How to Inlay Silver Wire
- 1). Draw your engraving design on the material where your wire will set. Make the lines of the sketch as wide as you would like the lines for the actual engraving.
- 2). Trace over the pencil lines with your chisel and hammer. Carve out a shallow groove as thick as your pencil line sketch and deep enough to accommodate your wire, but no deeper.
- 3). Blow on the engraved material to remove debris from the carving. Dab the marks with tack cloth to remove dust and other debris that will interfere with the inlay process.
- 4). Place one end of the wire at the end of one of the engraved lines. Ask an assistant to hold that end of the wire in place while you string the length wire over the rest of the engraved line. Cut the wire once you have enough to completely fill the engraved line.
- 5). Tap the wire into the groove with a rubber mallet. Use 10 taps for each inch of wire to firmly cement the wire into the engraved line.
- 6). Wipe around the wire with a damp cloth. This makes the wood around the wire swell so it holds the wire tightly in place. Allow the moisture to set for 10 minutes before you dab up any excess water with a dry cloth.