Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/11/2004

Question
I am designing a coffee table and entertainment center for a long-time client, and have developed some inlays that are simple but difficult due to long tapered points. Are there any companies out there that will lay up faces to my design specs?  I would use these designs again, though not in large runs, and I would never know what species I would be using.

thanks, Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,

When we "experts" get a question from the All-Experts site (like the one you sent) we're given a variety of options with which to answer. One of the options is "Sorry, but this is outside of my area of expertise" and that's what I was going to send back to you. But I do have a little bit of information to share, so I thought I'd attempt answer, although please bear in mind that I am WAY out of my league. I have only dabbled in inlay- parquetry, to be exact.

Many years ago, I owned a small woodworking supply store and I attempted to have some custom inlays made (of my designs) so that I could sell them. In all of my research, I learned that there were only a half dozen or so inlay companies, and back then, NONE of them had any interest in manufacturing anyone else's designs. I think that the reasoning behind that was the method in which the inlays were made- mostly handcut, without the benefit of laser tooling, modern manufacturing methods, and CNC machinery.

Flash forward nearly 25 years and it's a whole new ballgame.

There is a company that will make your custom inlays. I just visited their website (www.inlays.com) and they do, in fact, offer custom service, although they have minimums and it appears that the inlay must meet certain criteria.

It's a start, at least.

The second bit of advice or information I have to share is a method I developed for making my own inlays. It blends newer techniques with traditional supplies. I used to make various parquetry inlays, which relies on straight lined (geometric) shapes. I didn't really like the curly and fancy cuts of traditional marquetry, mostly because my furniture is very straight lined and contemporary, so the ornate inlays didn't mesh very well.

I used to back my veneer with a paper tape, and then use a regular papercutter to cut the pieces. Wood this thin cuts pretty nicely in a sharp papercutter, even down to the finest sliver, and the paper tape kept it from crumbling when I was making something really small. With the newer paper backed veneers, you don't even have to bother like I did with the tape; it's already on there!

Anyway, when making a custom inlay, I would start with one of the larger sections, and then cut a few smaller ones, using masking tape to bind them to the larger piece.  Eventually, the inlay starts getting bigger and like the final design I had in mind. When it's completed, I turn it over and use paper tape on the one bare side, cementing all the pieces in place. After it's dry, I remove the masking tape on the back side and have a raw wood surface, ready for gluing.

I think there are 2 keys to success: using tape to ensure that your small sections of veneer don't fall apart, and secondly- using a paper cutter to cut your long straight sections. A paper cutter is WAY more accurate that any X-acto blade I've ever used. And safer.

OK, I hope the inlay referral works out for you, but if it doesn't, try my suggestion for making your own. Good luck, write back if you have any other questions.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV