Of course there are times and places where the sameness and rigidity of angular patterns are tedious, and the eye and hand, fatigued by it, desire a change into something more graceful and harmonious in effect. The smaller the pattern, the more tedious, irksome, and expensive the goods. To avoid delay is one object of the workman, but to obtain perfection is the chief. In order to do this, we must have some plan or some tool to multiply the same shape with great rapidity and regularity.

In fine workmanship, or rather in small pieces, it would be impossible to cut out any great number with the certainty of their being at all similar; some would be large, some small, and all different. Let us imagine that it is desired to inlay a laurel wreath, or a garland of stars in an elliptic pattern about the edge of a box cover, as in Fig. 70. It will be seen that to cut each one in with a chisel would be an endless task. I therefore propose to do it much quicker than it can be done by other plan, and that is by a stamp. I make a steel stamp, or punch, of the exact size of the pattern I wish to let in the box, and am careful to have it bevel inwards, from the edges toward the top, as in Fig. 71, not only to avoid breaking down the edges, but to make a clean, sharp impression in the wood. It is necessary to cut in pretty deep, for, with all your care, you cannot avoid breaking the edge to some extent, and it can only be practised on any solid, sound wood, not veneered. Except for large patterns, I do not put veneers in these incisions, or stamp markings, as I could not cut them out so small, as the pattern shows in the engraving, but I either make a cement of white lead, and push that into the holes, or, using the same stamp I cut in the pattern in the wood with, I cut pieces out of thin sheet German silver, and push them in with great ease. If I use silver, I am careful to cut in below the surface of the cover on the box, so that I can put the cover in the lathe again, and refinish the top so as to be flush with the silver. In this way I get a true, uniform, and even pattern, which looks as if it had grown in its place; for grace and elegance of appearance, it cannot be surpassed. Where it is absolutely necessary to use a chisel and cutting tool to inlay with, I still make stamps, even so large as half an inch superficial area, for they are soon cut out, and serve to mark the outlines for the chisel, so that it is easier to cut the pattern by their aid.

In straight lines, or even in letting in circles, parts of circles, ellipses, in fact, any curved or angular work with veneers, I invariably cut the pattern out before laying it on the box, and then fit the other colored pieces in the spaces left. Very many veneers cannot be handled at all when dry, without breaking all to pieces and spoiling the pattern. It will be necessary to soak ebony, for instance, for some time before you want to use it. With this precaution, you can cut it in any shape without danger. It is the same with maple veneer. When I have cut out an intricate pattern in ebony, and wish to inlay the same with holly, I obtain an exact duplicate of the shape the holly should have, by placing it, wet, over the ebony, holding it firmly, so that it cannot slip, and then rapping the holly with the end of a tool handle. In this way a fac simile of the pattern is transferred in wet lines to the holly, and you have only to follow them over with a lead pencil to get a perfect shape. Then take a sharp square-ended knife, and laying the veneer on a hard surface, cut slowly and carefully all round the marks, and after a few incisions, you will have the satisfaction of seeing it come out perfect.