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I have an inlay project (mirror frame) that is cherry w/maple inlay. I want to ebonize small portions of the maple and, without going into much detail, I don’t want to cut small pieces of real ebony. I was experimenting last night with a felt-tipped pen, a “Sharpie” indelible marker. It seemed to me that it had a good dark coverage that didn’t bleed and which I could get good control with. I know from experience that this is about as permanent a marker as they make. I plan to finish the piece with linseed/varnish/turp., and I’ll need to see if the ink can weather that. Does anybody have any experience with this kind of thing? I’d really like to know what you use and how you apply it. I would just go with an analine dye, but like I said, control is an issue.
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I have done a considerable amount of inlay work. While I would hate to admit to my customers that I use ink to correct minor mistakes, the fact is it works. I have found that India ink, applied with a small artist brush is a little better than the Sharpie. The Sharpie will withstand shellac and varnish, as long as you don’t work it too much, i.e. put it on quickly with a minimum of brushing. I don’t know about oil and turpentine.
*Thanks Rob. Does the consistency of the ink make a difference? Can you mask your lines without a bleed under? I'm going to test the Sharpie tonight against my finish, but if it doesn't hold up I might go with india ink. Is there an particular brand or kind that you would recommend?
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