Be really careful cutting with scissors, sometimes even the best scissors cand leave a bent edge, the saw its the best tool, you can find them for cheap enough and even used.
If you are in a jewellery store dont get the thinnest blades they have you wont need those for inlay work and they would break too easy, when you cut use the whole blade, long vertical strokes.
Thinking about it if the metal surface is big could be worth to roughen it up to have a better epoxy adhesion, in jewellery there are various ways to do that when enamels have to be used on the piece (like those enamel covered gold eggs trendy in the old days) you can use the appropriate engraver to carve waves or lines in various patterns, or another way is to use a diamond bit to give a sateen look to the metal surface.
If you had the possibility a mokume work could make your eagle seem real.

: Wow!!! Love the tips you guys gave. Copper wire I didn't think of. I have a
: couple ideas I want to try. One is a design like Dave has on the side of
: his bow. I'll certainly check into the wire for that. My other idea is to
: do a bald eagle. Using copper from sheet material for the back feathers. I
: took a guess on what thickness to use and got a sheet .010" thick.
: Brass for beak and feet and something for white. Steve's tip of Inlace I
: like. They have a White Pearl that might look great for the head and tail
: feathers. Just shot off an email to get some Inlace.

: I plan to use my Dremel with a router attachment. They say the .010 can be
: cut with scissors. If not I'll have to take the advice and get a saw. You
: guys are masters. Thanks for the help.

: Kim