My method
I do a lot of knots with metal strips. For aluminum I use cut up coke cans. For other metals I use sheet materials that I get from the local craft store.
Be sure to use sandpaper on the metal parts before gluing. On the coke cans, make sure to remove the paint. Otherwise it can show on the edges of the finished piece. For the other metals, I use acetone to remove the oily film and I still scratch the surface to give the glue something to adhere to. If the wood you're inlaying is oily, use acetone on the glue-up surfaces of that too.
I use CA glue to insert the inlay and leave the finished glue up to dry overnight. I've tried 5 minute epoxy for gluing but I find it leaves too fat of a joint for my taste.
Cut the blank to size and drill. Drilling the center hole is crucial to making the knot work. If the hole isn't centered, the knot will be uneven. With metal, it works best to use a regular drill bit. A brad point bit will tear the metal. Next I install the tube(s) square the blank(s) and use my bandsaw to knock the corners off.
One of the carbide turning tools would be my choice for turning the inlay. But I haven't been able to afford one yet so I sawed a carbide tooth off of an old table saw blade and I hold it between a pair of vice grips in a scraping position to do the initial turning on the metal. Be careful not to get too aggressive on the inlay. If you try to do it too quickly, you can easily blow out the blank. Once I get the blank rounded, I just use my regular skew (honed often) for the rest of the turning.
I hope this helps.
P.S. I failed many times before I was able to consistently get the metal knot to work without blowouts.
