FlutterBy Decorative Inlay Kit

DevilEyes Templates
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$75
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Dimensions:
5" Tall, 4-3/4" Wide
This Build
Image of the FlutterBy inlay built with these instructions
Glitter-Fly
Image of a FlutterBy decorative inlay built with epoxy and glitter for the wings
Ornament
FlutterBy cut out as an ornament
What's Included in the Kit

  For $75 you'll receive a decorative inlay kit FlutterBy, which contains 7 templates. One of the templates allows you to cut out FlutterBy as an ornament. Careful that it doesn't fly away!

   Five of the Templates builds another layer of the image of the Butterfly. The sixth template gives you options for cutting the inlays used for the wings, and the seventh template can be used to cut out FlutterBy as an ornament.

  You'll probably get bored following the simple and repetitive router based inlay techniques needed to build a flawless inlay. But as you watch the metamorphosis of wood into a work of art you'll be captivated by the process and be amazed at how simple it was to add a stunningly beautiful accent to your project!

  Best of all you don't need to be a master crafts-person to build this inlay. All you need is some wood and a few basic tools. Click here review the Router Based Inlay Tool List.

  Never built an inlay before? Click here to Learn How To Build Any Wood Inlay.

Select and Prepare the Inlay Materials

  This is another one of those inlays where it's fun picking out wood-color combinations! My favorite part is looking for those perfect pieces to go in the middle of the upper wings!!!

  The best tip for this design is to think about how would your creation look in nature. Grain patterns need to flow with the lines of the wings and body or else your design will look weird.

  You want the base material, the material in which FlutterBy will be inlaid, to be at least 3/8 of an inch thick, any thinner than that and chances are good your inlay will warp!

INLAY MATERIALS THIS BUILD

    * Padauk 7" x 8" x 5/8" - Base material (the lid)
    * Curly Maple 6" x 5" x 1/8" - Outer Wings
    * Purple Heart 4" x 3" x 1/8" - Center of Lower Wings
    * Bacote 4" x 3" x 1/8" - Center of Upper Wings
    * Wenge 3" x 3" x 1/8" - Body
GENERAL GUIDELNES

  The main thing you want to pay attention when selecting the material for any type of decorative inlay is contrast. There are two type of contrast to keep in mind, color and grain pattern / direction.

  It's possible to get decent contrast from two similarly colored woods as long as there is a sharp contrast in grain patterns and direction. Without this contrast your inlay will not look it's best!

Good Contrast Inlay
Picture of inlay with high contrast
Low Contrast Inlay
low contrast FlutterBy inlay

   The Good Contrast picture shows great contrast all the way around. The section of Bacote used for the upper wings gives the appearance of eyes on the wings making the butterfly appear larger and more menacing to other creatures. This type of pattern is something one could expect to see in nature!

   Purple Heart and Bacote was used to build the wings. The body was made from Red Heart and the base material is Oak.

   It's your choice when it comes to what colors and grain patterns your outer and inner wings will sport. This page has examples where the entire outer wing is the same color and also examples of where the top outer wing is a different color than the bottom. You decide what looks best for you!

   A good suggestion is to select the two pieces that make up the middle of the upper wings first! These pieces. L3P1 and L4P1, set the tone for the rest of the design, so pick them out first.

   The Low Contrast inlay picture is made from Red Heart and Purple Heart. Unfortunately these two selections of wood didn't have enough contrast to make the inlay look it's best.

Final Sanding and Applying Finish

The DevilEyez Inlay finished

   To fix any gaps in the inlay smear a small amount of glue into the gap, wipe off the excess glue, then sand over the area. The sanding action will cause sawdust to mix with the glue in the gap blurring it out.

  After all the gaps have been filled sand the entire inlay until it's flat. This process is best done after the glue has completely dried!

  Once sanded apply the finish of your choice. Personally I like to apply three coats of Tung Oil followed by three coats of a polyurethane finish that has a UV inhibitor in it. The UV protection will help keep the woods from changing color over time.

  Click here for more information about Sanding and Finishing Tutorial.

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