Inlay help.. concealing gaps

[dmwechs]

This is my first attempt at inlay using the router. Of course i picked a pretty tricky(aka small) pattern to inlay. This is going to be a picture frame with the Chinese characters for Happiness. This isn't the final product, simply a prototype and practice piece for me to get the technique down. Its walnut with a maple inlay.

My question, would i be able to use the grain filling strategy that Marc described in his refinishing video? danish oil and then sand? would doing that now with the maple already inlaid also stain the maple?

Anyhow thanks guys...

[dmwechs]

here is an other look...

[b33tl3]

I have used sawdust and wood glue to do fill them in the past it works well.

[PaulMarcel]

Based on what I learned from my friend who does ridiculous amounts of inlay, I'd spray it with shellac from a rattle-can (though for shellac, it doesn't rattle ) then fill the holes with Famowood Walnut. The shellac allows you to wipe off the excess without wiping it into the Maple or filling more pores than necessary. If you don't want to use Famowood, use Lamar's suggestion of sawdust with glue, but keep the shellac for the same cross-contamination issues. I'd use hide glue.

[duckkisser]

nice trick ill have to remember that. shellac then filler ok i just dont like shellac it dries to fast for me almost as fast as i wipe it on.