Collectible Reclaimed Hardwood Yarn Bowls; How They Are Made

Applying Inlay Banding To Turned Wood Bowls

1/22/2014

Applying decorative inlay banding to a turning that lacks an interesting grain pattern can take your piece from plain to eye catching. Here is the technique I use to incorporate wood banding on a bowl.

It is recommended that your wood has reached a moisture content of around 8-10% to avoid possible warping. Choose a band that is long enough to go around the bowl with a pattern that is easy to match where the ends meet.
Select an area on the bowl that does not have any taper or slope such as midway or around the neck. Use a parting tool to cut a clean groove so the band fits snugly. This can be checked by sliding the tip of the band around the groove while rotating the piece by hand. I like to cut the groove slightly below the surface to allow for sanding later.
Next, use a piece of string to measure around the inside of the groove and transfer the measurement to the selected band to make sure the pattern will match up where the ends will meet.
Start with the band a bit longer than you need (we cut it later). Apply a drop of medium CA glue into the groove. Press the tip of the band down onto the glue and spray with CA accelerant to freeze the band in place. I use a Popsicle stick, pressing as I go to keep my finger away from the glue.
Slowly work your way around the entire bowl, gluing and spraying every 3/8", being careful not to break the brittle band. Warming the banding ahead of your progress with a hair dryer helps to make the material more pliable. When you reach the beginning, carefully cut the band with a razor to join the ends seamlessly then glue in place. You are now ready to sand and finish the as you wish.

My favorite place to purchase Inlay Banding is www.inlaybanding.com. They offer excellent quality banding at competitive pricing and they sometimes send sale notifications to regular customers. Happy banding!