Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Need advice about string inlay (ala Steve Latta)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Falls Church, VA
    Posts
    2,335
    Blog Entries
    1

    Need advice about string inlay (ala Steve Latta)

    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

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Fort Collins, Colorado
    Posts
    447
    Cant help with the inlay questions but that is a great idea you have!

  3. #3

    stringing inlay

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Feeley View Post
    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

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Clinton Township, MI, United States
    Posts
    1,554
    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.
    From the workshop under the staircase, Clinton Township, MI
    Semper Audere!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Falls Church, VA
    Posts
    2,335
    Blog Entries
    1
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Winterville, NC (eastern NC)
    Posts
    2,360
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Napa Valley, CA
    Posts
    916
    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Feeley View Post
    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) ?

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •