# Need ideas to finish an inlay



## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

So I’m almost done with this project. I didn’t have a piece wide enough to finish the S but it should be in the mail today. 
The inlay is Purpleheart on a cedar background. 

I like using tung oil but I’ve read in a few places to not use oil on Purpleheart. As it stands some of that Purpleheart had to be put in the oven to restore the purple color. 

So i am asking for suggestions on how to finish this piece. I don’t need a super high gloss, but a little shine would be ok. 

I’m also open to suggestions for finishing the edges, routing a border groove, etc. 











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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Thats going to be a gorgeous sign. I've never used purple heart. I've heard it may bleed so, I'd use a water based spray finish. Water based dries pretty fast. Spraying would eliminate any transfer of the color you might get from a wipe on or brush application. 
I wouldn't add a border. And, any routered profile would be as to your tastes.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

NO,NO,NO,NO,NO....... No water base directly on Purple Heart. I just got through resanding off the water base Poly and putting on shellac. Maybe water base over the sealed purple heart might work, but not directly on it. It will be beautiful with the shellac, I use spraycan shellac Zinnser,and give it at least 4 coats lightly hand sanding in between with 400g.

Purple heart will turn a very dark almost black purple over time. Sunlight will also bring out the purple when it is newly finished.

Herb


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Is it going outdoors, Mickey? I may be mistaken but I was under the impression that Purple Heart doesn't like UV.
If it is going outside then you may need to include UV filtering in the finish(?). I hope I'm mistaken 'cause that's too pretty a sign to be ruined by sunlight.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Gene Howe said:


> Thats going to be a gorgeous sign. I've never used purple heart. I've heard it may bleed so, I'd use a water based spray finish. Water based dries pretty fast. Spraying would eliminate any transfer of the color you might get from a wipe on or brush application.
> I wouldn't add a border. And, any routered profile would be as to your tastes.


Gene the Problem I had with water based MinWax Acrylic was it turned the purple heart the most awful greenish black, like swamp mud color right away. I have not had any experience with bleeding into adjacent colors, Paduk is the one that really bled for me.

Herb


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

DaninVan said:


> Is it going outdoors, Mickey? I may be mistaken but I was under the impression that Purple Heart doesn't like UV.
> If it is going outside then you may need to include UV filtering in the finish(?). I hope I'm mistaken 'cause that's too pretty a sign to be ruined by sunlight.




I will be using UV blocking in whatever i use. 


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

Herb Stoops said:


> NO,NO,NO,NO,NO....... No water base directly on Purple Heart. I just got through resanding off the water base Poly and putting on shellac. Maybe water base over the sealed purple heart might work, but not directly on it. It will be beautiful with the shellac, I use spraycan shellac Zinnser,and give it at least 4 coats lightly hand sanding in between with 400g.
> 
> Purple heart will turn a very dark almost black purple over time. Sunlight will also bring out the purple when it is newly finished.
> 
> Herb




Interesting, Herb. From my reading, it seems that most people recommend waterbased finishes, with UV inhibit. 


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

Also, i appreciate the compliments. I am very new to doing inlays. This in the fourth attempt I’ve made at doing an inlay. Pics of the first three are in the Guide Bushing and Template forum.... as making the template, or stencil, is the real art to doing this. That’s what takes the most time and has no room for error. Each letter took two to three hours just to make the stencil. But i now have it and it’s reusable! Hopefully I’ll eventually have the whole alphabet and will offer them as printouts to you guys. Just gotta be sure it prints correctly. Ive learned a lot from you all. 


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Herb Stoops said:


> Gene the Problem I had with water based MinWax Acrylic was it turned the purple heart the most awful greenish black, like swamp mud color right away. I have not had any experience with bleeding into adjacent colors, Paduk is the one that really bled for me.
> 
> Herb


Thanks for the correction of my suggestion, Herb. It was a guess on my part. Glad you chimed in before disaster struck. I'd really hate to be the reason for screwing up all that work on such a beautiful project.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Gene Howe said:


> I'd really hate to be the reason for screwing up all that work on such a beautiful project.


we can blame you anyways....

.


