1/8" Wide Abalam Strips

[j. pierce]

I'm looking to do the same "open block" inlays I did on my matching builds a while back.

The biggest hassle with that setup (besides all the mitre joints on each inlay) was that the natural pearl strips I used weren't quite all the same thickness. It meant having to sand some of them down along their long edges to get them uniform, and make them fit.

I'm thinking that abalam, since it's usually cut on a CNC (correct?) would be more likely to be all the same thickness. Which is nice, because it lets me route the fretboard for the inlays with a jig, with the width of the bit being the same as the pearl, and everything fitting.

Thing is, I'm looking for 1/8" wide straight strips, which I guess aren't quite a normal size (a bit large for purfling) and I'm not having any luck finding them.

Anyone got any leads on this?

[Woodenspoke]

I'm looking to do the same "open block" inlays I did on my matching builds a while back.

The biggest hassle with that setup (besides all the mitre joints on each inlay) was that the natural pearl strips I used weren't quite all the same thickness. It meant having to sand some of them down along their long edges to get them uniform, and make them fit.

I'm thinking that abalam, since it's usually cut on a CNC (correct?) would be more likely to be all the same thickness. Which is nice, because it lets me route the fretboard for the inlays with a jig, with the width of the bit being the same as the pearl, and everything fitting.

Thing is, I'm looking for 1/8" wide straight strips, which I guess aren't quite a normal size (a bit large for purfling) and I'm not having any luck finding them.

Anyone got any leads on this?

Zip Flex strips are sold by LMI. Grizzly also sells Abalam strips as does Duke of Pearl just to name a few. If you do a google search, tons of suppliers.

One note when using the full cut shell you do have to anticipate variations in height. In this case it would be to cut the channel slightly short of full depth and flush the material after the fact. The zip Flex may be more expensive than standard shell or abalam strips.

Good luck

[j. pierce]

Yeah, I had seen most of those suppliers - finding strips isn't the hard part, it's finding someone who sells 1/8" thick strips as a regular catalog item. That's a bit wide for most purfling applications, which is why I assume I'm not finding it. I'm sure I could cut sheets to the proper size strips, but I'm hoping to find a supplier that carries that width stock, or would accurately cut me up those strips to size. (Monday I'll be contacting a few places to see if they can do that for me - I assume anywhere that's CNC straight purfling strips out of abalam sheets can most likely do something imple like this, the question is how much will it cost.)

I do have an idea for a jig to help me size the small cut shell purfling pieces I have to a consistent width, so may just go that route after all...

[Woodenspoke]

DePaule sells 1/8" strips. For a fretboard I think Abalam is the wrong material. I was looking for abalam untill I finally checked out your pictures. Nice work.

Here is a link will save you lots of time and effort.

Strips 1/8"

[j. pierce]

Yeah, Depaule was where I purchased the pre cut shell from for the two builds in the last picture. I think I'll go back to that again - on your advice, and what I'm reading elsewhere, I don't think Abalam is the material I want to use.

thanks!

[MiKro]

DePaule sells 1/8" strips. For a fretboard I think Abalam is the wrong material. I was looking for abalam untill I finally checked out your pictures. Nice work.

Here is a link will save you lots of time and effort.

Strips 1/8"

+ 1

on DePaul. That would be my suggestion as well

MK