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    How-To

    Letter Inlay Technique

    See how to cut, bend, and inset holly stringing to form letters

    Author Headshot By Steve Latta #196–Jan/Feb 2008 Issue

    Stephen Scott and Michael Dobsevage

    In this video, you’ll see how to inlay letters and personalize a piece you’ve made. You’ll see how to lay out the letters, use carving chisels to cut the grooves, and how to cut and curl the straight-grain holly stringing to fill the grooves using a hot iron. This technique works for straight stringing, curved inlay details, and for irregular shapes such as letters with serifs and variable thickness.

    Additional reading:

    • Inlay and Veneering: Our Favorite Articles
    • String Inlay Basics
    • Video Workshop: Creating Banding and Templates for Inlay

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    Comments

    1. User avater
      ChipSawdust | Oct 11, 2019 10:43am | #1

      Of course I have to try this. I don't have the palm tools (yet) but I need to know if I have the patience. People tell me they don't have the patience for stringing and banding, and I like doing that, so perhaps I have the patience for this. Latta makes it look easy of course *shrug*

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