Inlay Help

[JRD]

I've decided to try my first attempt at an inlay, just a thin band of Walnut around the lip of a bowl I've turned. I'm trying to place the Walnut band, about 1/4 of an inch below the rim, on the outside.

I've cut several strips of Walnut to lay into a groove I've turned on the bowl for this purpose. The Walnut is about 3/8 inch square.

Here's where I'm looking for advice. Even at that size, the Walnut does not want to bend enough to conform to the groove in the bowl rim. I've thought about cutting kerfs on the backside of the Walnut to facilitate the bending, but am afraid that after it's in place and I sand, I'd go thru and the cuts for the kerfs would show.

Any ideas on bending the Walnut to conform to the bowl rim?

Jim

[DaveO]

You could try soaking it in water, which will make it much more flexible. Clamp it around the bowl and allow it to dry. Once it dries and has retained the approximate shape of the bowl, it should be easier to get it to conform exactly to the groove where it is to be inlaid.

3/8" is awfully thick to bend in a tight radius, could you go thinner???

Dave

[skeeter]

If all else fails, you could turn an indenture in the bowl just deep enough to insert a piece of veneer, which is thin and flexible. On your next project, try gluing a small strip of walnut (or whatever wood you want) to the blank before turning. You can make some really interesting patterns that way.