Help! I need to inlay gold in a pen blank

[Steve Hayes]

What should I use, epoxy? But what should I use to color the epoxy with? I just need a gold look. Help!! any ideas? Thanks!!

[Jeff Myers]

Steve,
Check out a product called Inlace, it's a hard filler you can custom color with pigments,metal dusts,nuggets etc. You should be able to find the look you want. I know turtlefeathers.com has the best selection around that i've found and a good description of the product and how to use it.
I've used the dyes and the powders but not the granules or nuggets but think they'd be an option for ya as well. It's real easy to work with.

[Mark Hulette]

Steve-

You could also use brass filings as has been discussed here on the Turning forum the last few days. Check it out http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=47495 Not sure if that's "gold" enough for your purposes.

[John Timberlake]

I have used epoxy to fill spaces and it would bind in the gold or brass very well. I have also dyed the epoxy using TransTint aniline dyes. But some of the colors will fade due to the curative in the epoxy, so try it out first. If I remember correctly, black and blue were good, but green faded.

[Keith Christopher]

Do you have to inlay it ? You could always gold leaf it and then put a good laquer over top of it.

[Steve Hayes]

This was a last minute Christmas order that I have to finish by Monday morning. I will ony have the weekend to do it and with the weather I don't think I would have enough time for the poly to cure. I'm wanting to use the scroll saw and cut the rectangle out and glue in the gold, drill and glue tubes and turn. I tried the key shavings and it just leaves to many gaps, they may be small but it just doesn't look right. I'm thinking of taking the top of a brass key and cutting it to size. This is my very first pen order and I want it perfect.