Hey fellow crafters,
You've seen the finished photos. The deep green stone flush against the wood, the resin surface perfectly level, no gaps, no air bubbles. It looks precise. Controlled. Like something that went exactly to plan.
You voted to keep the malachite art panel as wall art. So be it. Last touch-ups are underway and it will be posted for sale on the Guild site shortly. And since the piece is done - I put together a 2-part guide series on exactly how to make it. Part 1, malachite inlays in oak, is available for you in this issue.
Today's Lineup:
1. This Week's Insight:
Malachite Inlays in Oak
Most resin inlay guides show you how to pour colored epoxy into a routed channel. That works. It also looks like colored epoxy in a routed channel. This guide is about inlaying real crushed malachite - stone that has its own banding, its own natural variation, its own texture - locked in place with transparent resin and sanded flush with the oak surface. The result looks like it belongs in the wood rather than sitting on top of it.
Continue reading below - here's the short version for now:
Key takeaways:
Particle size is not cosmetic - 0.5-3mm is the working range for routed channels. Finer than 0.5mm behaves like pigment dust and loses the natural banding. Coarser than 3mm won't pack cleanly or sand flush without proud edges. Decide before you order.
Route at 2-3mm depth with a V-bit - the tapered channel profile locks the stone in place rather than letting it sit loose. After routing, blow every channel clean before placing stone. Debris left in the channel clouds the cured epoxy.
Place stones largest first, then fill with finer material - pressing too hard shifts what you've already positioned. The stone will sit proud of the surface. That's correct - you'll sand it flush later.
Use low-viscosity clear epoxy for the fix - it wicks between stone particles and fills voids from the bottom up. Apply conservatively: overfill onto the surrounding oak face sands off cleanly but costs you time. One thin application, check for voids after cure, add a drop of CA glue to any pinholes.
No router sled or hand plane over the inlay - malachite destroys bits immediately. This is why the board must be flat before routing. The sanding sequence does the work: start at 80 grit to bring stone level, then run through 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 800. The stone and epoxy sand alongside the oak without issue.
Hard wax oil finishes over everything in one pass - stone and oak together. Two coats, buff lightly between them.
My take: Freehand routing can be shaky at first - the Dremel wants to drift and your hand isn't used to the resistance yet. It gets better with practice. Route a few test channels on offcut oak before you touch your best board - by the time you move to the real piece, your hand is steadier and you've already learned where the bit wants to wander.
📖 Continue reading: How to Make a Malachite Stone Inlays in Oak: Complete Guide (2026 Edition)
2. Project Inspiration:
Boxes by Danny
I came across Danny's work while researching makers who combine wood and stone inlay at a serious level. He's based in Texas, sells on Etsy, and makes hand-carved wooden keepsake boxes that sit at a different standard from most of what you see in this space.
What stops you when you look at his pieces is the surface work. Each box is carved, not just cut - the details are worked by hand, and the wood grain is a deliberate part of the design, not something that happens by accident. The "Dark Arches" and "Death Eater" pieces on his site show what's possible when you treat the wood as the primary material and everything else as a complement to it.
Designer's perspective: Danny's boxes work because nothing competes with the wood. The carving enhances the grain rather than covering it. That restraint is harder to pull off than it looks - and it's the same principle that makes stone inlays work when they're done right. The inlay zone is the accent. The wood is still the piece.
Worth a look: boxesbydanny.com and the YouTube channel for build videos.
3. Materials & Tools Spotlight:
What You Actually Need to Sand Stone and Epoxy Safely
When I started sanding epoxy I wore whatever dust mask was in the workshop. It took a while before I looked properly into what the dust actually does - and once I did, the basic mask went in the bin.
Malachite contains copper carbonate. Epoxy dust is a sensitizer - once your body develops a reaction to it, that reaction doesn't go away. Both are hazardous when sanded. A basic mask won't cut it.
What I use: 3M Half Mask series 4000+ with integrated filters for organics and particles. One unit covers both organic vapors and fine particles - resin fumes during mixing and stone or epoxy dust during sanding. (Affiliate link for comparable product on Amazon - small commission at no cost to you.)
