Inlaying is an expensive method of ornamenting furniture with fancy woods, metals, shells, etc, and if not well executed is unsightly and liable to frequent breakage. It is of great antiquity, and was brought to great perfection about the 16th century; it was revived about the end of the 17th century, in France, but met with little encouragement, though practised by some eminent artists amongst the most famous for the excellence and extent of his works was one Boalle, or Buhl, from whence we take the name of Buhl-work. It has been much in use in England during the last twenty years, to form ornamental borders, chess tables, etc.

In this art the part for the ornament, and that for the ground, are glued together, and the design being drawn upon one, both are at once cut through by a very fine-species of bow-saw. Thus, there are four parts obtained, which, being put together in two, the one is the ornament designed in its proper ground; and the remainder of the ground, combined with the remainder of the ornament, gives another pattern called the reverse.

The plates of brass or other metal should be of the usual thickness of a veneer, or as thin as can be conveniently worked, and made rough on both sides with a coarse file, or toothing plane. The veneers of wood or other matter to be combined with them should also be toothed; and, both the plates and veneers being warmed, first pass a coat of glue over one of the metal plates and cover it with a thin sheet of paper, then coat the paper with glue, and cover it with the veneer. Place them between two smooth and even boards, and let them be kept together either by a screw-press, or by hand-screws, and remain till dry; they will then be found to adhere together with sufficient firmness for cutting to the pattern.

The pattern should be drawn on the veneer, or if, from the colour, it should not be sufficiently distinct, a piece (f paper may be pasted on the veneer, and after it is dry the design may be drawn upon it. The lines of the pattern should be cut with a bow-saw, having a very thin and narrow blade; such a saw may be made of part of a watch-spring, and the bow, or the stretcher, of the saw, is required to be at such a distance from the blade as will admit the latter to turn and follow the lines of the pattern in any direction. The frame of the saw should be as light as possible. Where the pattern does not in anyplace approach the edge, a small hole must be made for inserting the saw; and it is usual to saw upwards, that mode of sawing rendering it more easy to follow the lines correctly. When the whole of the pattern is cut out, the veneer or shell may he separated from the metal by exposing them to steam, or to warm water.

The next object is to join the parts so as to produce two complete ornaments; the one composed of veneer inlaid with metal, the other of metal inlaid with veneer. For this purpose, on a plain surface, place a piece of paper of sufficient size, and the veneer upon it, then with strong glue insert the metal-part in the veneer, and rub it well down with the veneering-hammer and glue; next, cover the whole with another piece of paper, and place it between two plain boards, which had been previously well warmed and rubbed with tallow, and screw or press them together. If this be properly done, the work will separate from the boards when dry ; and, the paper being removed, it may be laid in its place as a veneer; but a caul is usually employed in preference to the hammer. The reverse pattern, it is obvious, should be prepared for laying in the same manner.

The process is the same whether metal and wood, or metal and tortoiseshell, or two woods of different colours be used.