Best way to inlay strips into an Oak panel?

[Moonsafari69]

I'm looking to inlay three strips to flush fit into an Oak panel I've made and would like some opinions on how I can do this. I've never attempted it before (and more importantly I don't want to stuff it up).

The strips are 50mm wide, jointed and thickness planed. Thickness is 8mm.

I'm considering doing this on the router table, but as this will be either 'make or break' I'm not 100% about the next step. Have also considered using the router out of the table using a clamp-on straight edge as a guide.

Any thoughts? Maybe there is another way I've not considered yet?

 

[RobinBHM]

maybe make a jig in 9mm/12mm mdf and use a router with a template guide.

The long strips of mdf will need to be say 200mm wide to avoid any risk of bowing. The advantage is that you cant over shoot with the router or dig in anywhere. You may want to machine the perimeter this way then use a router with a fence and straight edge. I dont know how long the inlay cut out needs to be, maybe this solution wont work if its very long. In which case it is really a job for a spindle moulder

50mm x 8mm is a pretty big section to machine out, its going to take a while!

 

[Moonsafari69]

maybe make a jig in 9mm/12mm mdf and use a router with a template guide.

Thanks Robin, the 3 strips are 800mm long and will go from end-to-end on the panel. Making a jig is certainly an option and I take your point about the jig width needed to stop any bowing. If I'm honest I'm quite nervous which is holding me off doing it. The 6 straight edges means there's 4.8m of edge that has to be perfect and straight or it will be a wrecked panel.

 

[gasman]

Lots of ways of doing this - buy maybe the easiest is to make a frame out of MDF - 2 long pieces 1000mm x 60, plus 2 pieces 100 x 50mm. Take some time to make sure the edges are all square and parallel. Then glue them together and clamp so that you have a frame with a 800x50mm hole in the middle - if you are exact your pieces should fit exactly into this frame with no gap. Now use hot melt glue or even clamps to place them exactly where you want the holes to be on your oak surface - now rout out using a flush trim router bit. You will need to tidy up the corners with a chisel carefully. Will take time but should be very accurate
Good luck
Regards Mark

 

[Moonsafari69]

Lots of ways of doing this - buy maybe the easiest is to make a frame out of MDF - 2 long pieces 1000mm x 60, plus 2 pieces 100 x 50mm. Take some time to make sure the edges are all square and parallel. Then glue them together and clamp so that you have a frame with a 800x50mm hole in the middle - if you are exact your pieces should fit exactly into this frame with no gap. Now use hot melt glue or even clamps to place them exactly where you want the holes to be on your oak surface - now rout out using a flush trim router bit. You will need to tidy up the corners with a chisel carefully. Will take time but should be very accurate
Good luck
Regards Mark

Hi Mark, thanks for that. I've just had a look in the workshop and think I can use 2 x clamp-on straight edges in parallel instead of making up a jig. Feasibly I could then set the distance between them by just placing one of the strips in the middle before I tighten them down. That way the router can ride on top of the straight edges. The inlays will go the full length of the panel so no need to clean the corners which makes things a little easier. Do you think that would work as well as making up a jig?

 

[ColeyS1]

Use a clamp and guide. Route one full length pass with say a 25mm flute cutter. Then slip a 25mm packer next to the clamp and guide and route another full length pass. You should then have your 50mm width. It's pretty critical the packer piece is bang on parallel. If you had loads to do it might be worth making a proper jig, but seeing as it's a one off, it's probably not hassle

Coley

 

[Moonsafari69]

Use a clamp and guide. Route one full length pass with say a 25mm flute cutter. Then slip a 25mm packer next to the clamp and guide and route another full length pass.

Thanks Coley, this is turning into something a lot more 'doable' than I previously thought so thanks for the comment. Appreciated.

 

[ColeyS1]

Use a clamp and guide. Route one full length pass with say a 25mm flute cutter. Then slip a 25mm packer next to the clamp and guide and route another full length pass.

Thanks Coley, this is turning into something a lot more 'doable' than I previously thought so thanks for the comment. Appreciated.

You've got plenty of options now When I said clamp and guide, I meant the trend version. No reason whatsoever that it wouldn't work with a straight piece of mdf and a couple g clamps Same with the router cutter size. If you've only got a 15mm diameter cutter use a couple packers instead (the last one being 35m wide)

Coley

 

[Moonsafari69]

For those who posted the advice, thank you! I've finished the inlays by routing out using a guide bush in the middle of two clamp-on straight edges. Worked perfectly.
RobinBHM, gasman, ColeyS1 - thank you!

Finished it with Poly-X