Date:18 Feb 2015
Report by Pat Clay

Joe showed us how to inlay the edge of a bowl with resin, on a
horizontal or vertical edge.

The starting point is a roughed out bowl. The dimensions should be
broadly correct, but the bowl will be turned again to even any
inconsistencies in the resin.

Where a repeating pattern or inlay is to be used, the rim must be
divided into an appropriate number of parts. There are a number of
ways to achieve this, one simple one is to wrap a string around the
edge and cut it into halves until the correct size is arrived at. Draw the design of the cutout on paper, which will allow complex shapes such as waves to be formed.

The trough where the resin sits is cut with a router, rather than on the lathe, as this allows for curved etc patterns. To do this, make a pattern based on the size of the segments. A few nails on the outside of the pattern will help position the pattern consistently. The router is used with a centre guide to follow the pattern. The depth of cut must be sufficient to allow final shaping and cleaning on the lathe.

Vertical edges need a similar router guide, but curved to sit on the bowl edge, and taped to hold it in place. If your lathe has an index, hold the bowl in the lathe to route the edges.

After routing the trough, apply sanding sealer and prepare the inlays.  Joe used fern tips spray painted gold to very good effect. These are glued in place in the trough, and will probably need to be held in place with tape while the glue sets.

For a vertical edge on a bowl, after the glue has set, close the trough
with wide (50mm) masking tape or packing tape, leaving a small
opening at the top to pour the resin in. Work carefully to ensure no
holes where the resin will leak out. Running a bead of hot melt glue
around the edge will provide an additional level of safety, but it is
important to make sure the lathe bed is protected from the inevitable leaks.

Pour the resin from one side only to ensure no air bubbles. Joe
normally uses Epiglass 9000.