Here at Sauers & Company Veneers, we want to help more people learn to enjoy the art of woodworking, and we want to help woodworkers of all experience levels learn to incorporate new techniques into their work. One of our particular areas of interest is inlay wood, an old and beautiful technique that can be used to create some truly stunning results. In this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of what inlay wood is and how this technique is used so that you can decide whether or not to give it a try.
What is Wood Inlay?
To put it simply, wood inlays are created by carving a void into the surface of a piece of wood, then filling that void with a piece of contrasting wood or other material cut to the same dimensions. For instance, wood can be inlaid with another wood of a lighter or darker shade, with mother-of-pearl, or even metals such as brass.
How to Create Wood Inlay Pieces
While we don’t have space to provide a precise step-by-step guide to the wood inlay process here, we can provide a basic description of the technique. Most wood inlay today is made using a router. The main piece of wood is carved with pockets to receive the inlay pieces, and the inlay material is cut into the precise shapes that are needed to fill those pockets. During the cutting process, it is absolutely vital to keep everything except the router completely still, as any shifting in the wood is likely to ruin the cuts. If you are interested in trying wood inlay yourself, we encourage you to reach out to our team for a more detailed explanation and advice on how to get started.