Veritas String Inlay Tool System with Compass Center

Veritas string inlay tool system, the basic system combined with the compass center.

Used much like a marking gauge, this inlay tool lets you accurately cut narrow grooves in a workpiece as well as neatly slice fine strings from a sheet of veneer. Its interchangeable blade system lets you quickly swap blades to suit the task.

The hook-shaped blade is designed to cut grooves. Used in a sweeping push-pull motion, it has outlining spurs on one side to score the groove edges and a cutting edge on the other to remove material, leaving a very clean, defined groove with no tear-out.

To slice strings of consistent width, the bevel-edged, spear-point blade cuts in either direction. The blades can be offset up to 3-1/4" from the brass fence (or up to 9-1/4" with the optional 10" guide rods). Posts projecting from the fence let you pivot the blade into the work when starting a cut and limit the cut depth; they can be removed to attach a custom radiused wooden sub-fence for curved-edge workpieces.

Replacing the cutter head with the pencil holder lets you draw a design exactly as it will be cut, giving a line to follow and a dry run of the design. The compass center, used in lieu of the fence, lets the cutter head or pencil holder make circles and arcs with radii from 3/4" to 3-3/4" (up to 9-3/4" with the 10" rods). A pin awl (sold separately) makes it easy to mark the centre.

The basic system includes the cutter head, a brass-faced fence and two blades: a 0.032" groove blade and a slicing blade. An additional cutter head, 0.025", 0.040" and 0.062" groove blades and 10" steel guide rods are available separately. All blades are spring steel hardened to Rc45-50 and double ended, so they can be flipped when one edge dulls. Made in Canada.