Inletting Question

[ToddCook]

Hi folks, I'm very new to this hobby and having some trouble with inletting. I see the masterful work and close tolerances here, and I can't seem get mine like that. I trace the object with a thin carving knife, stamp it in with small chisels. But it seems the chisels are moving the edge outwards a bit, and I end up with a bigger gap than I want. Not a big gap, but more than I see here. The tools are very sharp and I'm trying to go slow, but not getting the results I hope for. I'm filing a back bevel on the piece, but maybe not enough? Any ideas?

[Craig Wilcox]

Tod, I am nowhere near as good as many of the others here, and had the same problem.  Try using a thin pencil line around the metal you want to inlet, then cutting or stabbing about 1/16" INSIDE your line.  You can generally use a scraper to creep up on the edges.

Best of luck to ya.

[ed lundquist]

I ground a few sizes of xacto carving blades into various widths, they are very thin and its easy to stab around curves. After you cut your initial line, chisel away up to your line and then stab again. Thats what I do, the xacto really tightened up my work. I have done as Craig suggests and that works as well.

[Top Jaw]

I am certainly a rookie when it comes to inlets.  But two things that helped me were making sure I have filed an adequate draft bevel on all the edges of the metal, and not putting inletting black on too thick.

[smart dog]

Hi Tod,
Perhaps you need not worry.  When you apply stain and finish the wood will swell and the gaps may all disappear.  In fact, if you make the mortice too tight you may find it necessary to scrape the edges after finish to install the parts.

dave

[Richard]

Welcome Todd,
I'm still learning, but for myself, I found that I had gaps when I scribed in the outline with an xacto knife and then used these same cuts to stab it deeper with chisels. My method now is to not combine the two. If I outline with the xacto I will only relieve with chisels up to the xacto cut, then re-deepen the outline with the xacto and relieve again. Its a slower process but works for me. In the few situations where I want to start out stabbing in with chisels I trace the outline with a sharp pencil, (re-sharpening every 3 or 4 inches). Then the cutting edge of the chisel is placed on the inside edge of the pencil line. Wood compression is then taken up by the draft of the inlay.
Richard.

[smylee grouch]

When you stab in with the tool what side you put the bevel on might make a difference. As bevel toward the inside of the line or out side.

[Bill Raby]

Start out with the mortise under size a bit. You need to use good quality chisels. Very sharp is not good enough. It needs to be very, very sharp. The angle of the bevel on the chisel can make a difference. And most importantly, go SLOW.

[rich pierce]

Use less inletting black and don’t remove everything that’s black if the part is going in.

[flehto]

I nearly  always use an Exacto knife to outline around the item to be inletted , but stone a small radius on the blade tip  in lieu of a sharp point. This allows a "harder hand" to make the outline a lot deeper. The blades w/ the standard sharp points break off if pressed too hard. Of course the draft should have   been filed on. There are some lengths of outline that are stabbed in but they are short  spans......Fred

[jerrywh]

 When you inlet do not stab in to the line. Always stab in about 1/32" away from the line. Then after all the wood is removed from the inner part of the inlet and up to the line you stabbed in go back and remove the wood up to the line. This will stop you chisel from being pushed to the outside. I hope this is clear enough.

[Jim Kibler]

There are lots of ways to do this task.  Many may work well, but not all are as efficient as others.  Here's what I've settled on:

Trace the part with a single bevel marking knife.  With a single bevel, you can keep the tool perpendicular to the surface and still be right up against the part.

Use a U-shaped veiner to cut a trough right up beside this scribed line.  I tap this like a graver.

Stab in with chisels or gouges by placing the tool in the previously cut outline.  Make sure the bevel is inward with chisels and if you use a gouge with the bevel out, make sure you angle the gouge appropriately such that the bevel is perpendicular to the surface.  Tools with relatively shallow bevels with best (20-25 degrees).  I like to keep the tool in the outline and advance with a rocking motion.

