Inlay

Rob Nelson

Well-Known Member
Aloha!

I'm a military Chaplain, been to combat a few times, so I have a handful of my uniform insignia crosses that I wore in combat, and they're unserviceable for wear. I'd like to inlay one of them into G10 scales as part of a project I'm working on. Anybody done anything like that?

They're not very big; they have 2 pins w/frogs on the back. I didn't want to just tack them on. I figured I'd cut the pins off, grind the back flat, scribe the profile onto the scale, and remove material until its flush, then epoxy. I'd don't know what they'll look like with the finish sand on the G10, so I may tack one to a piece of wood and sand on it to see the effect.

If this works, and looks okay, I may do several of them as gifts for my Marines & Sailors. I've had several timidly ask me for one of the crosses I wore in combat as a keepsake.

Thanks for your help!
 
Rudy & Steve, thanks! I had read through Steve's thread before, but I thought you basically cut all the way through one layer, and suspended the inlay in that layer, then sandwhiched it up. Did I get that wrong? Either way, looking at the handle I'm on now, I think it would be too busy to add another piece. And I had an idea to use the inlay on top of a pin, instead of in between corbys. With the pin, I was thinking that I'd drill through both scales as usual, but then lay the cross over the hole to scribe and inlet. Then insert the pin from the opposite side until it touches the back of the cross, and glue it like that.
 
Charlie, it's a cross about 3/4" tall, 1/2" wide. It has 2 thick pins sticking out of it for attaching to the uniform collar. I'll see about a picture.
 
I had a friend who did inlays for his escutcheon plates and his trick to mark the surface of your handle was to "blacken" the back of your cross with a dirty flame much like the top of a zippo flame where the smoke is black. This will coat the surface of your cross. Then you place it in the location you want then the black is transfered to the surface of your handle. Be sure to remove the material inside the blackened area up to the edge and then sneak up on it. He used a Dremel with several cutting burrs for most of his material removal. If you try to pencil the lines there is a width between the inside edge of the pencil mark and the actual edge of your cross. Even an exacto knife blade is more difficult because your pushing up against the cross and taking a chance of moving it. Also, the cut mark has thickness to it so you'll have to re-finish the handle in that area.

I'll always do what I can to help a chaplain!!

God Bless the Chaplains!! I had one is SF who deployed with us on missions and training's. He was awesome. I remember one night a lights out infil from a CH 47 and his grin was ear to ear!!! He loved it!!
 
Jeff, I'm guessing sight black would do the trick to blacken the back?

Back in the day I supported 5th Group ODA092, not a Chaplain then. Considered reenlisting to go SF, wound up getting out and becoming a Marine, where I'd be today if God hadn't changed my mind :biggrin: But then He sent me back to the Marines, so I get it now.
 
We had lots of former Marines and a few not so "former" ;) SF isn't a place for rigid thinking. I don't know if sight black will transfer the way you want but you can try it. Maybe a rag with kerosene or motor oil... just need a dirty flame.
 
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