Working With Epoxy Inlays

Epoxy Inlays

Usually, it’s hard to resist opening the lid on a small box to see what’s inside. That’s not the case with these turned gift boxes, however. The intricate inlays on the outside are what grab all the attention. In this issue we’ll focus on making the dragonfly lid. In the next issue (Woodsmith 278) we’ll shape the bowls and fit their respective lids.

EPOXY INLAYS.

Now I know, you’re probably thinking that making these inlays is a tedious, time-consuming matter. But it’s really a simple two-step process. First, the openings are cut on the lid with a scroll saw (photo, page 14).

Then these openings are filled with colored epoxy. Once the epoxy cures, turning the lid to shape reveals the decorative inlay, as you can see in the photo.

After filling in the openings with colored epoxy, turning the lid brings the dramatic inlay to life. You’ll attach the lid to a sacrificial blank to create this profile. Then you’ll make the box to fit the lid.

AS THE BOX TURNS.

Making the inlays is half the fun of these unique gift projects. The other half is turning the boxes to shape. The good news is you don’t need to be an expert to do this. All three boxes can be turned using a few simple lathe tools (a round-nose scraper, a square-end scraper, and a parting tool) and some straightforward scraping techniques.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.

I made three boxes. The instructions (and dimensions for turning the box) with the dragonfly on the lid begin on the next page.

Keep in mind, however, that you don’t have to make any of the three boxes shown here. The beauty of turning a project on a lathe is that the possibilities for creativity are virtually limitless. Using the instructions in this article, you may want to experiment with the shape and size of your own turned box. It’s surprising how small changes in the shapes and dimensions can make a big difference in the appearance of the box itself.

PICKING A PATTERN.

As for the other patterns (the stalks of wheat, and the symbol for love on the lids of the boxes at left), they are available online at Woodsmith.com/277. But here again, you may want to come up with another pattern altogether.

BUYING BLANKS.

That takes care of everything except for the wood. To match the color and figure between the lid and the box, I cut both pieces from a single blank. This requires a thick piece that you’re not likely to find in a scrap bin, so I would recommend purchasing some turning blanks.

Each box requires a 3"×6"×6" turning blank. (Refer to sources on page 66.) Not only were these blanks thick enough to cut the lid and box from a single blank, but they had amazing figure and were very stable.

I made the box with the “love” symbol from bubinga, and the box with the stalks of wheat from figured Western maple. As for the dragonfly box, it’s made from a thick chunk of 12/4, quartersawn white oak. Like I mentioned earlier, you can turn the page and take a look at how we tackled the dragonfly lid.

MAKING A DRAGONFLY LID

Both the lid and box portions of this gift box are made from a single wood blank as shown in the drawing to the left. This ensures consistent color and grain pattern between the lid and the box on the finished piece.

CUT THE LID FREE.

Once you select a block of wood, the first step is to separate the lid blank from the box blank. To do that, use a band saw to slice a 3⁄4"-thick piece from the blank (detail at left). You’ll notice in the detail that I kept the band saw kerf on the box side of the workpiece. Set the thicker box blank aside for now.

APPLY & CUT PATTERN.

With that complete, select a pattern that you like, make a copy of it, and apply it to the top of the lid blank with spray-on adhesive. The next step is to cut out the pattern with a scroll saw. To cut each opening, you’ll have to make a “pierce” cut. This requires drilling small holes (1⁄16" or 1⁄32") in each section, so you can insert the scroll saw blade before attaching it to the arm of the scroll saw. (I used a #9 skip-tooth blade to make these cuts cleanly.) Then cut out the openings as shown in Step 1 below.

Pierce Cuts. Start with pierce cuts on the scroll saw. Carefully cut each opening before moving to the next.	The Proper Mix. Add a half-teaspoon of colorant to 4 fl . oz. of epoxy and stir slowly to prevent bubbles.
Fill It Up. Pour the mixture into the openings in the blank and use a scrap stick to smooth the surface.	Color Options. You can use a variety of agents to change the color of epoxy. The scrap pieces shown below, represent just a handful of the many colors you can create.

MIX EPOXY.

Once the cutouts are complete, you can focus your attention on the colored epoxy mixture that will fill them. The epoxy I used is a 30-minute epoxy from a hobby shop. It cures slowly, so you can mix in the color and pour the epoxy into the lid cut-outs before it sets. I got good results by using tempera powders (available at craft stores). Liquid concentrate and powdered color tints designed for use with epoxy are also available. First, mix about 2 fl . oz. each of epoxy and hardener together. Then add the colorant. It doesn’t take much — just about a half-teaspoon of powder or liquid (Step 2 shows this).

FILL CUTOUTS.

Before pouring the mixture into the cutouts, place masking tape over the back of the lid blank, so it won’t leak through. Then fill the cutouts with the epoxy mixture (Step 3). As you’re pouring, be sure to even out any voids in the epoxy with a small scrap piece. A blow dryer will remove any bubbles that show up. Don’t worry about being too neat and tidy here, though. You’ll clean up the surface when you turn the lid (and the box) to shape. Those details will be in the next issue.

MOUNTING THE BLANK

Epoxy takes at least 12 hours to fully cure, though I like to give it 24 to be safe. Once the epoxy is cured, you’re ready to turn the lid to shape.

GLUE BLOCK.

