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Pete Simmons
01-18-2006, 5:12 PM
Laser engraved a logo into the top of a maple pen case. Filled with inlace as customer wants blue inlay. Never used inlace before but it shrinks upon curing. It shrinks enough that you can get a fingernail under a corner and lift it out. Inlay size is about 1" by 1". Tried different hardner ratios with no luck. It also either takes a long time or never gets to the point you can sand it without clogging up the paper quickly ie. it stays a little sticky for a long time.

Any ideas?

Any other blue color material for inlays?

Bob Tate
01-18-2006, 5:57 PM
Years before I had a Laser I did some inlays on the lathe, mixed aniline dye powder (you are supposed to mix it with alcohol) with 30 minute epoxy. It worked out pretty good. I had forgotten about that until you brought this up. I need to try that with the Laser now.

Pete Simmons
01-18-2006, 6:04 PM
Just spoke to the guy who says he was the founder of inlace. He does not know why, but it does NOT work with laser engraved wood. Part of that reason is he suggests a need to undercut the edges.

He said if I got it to work than I am doing something he is not aware of.

Some of the problems.

1. Make it thin to flow well and it wicks into the wood grain.

2. Thicken it up with a filler and it shrinks.

On to plan "B".

What is plan "B"? Not sure yet!

Joe Pelonio
01-18-2006, 6:46 PM
Just a thought here. Mask first and engrave, then mix up some casting resin, with blue pigments added to it. That pours easily and also will stick well to wood. I haven't used it in years but have a redwood burl table at home that I used it on (clear) back about 1975 and it's still in great shape.
Available at places like http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=75&

Lee DeRaud
01-18-2006, 7:50 PM
Just a thought here. Mask first and engrave, then mix up some casting resin, with blue pigments added to it. That pours easily and also will stick well to wood. I haven't used it in years but have a redwood burl table at home that I used it on (clear) back about 1975 and it's still in great shape.How "workable" is it? Can it be scraped and sanded to get the inlay flush or do you have to make a (very) precise pour?

Jeff Lehman
01-18-2006, 8:05 PM
The wood affects the moisture content of the mix...a seal on the cut portion of the inlay area before applying the mix may help...IMHO

Joe Pelonio
01-19-2006, 8:23 AM
The nice thing about the resin is that it pours thin enough to allow gravity to level it off. It's a nice glossy surface, so if you did sand it you'd then have to polish it.

George M. Perzel
01-19-2006, 9:20 AM
Hi Guys;
I do a lot of pens and pen boxes-maple and "rosewood". Best and easiest way to fill engraving is using Elmers Woof Filler in tube-comes in a number of white/off white colors as well as walnut, mahoghany etc. Want a color?-mix some with acrylic craft paint or Transtint dye for deeper colors. Best is to engrave a finished surface, use your finger to apply filler-wait about a minute and wipe it of with your finger and then residual with a soft cloth. See pic below for sample.
george

Barbara Buhse
01-19-2006, 11:16 AM
George, just wanted to tell you that s the most helpful suggestion I've gotten all week... I'm not very good at color fill, and this may just be the idea I needed!

Barbara

Lee DeRaud
01-19-2006, 11:29 AM
Best and easiest way to fill engraving is using Elmers Woof Filler in tube...Dunno how well this works, but it sure got my dog's attention.:D :p

Jerry Allen
01-19-2006, 11:31 AM
Nice work, George, and thanks for the tip.

Elmers Woof Filler? Is that the one with the cow or the dog on the label?

Pete Simmons
01-19-2006, 1:14 PM
Elmers Wood Filler in tube - where do you get it?

Went to a local hardware store. They did not have it.

Jerry Allen
01-19-2006, 3:12 PM
I know Home Depot carries it.
Do a search on Google to find Elmer's and they should have links to places that carry it. Or just do a search for Elmer's Wood Filler.

I have used a lot of it, not for the purpose George recommended, which sounds great. I have found that once the tube is open, it does not last a long time even if capped. Maybe 3 months. Then again, it's less than $2 at Home Depot, last I bought some.

mike klein
01-02-2010, 10:07 PM
I got some kits from these folks and they work great. I use a postal scale to weigh in the inlay material, add 25 drops of hardner to the turquoise and 20 drops to the clear and I have no problems. Sand down with 220 paper.

Mike

http://www.inlaceonline.com/

laura passek
01-02-2010, 11:22 PM
Steve Good just did a video on his website (http://www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/) he used inlace on a couple of projects.
scroll to bottom of page.

James Stokes
01-03-2010, 9:16 AM
There are so many ways to color fill it is hard to tell you the best way. On somethings I use acrylic paint, sometimes Rub and buff but do not really like it. Somethings I use tape to mask it then spray paint, other things I use tile grout. Just depends on the product.