: I'm thinking S&G method. It is hard to inlay without weakening the wood.
: Besides I have to get it done and get out of the garage before my wife
: throw it out cause' it block her way to the dryer.

It is not inlay, so it won't weaken anything. Call it "outlay" instead. You just use thin veneers to make an image. Most have an adhesive on one side, and stick in place. It is a bit like making a jigsaw puzzle. Some gentle sanding (even by hand) will blend the edges of the outside of the thin veneer image so it appears to blend into the flat plywood panels. The illusion is even better if you put a piece of glass cloth (with resin) over the area. The relatively thick resin coating further disguises the differences in thickness.

If ou check the local hardware store or home center you may be able to find some "banding" veneers that are typically used for disguising the edges of 3/4 inch plywood. These strips are available in relatively inexpensive rolls of 8 or 10 feet and are a bit wider than 3/4 inches. If you cut a 10 foot strip into a dozen 10 inch lengths you would be able to make a rectangle 10 inches long, and about 9 inches wide (12 times 3/4 inches) Some of these strips are coated with a heat activated glue, and you use a clothes iron to attach them. read the instructions. Get a light and a dark strip and use them to make your designs.

You can cheaply layout your designs using strips of paper that you cut to the same width as your veneer strips. Use a straight edge and a sharp utility knife or X-acto knife to trim the paper if you don't have a paper cutter. Rubber cement dabbed sparingly on the back will hold the pieces in place and amke it easy to remove them so they can be used as patterns for cutting the veneer -- which is also done with a sharp utility knife or an X-acto knife. If you cut the veneer with light pressure, going over the cut several times, rather than trying to force your way through it with a single cut, you'll get a nice sharp edge with little splintering.

Build up wide areas by laying strips of this thin material alongside each other. It gives a strip-built look if you flip the pieces so the grain runs at a different angle on alternate pieces. You can experiment with stains on these strips, too. You won't be heavily sanding them, so even stains that barely soak in will still be effective, and the nature of the wood being in strips means that you will get a crisp edge. Just butt a stained piece next to an unstained one. If you want to do a very large area, you can usually find the same type of veneer material available in 12 inch or 24 inch widths -- obviously at a higher cost. These are frequently sold for refinishing kitchen cabinets, and countertops or table tops, so if you can't find them in the lumber area of the homecenters, check other areas.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson