Small mortises for inlay?

[cmcfalls]

I have an idea for a pen but would need to be able to cut a small mortise into a pen blank somewhere in the 1/16" range. I do not think that an inlay or engraving would work. But, no mortising machine that I can find will go smaller than 1/4". I though about chiseling out a 1/16" mortise, but can not find a chisel that small. BTW, it the mortise needs to go all the way through the blank, so it would be visible on both sides of a completed pen.

Any help or ideas?

I know I can do this by cutting the blank up and gluing it back together, but if I think the seams would take a lot away from my design.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Try a woodCARVERS catalog. You may find a chisle small enough for what you describe. That is still pretty tiny. Maybe drilling a small hole then using a (very tiny) file would work.

 

[alamocdc]

I think Frank's idea of drilling a 1/16" hole through the blank is a good one. Then take a small jeweler's file and square up the hole. If you can find a square jeweler's file that is 1/16", that would be best. I have one that's about 3/32", but I don't know if you can get them any smaller. It shouldn't take too long.

This set has 1/16" diameter shanks and comes with a handle. The square one should be about 1/16".

 

[dbriski]

Or you get get a 1/8" chisel and grind it down to the size you need.

 

[polarbear1]

I had pretty much the same idea, and tried my 1/4 mortise and it was too big, it took up the whole pen. I wanted to put a redblood or ebony cross in an olive wood pen. I tried making the cross on a second blanks end grain the width of my table saw blade (kerf), and then drilling it out with a bit for drilling plugs, and drilling the same size hole in my pen blank. The plan was to have a BOW blank with a round plug, inlayed with a cross. It sounded good, but I did not have any luck with it, I had more primitive tools at the time, maybe i will try again[] I hope this helps you.

 

[Randy_]

To me, a mortise implies a long, narrow, deep, rectangular hole. That might be tricky to do with a drill bit. I would think about using a router bit in a drill press with a little jig to make sure the mortise is located where you want it.

Another possibility, since you want it to go all the way through would be a scroll saw, in fact, if you were careful and took your time, you could even cut it by hand with a coping or fret saw.

A few more details on what your are trying to accomplish might allow someone to offer a better solution??

 

[jtate]

What about burning? Could you heat the end of a tiny screwdriver and hold it against the wood and brun your waty through it?

 

[Chuck Key]

Randy is on to how I do mine. 1/16 inch 4 flute end mill in a dremel tool.

Chuckie

 

[Rmartin]

What about burning?

Yeah, burn your way through, that's my kind of woodworker!

Rmartin

 

[cmcfalls]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />
A few more details on what your are trying to accomplish might allow someone to offer a better solution??

Essentially, I am trying to do what polarbear describes above. I was wanting to do a cross inlay into a blank that would be visible on both sides of the pen without having to worry about seams and segmenting.

I don't think I have the steady hand to cut this small by hand, but I have thought about giving the scroll saw a go. I may just get in contact with Kallenshaan to see if he they can just do an inlay for me. It sounds like it may be my only option. Visually there would be no difference (I don't think). But, now I don;t have the excuse to buy the mortiser (which wouldn't have worked anyway, but the wife wouldn't have to know that, right?)...

Thank for the help guys!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Rmartin
<br />

What about burning?

Yeah, burn your way through, that's my kind of woodworker!

Rmartin

Burning could work. But he would have to use a detail burner like woodcarvers use. It would require making two crosses, one on each side. Or he might try chip carving the crosses. Would require just one, very small chip carving knife. A fill could be used for contrast.

 

[GaryMGg]

...I was wanting to do a cross inlay into a blank that would be visible on both sides of the pen without having to worry about seams and segmenting.

I think you can set up a router with a 1/16" bit and a couple of stop blocks to do this. I expect it'd be easier to square the blank, set up the stop blocks, route on face, turn the blank 180, and route the other face than to try going all the way through. Quicker too.

Gary

 

[KenV]

Actually, with a scroll saw, a 1/16 inch bit is pretty commonly used as a starting hole. The size of starting hole is generally a balance of ease of getting the blade threaded through and attached and the level of detail of the cuts. With commercial veneers runing about 0.02-.03 thick the 0.0625 thickness of a 1/16 cut is pretty thick. It may be easier to use techniques of those who make minatures with stringing cut into the wood.

 

[imagine]

I'm with Gary,I would inlay both sides. You can get a precision router base for a dremel or fordom tool at http://www.stewmac.com They also have carbide spiral bits down to 1/32" just for inlay work. Been wanting one of these myself. [][]

 

[PenPal]

CMCFALLS,
My suggestion is to follow thru with the Dremel having drilled all the way through then you can do individual sides easily with the Dremel and small router bits so when you drill the blank there is less stress on the blank,if it is a cross you desire one hole all the way through is enough,also you could have different inlays each side,lends itself to many variations. Peter