Inlay source(s) neeeded - multiple colors - rock perhaps?

[Mike vonBuelow]

Can anyone recommend a source or two for where I can get some inlay material for my family crest project? I'll be rastering out of walnut and filling in with..... (?)

Obviously needs to be laser cutable... would really like the stone look i.e. onyx for the black. Maybe gold foil for the circles (coins) and silver foil for the mask? So I'm needing a deep navy blue and yellow.

Would that liquid stuff work?

What about tinted abalone veneer?

Very new to inlays, but excited about the possibilities!

[Martin Boekers]

Check with the woodworkers & turners portion on SMC as many use all sorts of
fills including powdered metals and crushed stone.

[Neil Pabia]

One of the things we use for filling is powder tourquise mixed with epoxy, it looks good and is sandable but I wouldn't try to laser it. Other than that, I use either Silmar 41(polyester resin) or Alumilte (polyurethane resin) mixed with dyes and micas.

[Mike vonBuelow]

I guess I could just use any wood veneer and paint with the Alumilte or Silmar

[Dee Gallo]

The Penturners do solid fills all the time - they use powdered anything from stone to coffee to feathers. Check the turner's forum.

[Neil Pabia]

If you are going to use Silmar or Alumilite, they work better when you cast them thicker and then slice them down for inlays. There are some products made to go on thin such as gel coats and they may work better if you are just looking to fill with a liquid. I'm a penturner and make a lot of blanks for others too, the thicker the alumilite, the better it comes out.

[Chuck Stone]

if you're looking to do any metal, chemical etching works well. You can get polyester
adhesive sheets (blank bumper stickers?) and put that on sheet metal, use the laser
to get your artwork onto the sheet (and raster that in you wood too.. that way they
will match) and then weed and put it in the etching bath. Aluminum, copper and brass
all work well, but you might want to stick to 0.010 or so.