The lid blank can’t be attached directly to the face plate on your lathe, since the holes for the mounting screws would be visible inside the finished lid. Instead, I attached it to a “glue block,” which mounts to the faceplate itself. The glue block I used was made from a scrap of 2x6 cut to the same width as the lid blank.

To establish the center of this block, I marked from corner to corner on one face, then I glued the lid blank to the opposite face. Once dry, I rounded out the blanks on the band saw, leaving them slightly oversized. Finally, I mounted the faceplate onto the block as you see below and threaded it onto the lathe.

Use the diagonal lines to center the faceplate on the rounded blank, then screw it in place.

TURING THE LID

With the lid mounted on the lathe, the first thing I wanted to take care of was truing up the edge of the lid (as in Step 1 below). Truing a wide blank like this is best done at a slow speed — about 500 RPM.

Next, I needed to clean and flatten the top of the lid, giving myself a blank slate for turning the profile. I bumped the speed up to 2,000 RPM and used a square-end scraper to flatten the lid (Step 2). After that, a round-nose scraper created the curved profile of the lid, as in the lead photo on page 12. I used a cardboard template of the final shape as a reference here (Step 3).

Once I was satisfied with the lid profile, I cut a rabbet in the base of the lid with a parting tool, as in Step 4. This rabbet forms a lip that will fit inside the box later on. With the rabbet cut, sand the lid smooth on the lathe. Finally, separate the lid blank and glue block, as shown in Steps 5 and 6 below.

With the lathe set to a slow speed, turn the lid blank and glue block to a rough cylinder using a round-nose scraper. Work your way across the edge until it spins smoothly.	To remove the paper and epoxy residue (as well as flatten the lid) move the tool rest to the front of the blank and work your way.
As you turn, check your progress with a cardboard template. A round-nose scraper makes quick work of the lid profile, as you can see on page 12.	Use a parting tool to cut a rabbet along the bottom edge of the lid. This rabbet forms the lip that fits in the top of the box, keeping it in place.
To separate the lid blank from the glue block, first use a parting tool to cut down the glue block side of the joint line. Continue until the lid is almost separated.	Turn off the lathe and use a handsaw to cut through the remaining waste, freeing the lid. The lid will now serve to help shape the accompanying box.

A MATCHING BOX

Now that the lid was finished, I turned my attention inward, to the box that the lid would fit into. Like the lid, I attached the box blank to a 2x6 glue block, marked out the center, then cut them to a rough (and slightly over-sized) cylinder on the band saw.

As before, I mounted the faceplate on the center of the glue block, screwed it in place, and threaded it onto the lathe spindle. Roughing out the box’s perimeter at a low speed came first, followed by flattening the top at a higher speed.

OPENING THE BOX.

Next, I needed to hollow out the box. To do this, I began by dishing out a hole, starting at the outer rim then cutting in and down toward the center. The objective here was to establish the depth of the box. Step 7 below shows how I monitored the depth as I turned the blank.

FITTING THE PIECES.

In order to create a seamless look between the lid and box, I needed to turn them together. To do this, I began by making a shallow recess for the lid across the top of the box with a parting tool (Step 8). The recess needs to match the depth of the rabbet on the lid so they fit together tightly. When nearing the outer rim, I snuck up on the outside lip of the bowl, stopping the lathe to check the fit of the lid, then expanding the recess until they fit exactly.

SHAPING THE PAIR.

Once the lip fit the lid, I stuck the two pieces together with double sided tape (as in Step 9). From there, I moved the tool rest to the outside of the box to turn the exterior. I started near the bottom of the box, working my way up and gradually rounding the side with a round-nose scraper (Step 10). Once I was satisfied, I switched to a square-end scraper to begin smoothing (Step 11). Pay close attention to the seam between the lid and the box, as you’ll want this to be as smooth as possible.

COMPLETE THE INSIDE.

The final step was hollowing out the inside of the box. Again, I worked from the outer edge in toward the center, gradually enlarging the opening. When I reached the lip for the lid, I turned the interior so it followed the contour of the exterior. Then I flattened the inside bottom of the box with a square-end scraper.

All that was left at this point was to sand the box, then part it from the glue block as I did with the lid. To finish things, I used a simple, wipe-on varnish. This did a great job of showing off the results from this epoxy inlay project.

Once the box is true and flat, start by hollowing the center with a round-nose scraper. Stop frequently and check your progress with a combination square.	Create a wide, shallow recess in the box to fit the lid. Gradually “sneak up” on the size until the lid fits nice and tight, stopping the lathe to check as you work.
Once the lid fits tightly in this recess, apply some double-sided tape to it, and stick it firmly in place on the box so that the two pieces can be turned together.	Use a round-nose scraper to turn the side of the box and lid together. Use sweeping motions as you shape the box.
When you’re satisfied with the profile, switch to a square-end scraper. The flat end will create smooth, finished sides.	Lastly, remove the lid and adjust the tool rest to continue hollowing out the box. Angle the tool rest to support the scraper as closely to the work as possible.
### OPTIONAL INLAY PATTERNS
The dragonfly inlay you’ve seen in this article is only one of the options. The other inlays here are just a few ideas, and you can find the templates for these designs online at Woodsmith.com/277.

One of the great things about epoxy is how adaptable it is — if you can think it up, then you can probably make it with a little thought and effort. Of course, incorporating epoxy can be done in a number of ways. The box below shows another, simpler method that can be used to easily add a bit of color to a project.