Having fun with Inlays
Developing the Inlay process at Motor City Woodshop Studio
We have been having fun experimenting with, and perfecting our processes, designing and making decorative hardwood inlays. This page is dedicated to those examples.
Walnut Coasters with Maple Inlay
Made from solid walnut, these 4- inch square coasters feature a contrasting maple inlay and are sized for a large coffee cup or cold drink. The coaster examples include a Michigan design as well as a pickleball ball/paddle option. Choose one of these designs or ask about a custom inlay.
Other prototypes show the range of detail possible, from a finely shaped honeybee to oak leaf designs. These are examples of inlay work, not coaster designs. Inlays can be made part of any piece of furniture, adding a personal detail inspired by a place, interest or story.
A cross-linked polymer finish resists common household chemicals, including acetone and fingernail polish. Mar free silicone bumper pads help protect the surface beneath each coaster.
Options:
Inlay shape, design or graphic
Materials: Any contrasting hardwood such as maple, padauk, mahogany, ebony, white oak, purpleheart, sapele, osage orange, African mahogany, zebra wood, etc.
Finishes depend on the application
Doing the pickleball paddle and ball design, determining the tool paths and getting ready to cut the pocket and inlays
Getting ready to resaw the inlays from a solid piece of maple using the band saw
Completing the resaw cut, freeing the inlays from solid maple
Planning the inlays smooth with the surface of the walnut with a low angle jack plane
Installing the solid maple wood inlays into solid walnut.
Here is a solid walnut with maple inlay.
Fun pickleball paddle and ball drink coasters before applying the finish
These will also be coasters.
Michigan and pickleball coasters
Finished pickleball paddle and ball coaster
All coasters have mar free, silicone bumpers on the bottom to prevent coasters from sliding or marring fine furniture finishes.
Original MCWS honeybee design based on a real honeybee!
What better way to make a honeybee inlay than to use an actual honeybee! I found it difficult to find accurate depictions of honeybees in available SVG files, so I made my own. The trickiest part was the wings. I am pretty happy with this creation.
Setting up the honeybee in CNC equipment to cut the honeybee inlay and pocket
Honeybee inlay pocket in Baltic birch plywood
Finished honeybee solid walnut inlay in Baltic birch plywood prototype
Inlay is maple and padouk wood. Table is made from hard white oak, not to be confused with common red oak.
Applying cross-linked polymer, UV cured finish to pickleball paddle and ball coasters
Another example of exotic wood inlays in beautiful, book matched white oak.