Tip #51
Shopsmith Scroll Saw (continued)
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Solid Wood Inlays

Flush inlays of complimentary or contrasting woods can be used to accent your most sophisticated projects. They can be made with no visible gap or saw kerf thanks to the scroll saw's piercing and bevel cutting capabilities. But professional looking inlays require patience and practice because a very slight bevel angle is used and both the background and insert pieces are cut at one time. This means there Will be no waste area for repositioning the stock, so your planning, setups and cuts must be made very accurately.

After selecting your pattern and stock, the correct table tilt must be determined. This angle will usually be between one and eight degrees, depending on the thickness of the stock and the width of the saw kerf. It is easiest to find this angle by trial and error (Figure 15-15).

You should also consider which way the table will tilt and which direction the stock will be rotated during the cut. Either direction will work as long as you plan it that way. For example, tilting the table to the right and rotating the stock clockwise will make the lower piece fit into the upper one. Tilting to the left or cutting counterclockwise will make the upper piece fit into the lower one.

When your setup is ready for a test, tape scrap pieces of the background and inlay stock together and cut out a trial piece at the edge of the stock (Figure 15-16). Be sure to rotate the test piece in the same direction you will be using for your final cuts. Then try fitting the inlay test piece into the background (Figure 15-17). When the correct angle and direction of rotation is used, the in lay piece will fit snugly into the background with only enough room to allow for glue. If the test piece is too small or too big, adjust the table tilt slightly and try again until the pieces fit correctly.

You may also want to increase the blade tension somewhat for cutting inlays because bulges or bowed cuts can ruin your project. This increased tension will cause blades to break more frequently, but with a little practice, you'll find a good compromise.

When everything is ready, fasten the inlay and background pieces together as you would for pad sawing and drill a hole to insert the blade. This hole must be drilled at the same angle as the table tilt, so cut a piece of scrap or use your test piece as a drilling guide (Figure 15-18). Since this hole must be filled when the project is complete, make it as small as possible for the blade you're using and drill close to an inside corner or other inconspicuous location.

Finally, if you're making duplicates or cutting several designs with the same stock and blade, go ahead and finish them all while the setup is correct. Any change in blade width or stock thickness will require a new setup.

Continue to Raised or Recessed Inserts
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