Inlayed Pendant Using a Laser Cutter

Here is a simple and quick laser project to make a wooden pendant with a wood inlay. I made this just in time for Valentine’s day.

You need the following supplies and tools:

1. Two different woods, one for the pendant, one for the inlay
2. CA glue or wood glue
3. Double-sided tape
4. Laser cutter/engraver
5. Bandsaw or scroll saw
6. Orbital, disk, or belt sander

I included a lot of pictures to help explain the technique.

First you make the basic pendant. I chose to make mine round, 1.75” in diameter and about 1/8” thick. You may go for a different shape, size, wood species, etc., it's up to you. Design the shape of your pendant and inlay using your favorite software; I used Inkscape for this project. Because Valentine’s day is coming up I chose a heart. On your laser cutter engrave the heart on your wood piece, and cut out the perimeter of the pendant. If your laser cannot cut the wood just mark the perimeter with your laser, and after engraving cut it out on a bandsaw or scroll saw. The engraving should be deep enough for the inlay; I made mine about 3 mm deep. This took 3 passes with my 40W CO2 laser. You now have the pendant with a recess to receive the inlay.

Next you make the inlay piece. There are two ways to accomplish this.

(1) Laser-cut out the inlay shape from a different colored wood. I used both walnut or cherry for different pendants. Both species provide a pleasing contrast to a maple pendant. The inlay piece should be thicker than the engraving depth from the prior step; in my case more than 3 mm. After cutting the piece try it in the pendant, it should fit nicely into the recess. If not you will need to adjust the size until you have a good fit. It all depends on the size of the kerf your laser creates. Once you have a good fit glue the inlay piece into the pendant. Use wood glue or CA glue. CA glue works faster. Pictures 2 to 8 above.

(2) If you have trouble cutting through the wood for the inlay you can engrave the wood instead. To do this you have to invert the engraving: the heart needs to remain up and the space around the heart needs to be removed. If your design is asymmetric you will also need to mirror the inlay shape. The engraving, i.e. the removal of the space around the shape should be deeper than the recess in the pendant, again more than 3 mm in my example. Once done the shape should fit snugly into the pendant recess. Adjust as necessary, and glue into the pendant. Pictures 9 to 12 above.

The first method is easier and more intuitive. The second method does allow for shapes that have several parts that are not connected.

Sand the backside of the pendant up to a 320 or 400 grit. On the front you need to make the inlay flush with the pendant. I use double-stick tape to attach the pendant to a small wooden block, this makes the sanding a lot easier and keeps your fingers away from the belt sander. Use a belt sander or orbital sander carefully until you get close to being flush. You won't have much room for error here. Finish sanding by hand on a sheet of sandpaper glued to a flat surface. Sand up to 320 or 400 grit. Sand/clean the edge of the pendant to remove the laser burn. Drill a 1/16" or 1/8" hole through the top of the pendant for a chain or necklace.

Use spray lacquer or Danish oil or whatever you prefer to add a finish to the pendant.