Here's a few pictures of a hunter's star I inlet into a Rupp styled rifle. I used .032" fine silver, and I also made the escutcheon pins (nails) out of the same material. As well, there are four copper nails made from electrical wire.
First the cut out star is laid on the cheek and held down with a couple of leather nails. These are soft iron and have a very fine sharp point. the shaft of the nails has a slight taper, so they work well for this task.
Then the penciled outline is cut inside the marks with a variety of chisels, narrow and flat and sweeps. Most of this stabbing in can be done with a very narrow flat chisel with a rocker edge.
Once you have cut down all around the periphery, you can undercut the inside of the inlay area with a narrow flat chisel, taking out a narrow steep channel right up to the edge of the inlet.
Now remove the ground inside the inlet area with a gouge or sweep...I use a 1/4" gouge, cutting across the grain from the edges of the inlet into the centre.
Use sharp flat chisels and scrapers to flatten the inlet.
Now, use inletting pigment, (I use Jarrow's black from Brownell's), and inlet the silver into the inlet. Cut only the wood that is marked by the black, until finally, the silver is flush with the stock and there are no gaps.
Make your escutcheon nails out of the sheet silver unless you are able to buy them from a jeweller's supply, and countersink the corresponding holes in the inlay to receive them. Pre-drill the holes with an undersized number drill, and tap them down. This will pull the inlay down into and likely a little below the surface of the stock. Use blocked sandpaper to take the silver and wood down together, and to keep the plane true without walloooooons. Remember the silver is thin, so don't go crazy with coarse files.
When you apply you whisker the stock, any small inletting gaps will likely close up from the wood swelling where it was crushed along the edges of the inlet, and the finish will further fill small gaps. Here's the finished picture...
When I built this rifle for my friend Brian Dancey, I consulted Allen Martin regarding design details and he was most helpful. Not a Sheetz rifle, but the process is the same. In fact, I believe this star is the most difficult to inlet well since it wraps around the upper edge of the rifle's comb and is concave on the cheek piece. It takes some careful planning and consideration. Thanks Allen.
