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Secondary Scrolls

Stem and Dots

The Home Stretch

The 5 Basic Steps

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This is part two in a series. Click here to read the first part.

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Editor’s note: Last time, the author left off explaining how each new inlet cut into the wood with the inletting chisel should overlap the preceding cut by just enough to keep the inletting groove concentric and in line. In the case of the project knife, the process starts at the first copper rivet just behind the bolster. From there we take up where he left off:

  Because this is the starting point and has a small radius, we will use the narrowest of our three chisels (1/16 inch). Push the chisel into the wood at 90 degrees and up next to the rivet. Pull it out, overlap the first cut and rock the chisel up vertically. Then push down for the second cut. Repeat, repeat, repeat. As the radius of the design increases, change to a wider chisel. Continue making the inletting groove until you come to the end of the primary scroll. In doing so, reverse the size of the width of the chisel as you come to the smaller radius at the end of the scroll.

To help facilitate the holding ability of the wire in the wood, draw the wire through a folded-over piece of coarse sandpaper to score up its sides. Now that the first scroll groove has been inlet, it is time to install the wire. Using the needle-nose round pliers, form the beginnings of the first scroll starting at the copper rivet. Once a portion of the arc is formed, tap the wire into the groove starting at the rivet, only inlet the wire down into the groove about three quarters depth. (See Illustration 7.) You may need to correct the wire position before taking it flush to the wood surface.

Use a “push stick” to true up the wire before making it flush to the wood. (See Illustration 8.) We refer to this procedure as “justifying the line.” The technique of truing the line needs to be done when “peaks and flats” occur while tapping down the wire. Once the wire has been justified, carefully tap it flush with the wood.

Secondary Scrolls

Now it is time to start inletting secondary scrolls. A secondary scroll is any scroll that branches off from the primary (main) scroll. It is more natural if the secondary scroll has a smooth transition as it comes off from the primary scroll; for this to happen, the end of the secondary scroll must be tapered. The inlet actually starts about 3/8 inch back before the secondary wire ever branches away from the first. That groove is made next to (touching) the primary scroll.
Once the groove is made, prepare the tapered end of the wire. To do this draw out the wire, hammering the last quarter inch of it to taper it.

Next, file the tapered end just enough to bring it to a knife edge on the end. Inlay the secondary scroll’s tapered end first. Remember: the scroll lays alongside tight to the primary scroll before branching off on its own. 

The next inlay will be what I call a crossover, which is where one scroll crosses over another wire. It takes three pieces of wire to complete the crossover scroll. (See Illustration 9.) The procedure starts out the same as the beginning of the secondary scroll in that the inletting groove is made alongside the primary scroll, branches off and stops when it comes to the first crossover. We jump over the wire and align the chisel perfectly with the inletted groove just made on the other side of the wire.

Continue with the inletting, repeating the crossover procedure as needed. Make and inlay the tapered wire first, then inlay the remaining two pieces to complete the scroll. (See Illustration 9.)

Stem and Dots

Upon completing the inlaying of the “S” and” C” scrolls, there are some final touches or inlays that can be made to dress up the wirework. I refer to these finials as stem and dots. There will be a dot, which is a small diameter round wire, at the end of each scroll. There will also be a stem and dots as accent points throughout the design. 

Dots are made from sterling silver round wire, or, for a little contrast in the pattern, brass or copper can be used. On occasion I have even made dots from ivory. By using a pin vise to hold the round wire, let a half-inch or so protrude from the collect chuck and either file or grind a point on the end of the wire. Cut the dot off 1/8-inch long with side cutters and make another and another and another. Store each of the different sizes in the various compartments of a seven-day medicine box. Sizes of dots can vary depending on the design and application. Normally I use .060-, .040-, .030- or .020-inch-diameter round-wire stock in making dots. Occasionally, when using copper pins/rivets to secure the handle scales, I may use a copper dot at the end of a scroll instead of silver to help camouflage the copper rivets.

Use a scriber to make a small hole when placing the dots. Dots go on the inside end of a scroll, not at the very end of the scroll. Make the hole for the dot with the scriber, and carefully tap the dot down in the hole. You do not want to drive the dot so deep that the “pinched” end of the dot goes below the surface of the wood, or you will not get a round finished dot. (See Illustration 10.)

When all wirework has been completed, justify any scrolls needing adjustment with the push stick and tap all wire flush with the handle surface.

At this point you may notice small gaps between the wire and the wood that occurred during the inlay process. You can correct these problems by steaming the handle to swell the wood grain back tight around the wire. Dampen the handle with a wet sponge and water. Lay a wet cotton cloth over the handle and apply heat from a soldering iron or soldering copper. Steam is forced into the wood, causing the wood grain to swell back around the wire. When the handle is dry, with a small, single-cut file, file down the wire flush with the wood. File carefully; if you are too aggressive, the file may rip out some of your wirework.

The Home Stretch

The last step is to prepare the handle for stain and finish. Begin to sand with 120-grit paper and finish with 220 grit. Raise the grain two or three times during the final sanding with 220 grit. Finish all sanding by sanding with the grain of the wood. (See Illustration 11.)
Transferring the pattern from the left scale, which you have just finished, to the right scale is not as complicated as you might think.

Of course, the naturally talented can go directly to the right scale and freehand the duplicate pattern, but for those of you (like me) who cannot draw, transfer the finished wire design to tracing paper and transpose it to the other side.

First, cut a small piece of tracing (transparent) paper and tape it to cover the just-finished wirework. Carefully trace the wirework pattern with a 2H (soft lead) pencil; be sure you include the positions of the pins that hold the handle to the knife. (See Illustration 12.) Once you have finished the tracing, remove the paper from the handle. Using a rotary leather punch, punch holes through the paper where each of the holding pins is located (in this case, three pins).

Reverse the tracing paper over the right-side scale and align the holes with the three pins on this side. Tape it into position and carefully trace over the pattern with a ballpoint pen. The graphite (pencil marks) of the tracing acts as a carbon paper and transfers your design. It is not imperative that both sides of the handle are the same, but if you want them to be, this is a good method. (See Illustration 13.)

If you are using curly maple for the handle, I suggest staining it with Dark Brown Fiebing’s leather dye. Apply three heavy coats of dye and, when dry, burnish the wood with 0000 steel wool. Apply three-to-four light coats of Casey’s Tru-Oil gunstock finish. Rub out between coats with linseed oil and rotten stone (mild abrasive powder) on a cotton cloth.

Finally, wax the handle with a good Carnauba wax and buff it with a cotton cloth. (See Illustration 14.)

The 5 Basic Steps

I hope that these instructions for how to do silver wire inlay will help you add another decorative technique to your arsenal. Remember the five basic steps:

1)    Start with a good design;

2)    Inlet at 90 degrees to the handle surface;

3)    Justify the line with a push stick;

4)    Carefully file the wire flush to the surface; and;
5)    Sand with the grain and finish.

For more information on techniques for silver wire inlay, contact Joe Keeslar, Dept. BL2, 391 Radio Rd., Almo, KY 42020 270.753.7919 sjkees@apex.net.