Top of a purpleheart sewing box with 1/16 holly stringing and satinwood berries. Holly is usually flexible enough to bend to a reasonable radius (as shown) without heat or wetting. Wetting is usually avoided as the water swells the holly making it difficult or impossible to fit into the routed channel. Using dry heat (heat gun or hot pipe) is the recommended method to bend holly to a small radius. As holly is very flexible, it is possible to bend it on a hot pipe to a radius of less than an inch!
Sapele keepsake box with 1/16 Ebony stringing. Do not attempt to bend ebony as it is very brittle and will snap, even on a large radius. Straight-line inlays are the best for ebony.
Peruvian walnut Celleret (Portable bar). With 1mm (.040") holly stringing. Federal period furniture is typically done with a narrower string. This is .040" or 1mm (vs .062 which is 1/16").
Walnut Box with 1mm (.040") holly stringing
Sapele Jewelry Box with 1/16 holly stringing
Walnut table top with 1/16 holly stringing.
Walnut keepsake box with 1/16 Holly stringing.
