Solder Inlay

[verhoevenc]

A thought popped into my head about how to do a "layman's inlay". Would it work if you just dremelled out your inlay design... then just filled it with solder and then filed/sanded it down to a flat level with the frets?

Cause that'd be a pretty frickin' easy way to do inlays, and you'd get a cool metalic effect to them...

Chris

[stageleft]

The problem I can see with that is how would it wear. It would probably scratch and pit badly, not to mention tarnish in a heartbeat.

George

[marksound]

I haven't been around long, but I've seen this come up at least once in the last six months. Try a search and you'll probably find your answer.

[silvertonessuckbutigotone]

theres a tutorial about it on the main site. I think it would be best for small side dots.

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/metinlay.htm

Edited July 5, 2005 by silvertonessuckbutigotone

[frank falbo]

You should cup your hand and put it in your palm first so you can more accurately drop it into place. You know, like some people do with salt.

Or better yet, smooth it over with your fingers right after it drips in there so you have less levelling to do.

I can't imagine the solder staying put for very long. You'd have to follow it up with superglue around it. The tutorial says the soldering iron shouldn't damage the wood. Mine will burn wood. The reason it doesn't burn the wood when its on the frets is because they are a heat sink. They never reach the full temperature of the iron.

For side dots I'd say it's much easier to use silver or steel rod than solder.

[Mr Alex]

Don't bother, the solder just balls up all the time, maybe use it to fill gaps around metal inlays, but I tried to do my initials and it was about 4 metres before I got a close to satisfactory result(only because the ball was so big it covered the entire cavity!) I gave up filing it when I ran out of grinder bits for my dremel.

[Primal]

Use plumbing solder. It doesn't have lead in it, so it stays shiny. Also, its not great for very large or intricate inlays. I would keep the inlay under 1"x1". Any larger and you won't be able to melt it and get it in the cavity fast enough.

Since plumbing solder has no lead in it, it is much harder than solder used for electrical devices. The only bad part is you HAVE to use a torch to melt it.

I would recommend a small drop of epoxy under the inlay, but it would probably be fine with out it. On my practice pieces (5"x7" pieces of walnut), I have to bang them on a piece of wood just to get the inlay out. They would stay put very well, IMHO. I also believe that plumbing solder is just as, if not more, durable than MOP or abalone inlays.

[Myka Guitars]

Learn to do inaly and quit wasting time.

[westhemann]

Learn to do inaly and quit wasting time.

←

i agree...i am just now going to try to do my first inlay on my next guitar...but i would never think of trying to short cut it...

and i am jumping in with both feet too...this one is going to be complex.

[Clavin]

Well Myka once again your wisdom comes through

There is a big difference between breaking new ground, and just trying to shortcut the proper methods to do things easier and fatser.

Many new guys here are out to do something easy and seemingly original, when in reality it's just substandard methods to attempt to "fake" an inlay.

I am not bashing creativity, or trying out new things, but any routing and filling with liquid is not inlay. It's hole filling.

Learn inlay the right way, then start breaking ground. There is new ground to break. It's not easy, but real creativity with methods never is.

Keep on trying!

Craig L

[Primal]

Well Myka once again your wisdom comes through   

There is a big difference between breaking new ground, and just trying to shortcut the proper methods to do things easier and fatser.

Many new guys here are out to do something easy and seemingly original, when in reality it's just substandard methods to attempt to "fake" an inlay.

I am not bashing creativity, or trying out new things, but any routing and filling with liquid is not inlay. It's hole filling.

Learn inlay the right way, then start breaking ground. There is new ground to break. It's not easy, but real creativity with methods never is.

Keep on trying! 

Craig L

←

What originally prompted me to experiment with using solder as inlay material was I was wanting metal inlays. It wasn't about being lazy. Besides, in a way you have to be pretty good at routing out the cavity for the inlay. With solder, there are no gaps you can fill with epoxy to cover up mistakes. You melt the solder and it conforms to the shape of the cavity.