Inletting patch box

[Maineshops]

How do you maintain an even depth when inletting the patch box? Thanks Dan

[Mike Brooks]

Careful craftsmanship? When I have it about where I want it I file the stock and box down together to the same level.

[rich pierce]

Whenever striving for even depth I take a half inch wide flat chisel or whatever fits and make a dozen stabbing cuts scattered across that surface. All cuts should be gross grain with the same chisel.  Same number of taps each cut with an engraving hammer. Then remove background all the way to the bottom of the cuts. For a patchbox 2 taps should do. 

[Long John]

Rich,

I have used a similar approach.  I am gratified to learn that I am doing something right!  But I place a strip of masking tap across the chisel end at the depth I want to go.  I tap the chisel until the tape kisses the surface of the wood.  Counting two taps is hard for an old fellow like me!  So I don't know how many taps I use.

Best Regards,

JMC
John Cholin

[L. Akers]

I use a 1/8" dia. end mill bit and a depth stop set to the thickness of the inlay and drill a series of holes within the outline of the inlay.  When I get close to depth I smoke the back of the inlay part to identify high points to remove.  I then file the inlay and the wood together to the same level.

[Dave B]

I use a miniature router plane that Dave Rase cast for me at a Gunmakers fair years ago. I got to ram up the sand molde for the pour. IT makes inletting a brass box or side plate a breeze.  Both these projects it helped me get er done.


little images

[smallpatch]

I use soot to mark the high spots, continue to mark and carve till the right depth. File wood/metal till flush.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I use ALL of the techniques mentioned above when the situation calls for it. My small router plane is from Lee Valley - I like it a LOT .

[Not English]

Mike has it right. After I have patch box inlet to about where I want it, I use a hooked scraper and non drying prussian blue to finish up the inletting. I then file as Mike has described.

[rmnc3r]

I use a 1/8" dia. end mill bit and a depth stop set to the thickness of the inlay and drill a series of holes within the outline of the inlay.  When I get close to depth I smoke the back of the inlay part to identify high points to remove.  I then file the inlay and the wood together to the same level.

Thinking off the cuff based on this  - maybe a automatic center punch could be used to set depth limit guide...?
These can be adjusted to deliver a shallow or deep punch - Will try this on my next build.

[coopersdad]

I really struggle with gauging how much wood to hog out of an inlet before slowing down to final fit.  I either overshoot or I start picking away with transfer color way too early.   I got this idea from someone on here.   It's a made of aluminum rod, with a 1/16" drill bit in the end.  Set the inlet depth you want and lock the set screw.  Then drill a bunch of holes in the inlet area.  Once the holes just about disappear, it's time to slow down and start with the transfer color. First use was on a patchbox and it worked very well. 

 

[Clint]

I use phillips screws one size smaller than the permanent screws to fasten the box to the contoured stock. Careful tapping will bring the brass down to be very close to the stock contours and then the whole box is outlined with very narrow and thin stabbing chisels. After removing the brass, the outline is carefully retraced with a small skew or knife. I usually make a chip cut all the way around the out line, then I make parallel cuts with a 3/16 or 1/8 wide full gouge. keep the gouge cuts close together but not overlapping. The width of the gouge cuts will tell you if the depth is consistent. Flatten the gouged area with a small skew or flat bottoming chisel. If you start in the middle and use a scrap of the P-box material as a gauge, there won't be too much clean up. use inletting black or blue to finish up and clean things up with the temporary screws countersunk. I don't switch to permanent screws until the latch is finished and the box is polished and ready to engrave.

[Maineshops]

Thanks so much for the guidance  getting to basics what is the difference between cuts like a chip cut. Stabbing the outline is pretty clear.  Do you stab the outline and then chip out that area toward the center?

[flehto]

An Exacto knife w/ a radiused tip  is used for outlining and the edges are chiseled at right angles to the knife cut. Don't do too much measuring at first w/ the depth and when close, Permatex is applied and the high spots of the ledge are  removed. The other parts are done the same. 

Actually do the BC side openers different than the 4 pc Pboxes. Don't file the BC side opening Pboxes to level w/ the wood...it's all done w/  inletting and filing the wood. There's only  a  lid close off ledge around the perimeter on these.

The 4 pc Pboxes are inletted slightly above the wood and both the wood and brass are filed smooth....this is done w/ the screw heads below the brass and domed screw heads are installed when the Pbox fitting is completed. Always like to view others' LR pics, so here are a couple of mine...the  engraving is by Tim Adlam.....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I use a different system to cut away the ground for a patchbox.

Having shaped the brass to the contour of the wood, I screw the box lid down to the stock, and then draw around the edges with a sharp pencil.  Then I remove the patchbox and stab in the outline with a variety of chisels, sweeps, and gouges.  Then I cut away the outline from within the lines to form a uniform trough up to the outline.  I begin cutting away the ground inside the lines with a 1/4" gouge, cutting across the grain from the outline to the opposite side, but stop short of the other side,  Then I reverse the stock and cut away what's left ending up in the middle.  This removes the wood quickly and evenly...a super sharp gouge is a joy to use.  Once the major wood is gone, flat chisels remove the mountain ridges.

Here's one I did for Brian last winter, as an example.

[mikeyfirelock]

I do it the same way Taylor does it.   ( but he does it better !)

Mikeyfirelock

[A.Merrill]

  A lot of good information on this subject.    Al

[flehto]

Hi Taylor.....When the finial is screwed to the stock for outlining, I only use the center screw.....the 2 outboard screws are on a curve and I found that a mismatch between the finial holes and the drilled holes in the wood occurs when the finial is fully inletted. How do you prevent this mismatch or do  you just skew the screws?.....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Fred:  that is a good observation, and I concur:  as you down down the holes on the upper and lower side have a tendency to draw closer together.  But the effect is so slight, normally, that I just ignore it.  If you were working extremely hard and dense maple, it could be an issue.
I use new screws to the final attachment so that when I dress off the domed heads with a file, the countersinks are nice and tight.  The working screws I use during the inletting stage are in and out so many times that the slots become chewed , so nice fresh screws are used to replace the working ones.