How is silver inlaid on wood?

Answer 1

Using silver wire of rectangular or square section (or other sections) or cutouts from thin silver plate.....

Make a stencil of the pattern you want to make

Copy the pattern onto the wood

For small or linear patterns cut a groove in the wood in the outline of the pattern with a tool like an X-acto, scribe or a home made tool made from hacksaw blade with a handle. For large areas use a router (micro bits are available on line). Try to keep the groove of even width and no larger than the width of the silver inlay.

See this French video - http://www.davidpriceflintlocks.com/id29.html

For linear patterns - If the groove is slightly undercut the silver wire can be carefully tapped in place with a hammer and it will stay in place. Super glue or epoxy may be used if preferred and for shapes this is a must. For shapes consider carefully silver soldering small pins on the backs of the cut out shapes. These may then be tapped into pre-drilled holes and held in place with Super glue or epoxy.

For linear patterns the silver may be worked flush with the surface of the wood by sanding and rubbed with a metal burnisher to get a good finish.

Another approach is to use dental amalgam. It comes in 800-milligram capsules. The capsules contain about 20% Mercury, 10% zinc and other materials and 70% fine silver. These capsules are placed into a machine called an amalgamator and are vigorously oscillated for about 10 seconds in a figure eight pattern a process is called trituration (grinding to a fine powder). The capsule is broken open and a lump of silver alloy spills out. The alloy has the consistency of putty and is easy to work into even small cavities. It is workable for about 2~3minutes after which it hardens. During the setting time the cavity can be filled in and leveled off with a metal spatula. After 24 hours, the inlay can be polished, carved in or engraved. The mercury is now bound with the silver and any health hazard is minimal. Mercury vapors can be driven off the alloy if its temperature is elevated above 300 deg F. A basic Silver alloy inlay package consists of an amalgamator, respirator, gloves, fifty- (800 milligram) alloy capsules, recycling and handling procedures. http:/www.turbocarver.com