How to Inlay Pearl

Mother of pearl inlay is an ancient art that remains popular today. The iridescence of the material makes it an attractive choice for decorating furniture, jewelry and instruments like guitars. Even if you are not a professional craftsman, you can still achieve wonderful results with a home workshop.

• 1

  Glue the piece of pearl to the area where you wish to inlay it.

• 2

  Trace around the edges of the pearl into your wood object with the scribe. Be slow and meticulous with this step, because it has to be perfect. Scribe deeply to prevent slipping when it comes time to use the rotary tool. Rub chalk over the scribed lines, and wipe away the excess. The chalk in the line will help you see it more clearly.

• 3

  Apply a few drops of acetone with a glass eyedropper around the edges of the inlay to loosen the glue. After a few minutes, apply gentle pressure to the inlay to dislodge it. Do not force it. Allow delicate inlays to soak up the acetone for at least 30 minutes before attempting to dislodge them. Remove the residual glue from the inlay area.

• 4

  Cut the scribed lines more deeply with the pointed dental bit of the rotary tool. Use the tool freehand (not in the router base), and cut downward and sideways into the wood inside the scribed lines. Use the lowest speed and move slowly. Wear goggles and a dust mask.

• 5

  Examine the lines and make sure they are clean and cut to a uniform depth. Fix any problems you find.

• 6

  Insert the router bit into the rotary tool and mount it into the router base. Leave enough bit exposed so that it will cut a cavity to about 95 percent of the thickness of the inlay. Check this using some scrap pieces of wood. The inlay should protrude slightly from the cavity. Use the highest setting to remove as much of the wood from the inlay cavity as possible. Do not get too close to the edge, as the fast-moving bit can do irreparable damage if not carefully controlled.

• 7

  Place the tiny ball end bit into the rotary tool and leave it in the router base. Set the bit depth so the ball cuts flush with the bottom of the cavity. Use a low to medium-low speed to go around the edges of the cavity very slowly and carefully. Do not exert any pressure against the walls of the cavity. Examine the cavity for rough edges and uneven lines and fix them with the pointed bit.

• 8

  Fit the inlay into the wood. If it does not insert easily, examine the cavity to figure out why. Smooth any spot that is binding the inlay, because seasonal changes may cause the wood to expand or contract, and that may cause the inlay to crack. The pearl will leave a white mark in tight spots, so it should be easy to see what needs to be touched up with the pointed bit.

• 9

  Remove the inlay and fill the cavity with glue (or filler if there are gaps between the inlay and the cavity edges).

• 10

  Press the inlay into the glue or filler and let it set. Clean up excess glue or filler with a scraper.

• 11

  File and sand the inlay flush with the wood. Begin with the 80 grit (which is very coarse) and finish with the 600 grit (which is very fine). Avoid the wood, as the wood will erode much quicker than the inlay, and you want the surfaces to be flush. Change to the 120-grit after the inlay is flush with the wood, and carefully remove the scratches resulting from the coarser grits.