.png "Testing the method on some scrap material.")
.png "The routed outline for #13 ready for the filler. The eye is 'mother of pearl', the fangs white filler (trimmed back to the original outline), the whiskers small dia brass tubing and the majority of the wood is Pink Ivory. (one of my favourites)")
.png "Mixing the epoxy and African Blackwood powder into a stiff paste. I prefered slow curing epoxy (overnight).")
.png "The first stages of sanding down to the base wood level before final hand scraping.")
.png "Using a drum sander to reduce the bulk of the fill. (Box #11)")
.png "The finished design #13.")
.png "After setting the basic tree shape random chunks were cut out to represent the blossoms.")
.jpg "Finished design box #12.")
.png "Starting the design for #11 using the same technique.")
.png "Ready for the epoxy fill.")
Sink and Fill is a technique I developed myself. The design is first traced onto the surface and defined with a scalpel. It then involves sinking the outline using a miniature router, sharp chisels and a scalpel to define the edges. Filling the well with various chunks of different wood types and miscellaneous materials held in place with super-glue to create an artistic picture. The well is then filled with a mixture of sawdust and epoxy glue and tamped down well. After curing overnight the surface is reduced to the original level using a sanding drum and hand scraping.
SINK & FILL