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If you have always wanted to create a Mother of Pearl inlay on a piece of wood, you can follow these easy steps to create a beautiful design. First, prepare your tools. Then, purchase a set of Imaginlay’s mother of pearl and calcite. You can also use a U.V. adhesive to secure the pieces into place. After you’ve purchased your supplies, you can start inlaying your design.
Imaginlay’s mother of pearl
If you’re looking for a unique and dazzling way to enhance your handmade furniture, consider a mother of pearl inlay from Imaginlay. This natural mineral has a Mohs hardness of 2.5, which makes it a great choice for a fine-grained surface that polishes beautifully. This material also comes with a variety of minor impurities, which only add to its natural aesthetic. To determine the size of your mother of pearl inlay, simply rub the flakes between your fingers.
Mother of pearl inlays can be etched or filled. To achieve a diverse line thickness, a master engraver will use a number of techniques to achieve the desired result. Then, the inlay pattern will be carved into the wood surface using a small router. To ensure the inlay is clean and smooth, the craftsman will cut inside the lines of the mother of pearl, avoiding any gaps or irregularities.
Imaginlay’s calcite
Mother of pearl, also known as calcite, is an extremely versatile natural mineral. It can be used in its natural pearly white form or dyed to simulate other more luxurious gems. The founder of Imaginlay, Scott Grove, is a professor at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking and the Chippendale International School of Furniture. He also teaches internationally, and his work has been featured in a number of publications.
Imaginlay’s calcite is often used to inlay mother of pearl. It can be blended with epoxy or polyester resins for a range of colors, or it can be mixed with pigments for opalescent effects. Generally, it’s best to use a wet glue that is not too thick to avoid air bubbles. Glue is a strong material, but if you’re working with a small amount, a thin CA glue can help.
The easiest way to inlay mother of pearl is to mix crushed and unbaked materials. Crushed mother of pearl is very rare, and a good choice for a new project because it’s softer than unbaked. Crushed and unbaked shell flakes can be re-crushed or screened to a finer consistency. A final surface may be left unfinished or left with a slight roughness.
Preparing tools
One of the most important things to do before starting to inlay mother of pearl is to prepare the inlay pocket. The rough-sawn inlay is too hard and should be ground down carefully before being set into the inlay pocket. To prepare the tool, you should sharpen it with a fret saw. Another tool to prepare for inlaying mother of pearl is a small chisel, which should be used to clean the corner of the inlay pocket. A Dremel or various gravers are useful for engraving the pearl.
For the inlay, you will need a jig. Place the pearl sheet over the hole in the jig so that the piece is supported as the saw cuts downward. You will need a scribe to inscribe the exact shape of the inlay into the wood. Utility scribes can be purchased from hardware stores. This tool consists of a knurled steel shaft with a small cutting ball on one end. It is capped with a hexagonal plastic cap.
Moreover, it is necessary to prepare the tools for inlaying mother of pearl before you begin the process. A good set of tools is necessary to create a high-quality finished product. Once you have prepared the tools for inlaying mother of pearl, you can begin inlaying the first shell. It will be much easier to work with once you know how to properly prepare the tools. It’s important to take the time to prepare your tools to prevent nicks and cuts.
You can also trace the design onto a smooth pearl. A good artist can also draw directly on the pearl. Nevertheless, if you are not an artist, you can use tracing paper to align the pattern on the pearl. A carbon paper or a ball tip stylus can also be placed between the pattern and the pearl. When you have completed the first step, you should place the final pearl on the tracing paper.
Using U.V. adhesive
Inlaid mother of pearl pieces are thin and fragile. Using a fretsaw or a laser machine, they can be cut to fit the desired shape. Generally, these pieces are in a cruciform shape to avoid confusion with the Nazi Party symbol. This glue is a good option for inexpensive repairs. Using chamois or mild soap and water to clean the repair pieces should remove most of the dirt.
A special kind of glue called UV adhesive is used to set the shell. This glue has a wet look and brings out the best coloring in the precious shell. Previously known as Pacer, this glue is now more durable and will last a long time. Its downside is that it has a low luster and is not ideal for enameled surfaces. In contrast, a small amount of clear glue can be used to adhere the pearl.
Another method uses a thin layer of CA to adhere the mother of pearl inlay to the wood surface. The mother of pearl pieces are placed on the object whole, and further shaped using a tachalbeop technique. Tachalbeop is a method of striking curved pieces flat to impart a cracked texture. The resulting inlay was visible when examined under a microscope. A visual analysis revealed that the inlay is a shark or ray skin. These two species have similar placoid scales that are circular in shape.
Contemporary lacquerware is featured in the exhibition. Hwang Samyong and Kim Youson were among those featured in the exhibition. These three artists are very talented in the art of lacquer. They used an array of tools to cut mother of pearl pieces. In addition to knives, they also used engravers, scissors, and other tools to make the pieces. The use of the fretsaw, however, made it impossible to study the edges of the mother of pearl pieces.
