Inlaying two wooden pieces into a metal frame
jhamesmade
| Posted in Wood and Materials on
I have a metal frame that takes the shape of a yin and Yang. It is 1/2″ thick stainless steel that is 18″ in diameter so the pieces of wood I am laying in are roughly 9″x 16″. I want to use two natural toned woods. One very dark one very light. I then want to cut a hole in each piece toward the center and in lay the other piece of wood, to complete the yinyang design.
My two question are, how should I fit the wood into the metal frame to ensure that wood does not crack over time if it expands at all (piece will be indoors)? and What two types of wood should I look for that have good light/dark contrast?
I am from Wisconsin for reference and have access to a large lumber yard with a lot of options.
Thank you.
Replies
I just used Alder and Wenge on this box for my router planes. It's a very stark contrast. I may have used a dye on walnut, had I not had the Wenge scraps laying around. You have a unique expansion problem with the curves involved. Have you thought about veneering instead of solid wood? You may find some interesting alternatives for color and visible texture.
Make the wood inserts about 1/8" smaller all the way around and screw them in from the back, slightly oversizing the holes in the metal. That should be enough to allow for wood movement. If you make the fit tight or glue / epoxy it together you'll have issues over time.
Just go to the yard and see what they have. Since all you need is contrast the small size parts you need might even be found in the sale / scraps / cutoffs bin.
Do some testing on the sanding / finishing steps. It is pretty easy to spoil the look by pushing dark dust deep into the lighter wood with a sander.
Thank you very much for the information!
Thank you very much for the information!
If I use a veneer, what type of backing to the veneer would I use that wouldnt expand?
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