Remove the wood on the interior of the inlet.  Roughing out with a gouge is generaly fastest, followed by flattening with flat tools.  Rough to nearly full depth before smoothing things with a flat.  Work from the interior towards the edgest to help prevent damage to the edges.

Try to fit the part.  With this method very little additional fitting is often necessary.  Sometimes parts fit on the first go.  If the part doesn't fit, use inletting color and find the the area that's preventing the part from fitting.  Slice this material away and try again.  Repeat as necessary.

All the best,
Jim

[ToddCook]

Thank you fellas. That gives me a lot to think about that I didn't know. I've built things all my life, and built lots of traditional bows and arrows that turned out really well. But THIS stuff takes some real skill. Sure is fun though.

[A.Merrill]

   If the gaps are small but you would still like to close them, try putting a drop of water on the gap, wait till it soaks into the wood then put another drop of water on it and touch a hot iron to the drop of water. The steam will make the wood swell back out if it's compressed.   Good luck.   Al

[t.caster]

I think it needs to be mentioned...ALWAYS FILE A BEVEL ON THE EDGE going into the wood. Then when you trace the outline with your knife your cut will be smaller than the top edge and you can scrape it till it fits tight.
Easy peasy! Well not really.

[tallpine]

When you inlet do not stab in to the line. Always stab in about 1/32" away from the line. Then after all the wood is removed from the inner part of the inlet and up to the line you stabbed in go back and remove the wood up to the line. This will stop you chisel from being pushed to the outside. I hope this is clear enough.

^^^What Jerry said. I could never  get clean inlets using an Exacto knife

[smallpatch]

Also, make sure you're bevel on your stabbing chisel is on the inside.

[smart dog]

Hi Todd,
Everyone is giving you good advice but first make sure you actually have a problem.  Read my post again and then wet the wood around your inlet to see if you still have any gaps. Chisels cut but they also compress wood because the blade gets thicker away from the edge.  Been there, done that many times.

dave

[Stophel]

First.... DRAFT.  All parts should be filed with a draft so that they basically tighten up as they go in.

I usually score the outside with an exacto knife, with the back corners rounded off just like Fred said.  With the draft on the part, the knife naturally leans in, so overcutting SHOULDN'T be a big problem.

Also, something that I see a LOT of aspiring gunsmiths do.... they try to inlet too much, too deep.  I did too before Ron Ehlert set me straight.  They'll try to sink in a lockplate 3/8" deep into the wood, inlet buttplates when the stock is still fully square, etc.  Don't do that!  Get the stock fully shaped before even thinking about inletting anything.  Don't "leave extra wood".  Now, instead of having to try to bury the part through a half inch of wood, you just have to inlet the thickness of the part.  Trust me.  Way better. 

[Dennis Glazener]

First.... DRAFT.  All parts should be filed with a draft so that they basically tighten up as they go in.

I usually score the outside with an exacto knife, with the back corners rounded off just like Fred said.  With the draft on the part, the knife naturally leans in, so overcutting SHOULDN'T be a big problem.

Also, something that I see a LOT of aspiring gunsmiths do.... they try to inlet too much, too deep.  I did too before Ron Ehlert set me straight.  They'll try to sink in a lockplate 3/8" deep into the wood, inlet buttplates when the stock is still fully square, etc.  Don't do that!  Get the stock fully shaped before even thinking about inletting anything.  Don't "leave extra wood".  Now, instead of having to try to bury the part through a half inch of wood, you just have to inlet the thickness of the part.  Trust me.  Way better. 

I had the same problem and often when I took my lock panels down to where they needed to be I discovered gaps around the lock plate. Now The first thing I do it to get the panels almost down to final height then inlet the lock. I also often inlet the lock plate way too tight, learn the hard way (chipped out a big piece getting lock out)!
Dennis

[ToddCook]

Dave you were spot on about the water. I wet it and it tightened right up.