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

So i put some tung oil on a scrap piece. I put it on heavy. Came back an hour later and wiped the excess with a white cloth and there was no bleed. 

Since i like tung oil i will likely use it, then come over the top of that with something compatible and that has UV inhibitors. 

I’m willing to be talked out of that, however, with some sound reasoning. 


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Mickeyfolse said:


> Interesting, Herb. From my reading, it seems that most people recommend waterbased finishes, with UV inhibit.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have taken a purple heart unfinished board that was kind of Blah and set it out in the hot sun for a day and it really turned purple. Once it is finish it slowly darkens to where it is almost black.
Herb


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

No help here, Mickey, I just wanted to congratulate you on the nice sign.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Good to know, Herb! I knew UV was a factor but wasn't clear on which direction the colour change would happen.


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

I was able to finish the sign and get one coat of oil applied... i am pleased with how this will look.












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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

A thing of beauty, Mickey!

You might be interested in this stuff...

http://www.veneeronline.com/speciesd.aspx?category=dydbdl

https://www.roarockit.ca/woodworking/color-veneer-sampler/


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

"Woodworks"show on tv,with David Marks,used Tung oil on Purple heart frequently but I don't recall him say anything detrimental about it. Just sayin',James.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Congratulations on a wonderful job. Any chance of a few progress shots? I don't know about outdoors but Iv'e made pens out of Purple heart and finished as shown. The last one though was finished with CA glue for an ultra high shine.


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

harrysin said:


> Congratulations on a wonderful job. Any chance of a few progress shots? I don't know about outdoors but Iv'e made pens out of Purple heart and finished as shown. The last one though was finished with CA glue for an ultra high shine.




Sure thing! Still looks the same, just shinier! Lol. Next time I'm on my phone instead of iPad I'll post a pic. 

I've already started a new inlay project. Won't be too long till it's done. And planning to try to do a small keepsake box next. I've never done a box before. 

It came out well, but I've learned a lot from that purple heart sign and will share the lessons soon to hopefully get input and advice. 


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Looks good Mickey. Good choice of woods.


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

MEBCWD said:


> Looks good Mickey. Good choice of woods.




They do look good together (the woods). However, that cedar board wasn’t fully flat and i don’t have a planer. The whole project was just practice anyway so i went with what i had. I wanted to prove that my stencils workedand we’re lined up properly. I’m pleased with that aspect. However, due to the cedar not being flat, the inlays required lots of sanding in some spots. This is very noticeable when the light hits the piece just right. You can clearly see where the cedar was eaten up by the sandpaper. There are very shallow “bowls” around each letter. Maybe a card scraper will be included in my next order of supplies, unless y’all would recommend a small handheld planer for making the inlays flush and smooth. 

Overall I’m still pleased and will likely use two hardwoods next time. 


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

Here’s another one recently finished. It’s 2” thick cedar glue up, with walnut inlay. About 24” tall by 17” wide. 

I do not think I’ll be using cedar much for backboards anymore. This is the first glue up I’ve ever done and had to use my router table with an offset outfeed fence. I’m mostly pleased with how it came out. 

The thing that bothers me about this piece is that when i clamped down the bottom right piece of the B, i didn’t realized i turned the piece of walnut before i cut it out and the wood grain direction is way off. But the inlay itself came out pretty good.












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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Mickey; is there a cabinet or millwork shop near you, with a stroke sander? Perhaps for a bit of cash they'd let you sand your panels? Or just use a belt sander...you need a larger footprint on the sanding area than a ROS will provide.
$1,000 would buy you a new open arm drum sander if you don't already have one.


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## Mickeyfolse (Feb 1, 2019)

DaninVan said:


> Mickey; is there a cabinet or millwork shop near you, with a stroke sander? Perhaps for a bit of cash they'd let you sand your panels? Or just use a belt sander...you need a larger footprint on the sanding area than a ROS will provide.
> $1,000 would buy you a new open arm drum sander if you don't already have one.




I don't have a drum sander but i do have a pretty decent belt sander. It's how i flattened (mostly, lol) the glue up for the big letter B. That one wasn't much trouble as it was flat enough. Not perfect, but plenty flat enough. 


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Perfect is overrated...


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Both look wonderful


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