Run dust extraction at the sanding stage alongside it. Wet sanding for the fine grits further reduces airborne particles and is worth doing for finish quality anyway - so it's not extra work, just good practice.
Bottom line: this applies to every sanding session in a resin workshop, not just malachite builds. If you're not wearing it already, now is the time.
4. Support the Guild:
Patreon is Live
The newsletter is free and I intend to keep it that way. But as the Guild grows, the costs of keeping it running - newsletter platform, domain, tools - are no longer just my time. They add up.
If you find what I share here valuable and want to support the effort, I've set up a Patreon. I'll be honest — I felt uncomfortable just asking for plain backing with nothing in return. So I spent a long time thinking about how to make this a genuine win-win. Here's what I landed on:
🥉 Bronze Guild Patron - You believe the newsletter is worth keeping alive and you have decided to put something behind that. Every contribution goes directly into making sure it stays independent, honest, and keeps growing. That means much more than it sounds.
🥈 Silver Guild Patron - Several of you have asked about a resin crafting book. I'm working on a Complete Guide to Resin Crafting — everything I've learned through my years of crafting with resin, assessed and put together in one place. Projected completion January 2027. Every Silver supporter and above receives the digital version for free.
🥇 Gold Guild Patron - Everything above, plus a monthly lottery in the first week of every month. One of my handcrafted resin pieces - charcuterie boards, end-grain cutting boards, trays, boxes, art pieces - goes to a Gold supporter drawn at random every month.
A unique piece from my workshop can be yours. The piece for the June draw is an end-grain oak cutting board with a Resin Craft Guild badge inlay - I'm working on it right now.
💎 Platinum Guild Patron - Everything above, plus a dedicated 30-minute 1:1 video call every month. Your project, your problem, your workshop setup - we go through it together and find the fix. Direct access within the world of epoxy and wood.
If this feels like a fit, the door is open.
5. Save with the Guild
A couple of deals from partners where you can save on colorants and materials for your next pour.
Artline Resin - EU-based, covers the full range from jewelry and thin castings to deep pour wood projects. Food-safe resin, free EU shipping from €150, two pigments included with resin orders. Use code ResinCraftGuild for 10% off your entire order.
Eye Candy Pigments - mica powders, pigment pastes, colorshift and specialty pigments. Wide color range, ships worldwide, sample sets available. Use code resincraftguild for 10% off your entire order.
Resiners - resin, colorants, vacuum and bubble machines, silicone molds, starter kits. Use code ResinCraftGuild15 for 15% off your entire order.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend trusted products relevant to the topic.
6. Shape the Guild
Last issue I asked you to vote: wall art or small table for the malachite oak piece?
You voted wall art and I keep my word. So wall art it stays - and honestly, looking at it now, I think you're right. The glass-polished surface reads better vertically where it catches light at an angle. A table would have required sanding it back anyway. Consider this one decided.
The malachite inlays guide is live now. Next week: the vein art panel - a different technique, a different challenge, and a result that surprised me more than the inlays did. Full guide dropping with the issue.
This week's question:
What's your biggest struggle with resin coloring right now?
7. Free 1:1 Session: 3 Slots Available
In the future only Platinum Guild Patron tier includes a monthly 1:1 call option. Before I open that up properly, I want to make sure it delivers real value from day one - and the best way to do that is to actually run a few sessions first.
So here's what I'm offering: 3 free 30-minute video slots, drawn at random from everyone who replies to this email within 48 hours of it landing in your inbox. Tell me what you're struggling with: your project, your problem, your workshop setup - and you're in the draw. I'll pick 3, reach out directly, and we'll sort a time.
I'm not a native English speaker, although I like to believe my English is decent enough. If that's your situation too, don't let it stop you.
Hit reply with your resin struggle and you're in the draw. The more specific, the better.
Petr Resin Craft Guild
www.resincraftguild.com
P.S. The mask section above is not filler. If you're sanding epoxy or stone without one, that's the section to read.