Butterfly Inlay Template

Butterfly inlays add a distinctively structural sign of craftsmanship to flat surfaces like table tops and cabinet sides. The Woodpecker Butterfly Inlay Template has (7) seven different butterflies sized for projects from small jewelry boxes up to dining tables.

Woodpecker Butterfly Inlay Templates are machined from ¼” thick industrial grade phenolic. Unlike acrylic and other plastics, phenolic is not prone to distortion during hot or cold weather, won't wear even after hundreds of uses and is virtually indestructible. The template is approximately 16” x 16”.

What exactly is an inlay template? Quite simply, it's a pattern for routing a recess into one board and an opposite piece to fit into the recess. A professional looking inlay should fit well without gaps and not so tight to fracture when being glued in.

Most inlays are rather thin, like 1/8” to 1/4” in thickness. It's even possible to inlay very thin veneers.

With a little practice, you can master this process and make your woodworking project quite unique.

A well made template is the foundation to this process. Templates need to be accurately machined, dense enough to not dimple from the side pressure of the routing process, durable enough to last and large enough for sufficient surface area to stabilize a handheld router.

There are a few ways to attach templates to a work piece; double sided tape, small nails and clamps. Tape is the preferred method. Commonly available double sided tape like carpet tape will work, but tends to leave behind adhesive that is difficult to clean off.

Special template tape has excellent temporary grabbing power, releases easy enough to avoid cracking thin inlays and doesn't leave behind sticky residue. However it is expensive. After the sticker shock, keep in mind a roll will go a long way. You won't need more than 6” to 12” for each job.

As a side note, if the inlays are thin, warm the tape with a blow dryer before removing. This makes it dramatically easier to remove from the work piece without splitting.

If you're planning on using nails, use small ones. You will need to drill small holes through the template. These holes shouldn't be much bigger than the nail and should be chamfered to put the head below the surface.

When routing out the actual inlay from thin wood, nails rarely work because they tend to split the material. This is where template tape pays for itself. However you can also use clamps as an alternative.