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Removing the background from an onlay?
Looking for folks with onlay experience. I would like to use this compass rose over strips: link
I am thinking the onlay would look better against the strips if I cut out the background before applying it to the deck. My idea is to maintain the dark perimeter band but eliminate the light interior background. I have no experience with them (onlays) and wonder if the design would be strong enough to hold itself together without the background.
Thanks for your help.
3 replies:
RE: Removing the background from an onlay?
Thank you Laszlo, very informative post!
I've no experience with the onlays and appreciate it. I'm a little fuzzy about fairing the onlay into the wood though. Is the proud edge of the onlay faired or is the deck recessed to accept it? I suppose once I have the onlay in hand I'll have a better idea...
Should I decide to try it I will take/post pics. Thanks again.
RE: Removing the background from an onlay?
If the deck is recessed then it's an inlay. :-)
There's a template that comes with the onlay that can be used for recessing the deck if you'd rather have an inlay.
Laszlo
RE: Removing the background from an onlay?
» Submitted by Laszlo - Fri, 7/19/13 » 6:02 AM
I used that very onlay on my schooner/ The onlay has a backing glued to the wood, so if you were to cut out a chunk the rest of the pieces would still hold together.
That said, the wood on those things is very thin. Even as an uncut unit you have to be very careful handling it. If you do cut out the background, you'll only have 8 tiny points holding the rose to the ring. It'll be very very fragile. You might need to plan on just cutting it apart and reassembling it.
Cutting out the background involves cutting through the backing, as well as the wood. One of the things that make it look so good are the extremely clean and straight laser cuts. You'll have a tough time making cuts with a blade that can match them, especially cutting through the backing.Depending on your skill and tools you might be able to pull it off.
Finally, using an onlay instead of an inlay involves fairing the onlay into the wood that it's resting on such that there's no objectionable ridge visible.As sold, you have a continuous elliptical perimeter to fair. Once you do your proposed surgery, you'll also have 8 irregular internal shapes to fair.
If you do this, it'll take a lot of patience, skill, sharp blades and possibly a second onlay. CLC gets these from a 3rd party supplier. You might want to consider getting in touch with the supplierr and seeing if they'd be willing to assemble a custom version without the background. You'd at least save yourself the cutting.
Good luck and do post pics if you do this,
Laszlo