Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Oct 17, 2008 03:42pm | #1

   Chris,

   Just went to Constantines site and found this:

   http://www.constantines.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=127

   I've also used veneers from them, I found their dyed assortment useful:

   http://www.constantines.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=169

   Stringing, I make myself, usually from maple.  I saw on the tablesaw 1/32" thick slices from the edges of 4/4 stock, then rip the slices (tablesaw again) into 1/16" strips.  There's a good amount of waste this way, but the results are pretty uniform.  I use zero clearance insert around a fine tooth combination blade, and bitsy little push sticks, more of a hand-held hold-down really, to keep the outfeed side of the strips from shattering.

   The 1/32" dimension isn't really exactly that, I make the cut to fit the groove made by my cutter.

   Though Constantine's has a selection of ovals,

   http://www.constantines.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=126

   I usually make them and bellflowers, myself, to closely match the piece I'm copying.  Bellflowers can be drawn out and xeroxed, then pasted onto (stacked, if you need many) veneers and sawn out, or carefully chopped out one at a time using carving gouges.  The same gouges can be used then to set in the inlays themselves, makes for a quicker process, for me, anyway.

   Ovals, paterae, sunburst, making has been pretty well covered in the pages of past FWW articles, but email me off list ,and I will try to walk you thru it, if you are interested.  Too long to describe here. Same for making your own bandings, some jack-leg named Pine wrote an article for FWW (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) on that topic.

   Tho it's been years since I've dealt with them, and I just read that they have changed the name of their company, Dover Inlays in I believe, Chicago, used to make some nice stuff.  They are now Dover-something-else, can't recall the new name.

   Ray

1. 
   hdgis1 | Oct 17, 2008 03:49pm | #2

   Thanks for reply. I've got the bellflower thing worked out and think I got em pretty good. What I'm really looking for is the thistle oval or something similar. Found articles on making them but don't have scroll saw or the patience to do with fret saw. Will try and figure out what's going on with dover.Chris

2. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 17, 2008 03:58pm | #3

   "to fit the groove made by my cutter"What do you use for a cutter? I recently completed a demi-lune table. I wanted stringing to refine the appearance of the table top, I used banding on the apron which looked real good. As I cut the stinging groove for the top, I got a fair bit of chip-out in the cross-grain section. How can I avoid that problem? The wood was African Mahogany.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

   
1. 
   joinerswork | Oct 17, 2008 08:21pm | #6

   Frosty,

   For straight runs, I use a little dremel circular saw chucked in a die grinder.  Arcs and such, I use a homemade tool, using a captured pair of reshaped exacto blades that do the cutting.  Waste between the lines cut by the blades is removed with a tiny chisel, made from a small warding file.

   Ray

   
1. 
   Jfrostjr | Oct 17, 2008 10:56pm | #7

   Great! The "blades" would eliminate the chip-out I experienced.ThanksFrosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

2. 
   RMillard | Oct 17, 2008 05:22pm | #4

   Chris,

   I like Constantine's ( I just placed an order with them yesterday, for glue and some finishing supplies), but their inlays aren't the best; looking too machine made.  I do like their black dyed veneer and they have good quality holly veneer.

   I think Dover was a good source (never used them myself), but I'm unsure of their status; I've been told they are closed and I've been told they are going to reopen.

   That is the bad news, but the good news is that many inlays are pretty easy to make, especially stringing.

   Which kind were you looking at using?

   Rob Millard

   http://www.americanfederalperiod.com

1. 
   hdgis1 | Oct 17, 2008 07:35pm | #5

   Rob,
   I got some dyed veneer and some holly from Certainly Woods. Use them all the time and love em. Have made stringing a few times and not to worried about that. Been practicing the bellflower chain and think i got a good technique. I found that if I make a shallow score line around piece, remove waste and then cut edge I get a cleaner fit. Most time you want your fibers supported when cutting but not this time! Could probably handle making a basic black and white check pattern. Found a few good sources for that.inlaybanding.com
   inlay.comFound them through American Marquetry Society. As for oval inlays, found one source in UK but cant seem to come up with anything comparable in US. You might find UK sight of interest. Tons of traditional inlay.http://www.heritageinlay.com/Heritage_Inlay_Design_UK_traditional.htmI like the traditional thistle and the bellflower next to it. Pictures arent worth a darn but can call for species make up and sizes.Chris