# Inlay Letters from the Alphabet



## Curmudgeon10 (Nov 12, 2014)

I've never done any inlay work other than using the inlay kit on my router to make some dutchmen. Now I am doing a jewelry box for a granddaughter and want to inlay a "K" on the top. After watching many hours of YouTube, it seems there are just a couple of ways to do this: one is to cut out the letter freehand (perhaps using a paper pattern), trace the resulting letter onto the top of the box, and then very LABORIOUSLY chunk out the waste using a combination of router freehand, chisels, dental tools, and many repetitive test fits to get a good looking result. Not for me.

One could use marquetry techniques to produce a result, but the learning curve looks steep and I don't want to buy a scroll saw (or learn the hand carve methods...)

The router inlay kits work because you run the router around the INSIDE of the pattern. One cannot get the same result running around the OUTSIDE of a pattern, so my question is: does anyone make letters of the alphabet as "voids" --- the letter itself is the negative, so one might use a router with the inlay kit?


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## Curmudgeon10 (Nov 12, 2014)

*Thinking More About This...*

Wouldn't it be possible to use the inlay kit on the router but just reverse the inserts if tracing around a pattern instead of inside it? I guess I'll try it in the shop and report results.../


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## Black540i (Jan 4, 2013)

You could create your own pattern. If you al have a letter, nail it to some scrap 1/2" plywood and use the router to cut around the letter. .ale sure you plunge into the plywood. The resulting cut then gives you an oversized letter that you can run a bushing around the inside of to create your letter.


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## Curmudgeon10 (Nov 12, 2014)

*Good idea*

I like that --- perhaps tomorrow I'll try it. I'm thinking the limitation on router inlays for letters in my proposed application is the physical size that can be achieved may be too big given the size of the bushings and bits....


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