Hongbo Zhao Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 I have read this article in the site http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/metinlay.htm But when I try to do it follow the instruction,the solder doesn't stick to the wood at all，and the solaring iron does damage the wood! what's the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 My view is, that tutorial was written before the guy actually tried it out. I can assure you, ive tried it, and IT DOESNT WORK. Why? Well, the solder is soo hot, the resins in the wood come out, which effectively stops the solder from sticking. The wood also cools the solder too quickly, so i doesnt get into the corners. If someone HAS done it successfully, id like to see proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cSuttle Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Just inlay with sheets of metal and a jeweler's saw. That should be easier than what you're trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 humm.. I've never seen that tutorial and I thought I read everything.. lol Interesting concept, but does it actually work? I'd take Perry's experience as a no, and I do trust his experience. Although I've never tried it myself, I just don't see how it could work very well. I'd rather use sheet of metal, like cSuttle suggested, and cut the inlays like you would shell. I know some guitar builders will use brass, and if it was clearcoated over wouldn't tarnish. While we are on the subject of inlays. The paua purfling that some guitar builders use is way expensive to buy. I'm sure they have ways to buy a big sheet of this and cut it out to whatever size they want. The only thing I have is a bandsaw that could possibly do something like that, but I'm scared to buy a sheet of it and find out I can't cut it into small strips. Anyone have experience in cutting purfling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledzendrix1128 Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Yeah i tried that on a scrap piece of pine luckily before i did it on a guitar. I burned the pine trying to heat the wood up and drip in solder before it cooled too much, it seems like i tried everything to get that solder to mold, but it just wouldnt work...maybe we're all just missing a curcial step? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 While we are on the subject of inlays. The paua purfling that some guitar builders use is way expensive to buy. I'm sure they have ways to buy a big sheet of this and cut it out to whatever size they want. The only thing I have is a bandsaw that could possibly do something like that, but I'm scared to buy a sheet of it and find out I can't cut it into small strips. Anyone have experience in cutting purfling? ← I don't, but I've seen several little jigs people have made to do it. Most of them basically amount to a dremel, firmly mounted sideways, with a little cutoff wheel, creating a kind of micro-table saw, if that makes any sense. You'd probably want to create something to catch the pieces once they're cut clear through. A bandsaw seems like it would be extraordinarily wasteful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 cut off wheel in a drill press, set to its fastest speed. Make up a fence, and a jig, and start cutting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 The only person I've seen show a picture of doing that is from Thorn's site. Cutting Paua Purling Picture I don't have a cnc machine, so.. I guess I'll have to devise something that will get the same results. The way he does it looks to be as wasteful as using a bandsaw, but probably way more safer. The cutoff wheel idea is a good one, might have to try that. The reason I want to cut my own is because if you price it out, it way cheaper this way, than buying them already cut into strips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Do you guys have any pictures of your setup to do this? I think the standard size is .063" wide right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 What's the best place to buy the sheets of Paua from? Grizzly seems to have some good prices. Also, what kinds of material do you guys like to use besides shell to make a vine? I'm thinking brass would tarnish too quick, but I've seen Driskill use brass for headstocks, which of course was clearcoated though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Inspired by Perry, I've used silver wire (that GOTM entry). Works a charm. Yes, it'll tarnish at some point, but a good clean, and a polish with a q-tip should solve that pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Inspired by Perry, I've used silver wire (that GOTM entry). Works a charm. Yes, it'll tarnish at some point, but a good clean, and a polish with a q-tip should solve that pretty quick. ← Yeah I've heard of people doing that before. Very interesting. Any kind of special silver wire? Where did you get yours? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Plain 'ol pure silver, non-sterling, and square wire. I used 1.5mm for the wider stuff, and 1mm (very tiny) for the thinner stems. I got mine from cookson gold in the UK, but really, and jewellery/crafts supply place should carry it. Basically rout the channel for it, fit the wire into it (may need a bit of bending with pliers), wick in some superglue, then fill the gaps, voila. It's incredibly easy compared to doing a shell vine, and it looks very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted November 5, 2005 Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 Hmm, ... I wonder if it would work with dental amalgam? Anybody got a relative who's a dentist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hongbo Zhao Posted November 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Hmm, ... I wonder if it would work with dental amalgam? Anybody got a relative who's a dentist? ← My mum is a dentist I'll visit her office next week, and maybe I can post a report then well, my English is....terrible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phont24 Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Sorta going back to these metalic inlay idea, I've seen someone take strips of silver placing them on a sheet of mica and then using a butane blow torch to melt them. The cohesion of the liquiefied silver turns them into little balls with a flat bottom once they cool. You could probably inlay these and file them flat, but it still seems like more work than just using a punch on a sheet of metal and inlaying that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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