Inlay help
I am trying to get my inlays to work. I am using text. For a v-bit I am using a 1/32 12* ball nose bit entered as a v-bit. For clearance I am using a 1/8 followed by a 1/16 end mill. Using the same bits for both the make and female. On the male, I am setting the start depth at 0 and the max depth at .25. On the female I am setting the start depth at .2 and the max depth at .005 (.006 and .007) in subsequent tests. My male bottoms out and is too skinny and does not fill out the female. I have watched all the YouTube tutorials I can find, and believe I am doing the same thing but not getting the results. It seams like there should be an easy solution but I just can’t wrap my head around it. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel if someone else can tell me what I am missing. Thank you for the help, Z
Comments
Zachariah,
Have you tried to sand the bottom of the male part? There are reasons for a "V-bit" it gives you the right clearance, just encase there are variations in your "Z" or the wood, try using either a 60 or 90 degree to see if that corrects the problem.
mike
I have tried it with a 30 degree v-bit, but the problem is that it does not get deep enough on the female cut, and then over cuts the male so there is not enough to fill the thinner female cuts. I have watched several tutorials for Carveco V-carving inlays, have tried all the recommended setting, even bought the same bit as one, but no luck. I unfortunately don't have the time in the shop to keep running test after test, (my honey do list is forever long) and was hoping that someone had some experience that would help. I would love to be able to reliably do inlays. I am doing skinny work and using a 12.4 deg. tapered ball nose, but the clearance with a 1/16 endmill so it has to go slow, hence the time required for each test.
Mike, thank you for your suggestion. I have sanded, and I am checking for flatness before running each one, with a known flat edge, especially after clamping.
Zachariah,
Do you mind giving me the fonts and possibly the text, I would love to give a try. Right now my router is rather busy, but I would really like to give a charge at it.
I have a project in the future that will use the inlay a lot, I have wood soaking right now in some dye and would like to see any humps that I'd need to clear.
Mike
I am using Kunstler scrip: https://fontzone.net/font-details/kunstler-script
The name I am trying is Higbee, I have done some vector work with all the intersections. I am carving it in Maple end grain with walnut end grain inlay, with Higbee being 9.5 inches by 13 inches.
For testing I have taken a 3x3 square from the center of H at the 9.5x13 size. I did get nice tight results with a 30 deg v-bit but only where it was cleared out more than 1/16 of an inch.
Thank you,
Zachariah
Zachariah,
That is a beautiful font, it does need some fixing, but I don't think I'd be using it much. When I put the "H" on to a 9.5 by 15 inch modeling area, there was quite a bit to be concerned of for me to use it. Too many thin areas, they might become a problem, though it sure is pretty.
I'll see if I have some down time tomorrow to play with it.
Out of curiosity could you use another font?
Another thought could you run a flatting bit (a spoil board flatting bit https://www.woodpeck.com/ultra-shear-three-flute-spoilboard-router-bits.html) over the male and female boards before you cut anything to take away any sort of abnormalities or at least most. You would use this same thing after glue up.
mike
HI
when using a taper ballnose for inlay you must remember that it does not come to a point, that will affect your fit
Bill
HI
when using a tapered ballnose for inlay you must remember that it does not come to a point, that will affect your fit
Bill
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