New To Inlay

[zeppelinchld]

i just got a new dremel, and i was wondering how to get started w/ inlays.

[pmarlin]

Get the router base and the downcut bits from stew mac. I used the dremel router base and it woked fine

[Acousticraft]

Practice on some offcuts before starting on your dream guitar to get the feel for it and to save costly stuff ups. Once you are confident then go for it. Mark out some shapes with a sharp pencil and see how accurately you can shape them.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Acousticraft

[zeppelinchld]

thanks guys for the feedback. im short on $$$ right now so is there any cheap material i can get to practice w/ or even use on my guitar later on. i think i saw some acrylic sheets in the tutorial page??????

[Unrealize]

Just get some scrap wood to get a little experience.

Another thing, I don't know what kind of material you are going to inlay, but whatever you choose, get more than you think you need.

In the start (I'm there myself) it is very likely that you will do some cuts that are gonna annoy you, and you'd want to do it over.

I thought I had what I needed, but after a little while, I had to go back to get more, which also cost me more in shipping and taxes...

[Sambo]

Scrap wood for base as mentioned before. You can get perloid acrylic from various places that is pretty cheap. Otherwise epoxy with stuff thrown in makes a nice cheap inlay material and you get no gaps round the edge

S

[Batfink]

Inlay is basically making a cavity in a material to fit in an object to the same height (not the best explanation in the world but you get my drift) - take a look around the house, coins, washers, old bits of jewellery, scraps of metal, wood or whatever, it's all good practice and the whole technique soon becomes quite clear.

As for tools - take a look at Setch's (or could be Sambo's) home made router base if you're short of money or get the Stew Mac one if you're feeling a bit flush (don't get the Dremel one, it's not really that well made). For router bits i know a lot of people use, as i do, downcut bits designed for PCB (printed circuit board) work or ask your dentist for some of his 'blunt' bits as these are more than sharp enough for cutting wood. Apart from that the only other essential is a jewellers piercing saw and these can be had for $10-15 from jewellers suppliers or probably your local continents Ebay.

Larry Robinsons 'Art of Inlay' is a nice book to have as an inclusive starting point or Grit Laskin's 'Guitar makers canvas' if you really want to dedicate your life to inlay (take a peek inside and you'll see what i mean !)

Jem.

[Liquid]

I would like to use mother of pearl inlays to spell out a word on the fretboard or something fancy like that, anyone know where i can get some?

[Unrealize]

Well, you can get pearl from Stew Mac, and probably tons of other places (probably cheaper too), but I got mine from Stew Mac, and they were fine by me..

[cSuttle]

I would like to use mother of pearl inlays to spell out a word on the fretboard or something fancy like that, anyone know where i can get some?

Try Rescue Pearl (www.rescuepearl.com). Fair prices and good service. Definately better prices than stew mac

[GoodWood]

I would like to use mother of pearl inlays to spell out a word on the fretboard or something fancy like that, anyone know where i can get some?

Try Rescue Pearl (www.rescuepearl.com). Fair prices and good service. Definately better prices than stew mac

Wear a GOOD dustmask/respirator when cutting pearl, or wood! Or you be sorry!