Inlaying Using Tempera Paint For Outline

[guitar2005]

I've been looking at different ways to trace the inlay outlines onto wood before routing them out. So far, I've experimented with a sharp pencil & scribe mark but as most of you already know, the lines can be difficult to see using that method.

In the pearl inlay techniques book, the author suggests using yellow tempera paint. I'm a little worried that the paint won't clean off. I'm inlaying in Cocobolo and there are some pores (as with rosewood) in the wood that I'm worried will get filled with paint.

would anyone here that has used the tempera technique care to comment on how well this works?

Thanks

[thegarehanman]

I use that technique on darker woods. It works well if you use an exacto knife or something equally pointy to scribe the inlay afterwards. It's certainly easier to see on darker woods than pencil. As for whether or not it will fill the pores, I don't know. You could always test on scrap.

peace,

russ

[GGW]

I don't have a lot of experience with this, but I read a book that suggested rubbing chalk across the etched lines. I used this method on my MOP inlay on ebony and it worked real well. Easy to see and easy to remove.

[Mattia]

honestly, I just glue a paper outline of the stuff I'm inlaying (copy of my pattern) in place, and route through that.

[johnsilver]

Works great on ebony. I just sand off the excess after the inlay is in. Can't comment on cocobolo but testing on scrap as Russ said will determine that.

yellow tempera paint after scribing around inlay

finished inlay after sanding and finishing