I'm working on a cherry coffee table and want to inlay a cherry blossom branch made from zebra wood. I thought I could cut the branch thick enough at 1/8" using the bandsaw, but when I went to buy materials, all I found was some beautiful veneer. My question is: can I successfully inlay this veneer into the tabletop, or is it going to be too thin to work with?
1 Answer
It sounds like you have a cool project on your hands! If your cherry blossom 'branch' is indeed made of veneer, you can still make it work for inlaying. Here are a couple of options: 1) Use a small router bit to cut your inlay area, just be cautious not to go too deep. You can lay the veneer around it and sand it down to make it even. 2) You could also glue the veneer down first, then carefully reduce its thickness with a sharp hand plane and finish sanding so it matches nicely with the rest of the table. Just take your time and be precise, and you'll do great!
Thanks for the tips! I do have a router with some smaller bits, so I think I can manage the inlay. I appreciate the advice!