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| This conch shell inlay can be adapted to a variety of sizes and designs. |
Much
has been written about creating inlay strips for furniture,
but when I wanted to add a conch shell medallion inlay to a
project, I was unable to find either existing medallions or
instructions on how to make one. So, what follows is my medallion-making
method.
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The two veneer layers (holly and mahogany) and the printout |
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The layers stacked and glued |
If
you're more artistic than I, you can draw your own design, but
I settled for a photograph of an antique-conch medallion that
I liked. I printed the photo at the scale I wanted, a 3" x 6"
ellipse.
Very little
material is needed. I used a 4" x 7" piece of holly
veneer and a similarly sized piece of mahogany veneer. It's
important to have the two materials alike in thickness in order
to obtain a smooth finish. The original photo showed a holly-string
border, but that's best added after the medallion is set in
place.
The
trick to getting a close fit between the parts is to cut both
materials at the same time. Bond the veneers and the pattern
together using spray adhesive. If you spray only one surface
of each pair, separating the parts later will not be a problem.
The stack can then be cut around the outer oval.
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