching Popular Woodworking with Tim Yoder where he did a banksia pod and inlaid it with turquoise crystals. I liked the way it turned out so I thought I would try making a few of them as Christmas gifts.
I turned the pod, cleaned the holes, put in the crystals, then used thin CA glue. I got clumps of the turquoise hardened on top of the holes. I then sanded with some 80 grit sandpaper I had. After about twenty straight minutes I got most of the errant turquoise off the pod, but I also had ragged turquoise surface in the holes. I then had to re-install the crystals and start over again. The extensive use of the 80 grit is very hard on the pod, but if I use a higher grit, either it won't remove the ca encased crystals or it will take a year.
Any thoughts on how to do this better?
I turned the pod, cleaned the holes, put in the crystals, then used thin CA glue. I got clumps of the turquoise hardened on top of the holes. I then sanded with some 80 grit sandpaper I had. After about twenty straight minutes I got most of the errant turquoise off the pod, but I also had ragged turquoise surface in the holes. I then had to re-install the crystals and start over again. The extensive use of the 80 grit is very hard on the pod, but if I use a higher grit, either it won't remove the ca encased crystals or it will take a year.
Any thoughts on how to do this better?