Butterfly Router Inlay Help - Cut corner or round inlay?

[Patrick Irish]

I broke out the router butterfly inlay kit and templates form PeachTree

After making about 10 butterflies and practicing the mortise portion, I was ready for the real thing in my table top.

I now have the butterfly mortise cut with rounded corner from the router and a butterfly inlay with straight edges.

Is there a preference here? Either sand the edges of the inlay or chisel out the corners of the mortise to match the inlay? Both techniques require very little but precise work.

I started rounding the edges of a butterfly key I made but stopped to do more research. Easier to scrap a key then fix the table top.

Pic of what I'm talking about.




Ps. I kinda think it may be easier to cut the butterflies and just trace and chisel them. Seems it might be more precise if my chisel abilities are good.

[Brian Holcombe]

Easier to chisel them all around. Taper the insert on any area that can be compressed by the end grain of the table top (usually the long sides of the insert) by a very slight amount.

[Jerry Miner]

Will look better ("hand-cut") with chiseled corners. Rounded corners, IMHO, will look "machine cut"

[Bill Berklich]

Will look better ("hand-cut") with chiseled corners. Rounded corners, IMHO, will look "machine cut"

Agreed and I can never get the radius right anyway

[Patrick Irish]

Well I'm definitely going to radius them this time.

I've practiced enough and cannot figure out the square of the corners. Also, it seems that the inlay pieces are coming out a hair too narrow. I'd rather square the corners than radius the inlay, but just can't seem to get it.

I'm going to waste some more double sided tape and practice once last time. It could be that the bit is garbage. I think it may be dull now but locally, no one sells a 1/8" radius, downcut with 1" cutting length. It was the harbor freight kit, same kit as them all with the brass bushing, removeable collar, and and centering piece.

Rockler has a 1/8" downcut bit but it's only a 1/2" cutting length and much shorter overall bit. I don't think that bit can make inlays 1/2" thick.

[Mike Henderson]

What I do when I inlay something is that I produce the inlay piece first. Then I lay in in place and use a knife to trace it. When I route, I don't go to the knife line - I finish all around with hand tools.

If the inlay piece is fairly thick I don't set it all the way down - I leave it a bit proud - and scrape, sand or plane it down to the level of the rest of the wood. I've done some inlay with veneer and you have to be a bit more "close" with those since you can't take much off the veneer.

I get a perfect fit that way.

Mike

[Patrick Irish]

I've already made the pocket in the table using the guide. I'm pretty sure I can round the inlay to fit good. I could cut cut a slightly larger bow tie inlay, lay over the pocket and trace it out.