Brass Wire Inlay vs Carbide Edge Router Bit
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I’m inlaying brass wire into the surface of wood coasters as a decorative element. I don’t usually do inlays so I don’t have specialty tools or supplies. Instead I picked up some 18 ga brass wire from a craft store and flattened it into a roughly rectilinear profile using a tack hammer and anvil. My inlays are all straight so I cut the mortise with a fine dovetail saw, apply glue, set the inlay with a hammer, and sand everything flush. I’ve done a couple this way so far and they’ve turned out very nice. So far, though, I only break the edges of the coasters using sandpaper. I’m making a new set now and would like to add a very small chamfer to the edge. The wire inlays will reach the edges so they will need to be chamfered to match the edge treatment. Will 18 ga brass wire damage a carbide edge router bit?
Replies
Carbide bits will cut brass wire easily. They will wear the edge out quicker than plain wood. But I would do it.
John is correct. I have often cut aluminum and brass with the carbide teeth on my tablesaw without any noticeable damage to the blade teeth.
Wear your glasses, brass sticks to carbide and then unsticks at high speed. Check the router bits between passes to make sure your cutting edge has no fragments stuck to it for the next cut.
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