Ken Wines does some outstanding work ... I like it for its artistic, kinda "abstract" patterning.
For realistic inlaid images of real-life objects, animals, and scenic images, the many offerings of Kallenshaanwoods.com are unsurpassed by any other manufacturer. . You have to assemble these yourself and that can be a challenging task. . Also beware that the difficulty rating given on the website is often understated. . Some of the dog designs are rated at 3-4 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest difficulty). . I have done several of most of these and have found some to be very challenging indeed, and I would rate them much more difficult than stated. . (I cannot remember which are the most difficult, but I believe the German Shepherd is one of them.) . In spite of the greater difficulty, these are definitely well worth the effort and time, provided that you have the patience to carry through to completion. I absolutely adore these designs of dogs and fish, especially, by Ken Nelsen.
With regard to turning, all inlaid blanks require very careful turning using extremely light cuts. The fully assembled blanks should be liberally "flooded" with thin CA before starting turning. . During the turning process they should be inspected several times, and very thin CA added if there are any signs of gaps appearing between the pieces. . Try to fill any gaps with appropriately colored turning dust first and then very thin CA. . The final stages of shaping can be done with sandpaper if desired. . I have found that final finishing with CA suits me best.
I have been very pleased with my results. . Patience is indeed the key to success.
