Thread: DIY cutting Inlay strips & inlay engraving jig

Great work mate !!....I can appreciate the difficulty factor in this.
You're lucky though, his name is in runes, the inlays are all "straight", I guess "curves" would be far more difficult ?
This tutorial throws up all sorts of possibilities....Thanks for posting

Nice Work. I've done wood inlay and can appreciate what you are going through.
They make x-y adjustable drill press vices that you can use as an engraving jig. I haven't seen one for a dremel, but they probably exist.

Originally Posted by bongo

Great work mate !!....I can appreciate the difficulty factor in this.
You're lucky though, his name is in runes, the inlays are all "straight", I guess "curves" would be far more difficult ?
This tutorial throws up all sorts of possibilities....Thanks for posting

the straight lines was why thought I would give it a try
I tried to do a free hand spiral in horn I wanted for my Bruno blade when I did it, but gave it up as a bad joke for the inlay and the cut outs LOL
more thinking required for that one still

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You have to create an account to see the pics but well worth it if you can pass the test. I made a lucky guess and got in :<0)

bit of an update on the progress of this one
so I decided to redo the Rune inlay cut outs etc as I didn't like the lettering as it was so I started again
also added some Paua dots, I used a similar process to do these but with a different Ø3mm milling type bit to the recesses

Rune inlays were glued with CA & sanded back flush with Paua shell inlays dots added & glued ready for sanding again


also decided to use a John Holler "Celebrated" 6/8" square point wedge I was waiting on for this project

below is the pinning recess for the wedge pin under the inlay dot with a washer in place


pre assembly of bone wedge with Bass liners wedge


Pre assembly




pinning in the wedge recess before glueing the Paua inlay dots to wedge end (looks rather ordinary, but no one ever see it again hopefully)


the wedge end inlays are now drying ready for final sanding & clean up of scales

hope you can follow by rantings LOL

Originally Posted by Substance

bit of an update on the progress of this one
so I decided to redo the Rune inlay cut outs etc as I didn't like the lettering as it was so I started again
also added some Paua dots, I used a similar process to do these but with a different Ø3mm milling type bit to the recesses

Rune inlays were glued with CA & sanded back flush with Paua shell inlays dots added & glued ready for sanding again


also decided to use a John Holler "Celebrated" 6/8" square point wedge I was waiting on for this project

below is the pinning recess for the wedge pin under the inlay dot with a washer in place


pre assembly of bone wedge with Bass liners wedge


Pre assembly




pinning in the wedge recess before glueing the Paua inlay dots to wedge end (looks rather ordinary, but no one ever see it again hopefully)


the wedge end inlays are now drying ready for final sanding & clean up of scales

hope you can follow by rantings LOL

Holy cow that's awesome

So while the glues are drying etc, I have started the work on the blade
1st off redrilled the pivot hole with a small rotary grinding bit


Resized the hole using 2 brass tube sizes to fit the 1/16" brass pin


I also use a large centre punch to flare the tube ends so they are fixed into the blade before I sand it all flush


now due to a couple of blemishes on the blade that I have to sand,
I am going to try a matt/satin finish so have starting sanding the blade back to 600 W&D using WD40
and will prgress up from there back to 2000 with the WD40 & see how it comes out
keep yas all posted on this

Originally Posted by Substance

So while the glues are drying etc, I have started the work on the blade
1st off redrilled the pivot hole with a small rotary grinding bit


Resized the hole using 2 brass tube sizes to fit the 1/16" brass pin


I also use a large centre punch to flare the tube ends so they are fixed into the blade before I sand it all flush


now due to a couple of blemishes on the blade that I have to sand,
I am going to try a matt/satin finish so have starting sanding the blade back to 600 W&D using WD40
and will prgress up from there back to 2000 with the WD40 & see how it comes out
keep yas all posted on this

Can you show the rotary tool you used to re cut the pivot hole?

it was a small greenish blue dremel cone shaped item, it went from about 3mm to 5mm over a 10mm long cone then the normal dremel shaft.
it came in a dremel engraving kit, but I unfortunatley broke it getting a bit keen as I did final sizing it grabbed & broke the tip off
I used it from each side a bit at a time using the dremel drill press set up.

Originally Posted by Substance

So while the glues are drying etc, I have started the work on the blade
1st off redrilled the pivot hole with a small rotary grinding bit


Resized the hole using 2 brass tube sizes to fit the 1/16" brass pin


I also use a large centre punch to flare the tube ends so they are fixed into the blade before I sand it all flush


now due to a couple of blemishes on the blade that I have to sand,
I am going to try a matt/satin finish so have starting sanding the blade back to 600 W&D using WD40
and will prgress up from there back to 2000 with the WD40 & see how it comes out
keep yas all posted on this

Thank you for this Substance, I'm pinching this for my "Tips and Tricks" folder