Inlay Epoxy

[chops1983]

Hey guys,

Ive done a search but to no avail. Im just wondering what type and brand of epoxy do you use for gluing and filling shell inlays? I have Selleys super strength 2 part epoxy and came up with good results in a headstock im inlaying, but now need to glue shell into a ebony fretboard. By filling i mean for engraving etc. Ive read you just mix ebony dust into the epoxy to turn it black.

What about coloured epoxy like reds, blues? Can you mix dye into the epoxy?

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Chad.

P.S Here is the headstock.

And the fretboard inlays.

[Woodenspoke]

Its not structural so it does not matter what brand. Lots of people use a clear epoxy with a black or colored powder to match. Also Ca or crazy glue is another option as it can be added after the inlay is set into the wood. I have used both with equal success.

[chops1983]

Thanks spoke. Do you know what the coloured powder is called or is it just chalk?

[Woodenspoke]

Thanks spoke. Do you know what the colored powder is called or is it just chalk?

I have a small black container from Stumac shown here http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supp...ler_Colors.html

Also I purchased a box of earth pigments from Lee Valley who no longer sells the stuff. came with almost a dozen colors which I can mix and match to my liking.

First a small amount will go a long way, a loooong way.

Here is another site to get you looking in the right direction http://www.earthpigments.com/. You can use just about anything that does not bleed. Dont use dye as it may stain your wood.

You can also add these to CA glue as well as I find the pre mixed black CA disappointing as the color is not uniform.

If you find a good source let us know.

[Bmth Builder]

Also fine sawdust from the fretboard wood makes a good filler.

[cSuttle]

Well, not to be disagreeable, but I have found that there is a lot of difference between epoxy brands. Some I've liked, some I've hated, but my favorite is made by Super Glue Corp. The 20 minute stuff is the best of what they make. I buy this stuff by the crate and won't use anything else now. Because I'm and inlay artist, I use a lot of this stuff. It's common for me to use three tubes in a day. Interesting part is it's one of the cheaper brands. Highly recommended.

Another good coloring system is recon-stone dust. So if you use recon-stone keep your scapes.

[chops1983]

Thanks very much for the replies guys. The idea is to engrave the finer details in and then fill with black. Once that is done i also want to engrave some colours for his hood and neck drape thing. I will take a photo of what im copying so you can get a better idea.

I understand the epoxies now though. Will use fine sawdust from the fretboard for the filler, although i really only have one spot on all those inlays that i took abit too much. I must have scribed it wrong, when i was routing i followed the line and then popped the piece in and theres a gap. Whoops. Im really happy though for a first effort. Will take some pics today!

Cheers

Chad.

[jmrentis]

WHat are your thoughts on using fretboard scraps for filler coloring Cliff?

I've tried it a few times on different colored woods and personally haven't been all that satisfied, I suppose with ebony or other very dark woods you'd be fine, though some people find you don't even need any color for dark woods, just glue alone. I've always found in both inlays and in patching spots on guitars when you use dust or scrapings from the wood it will always come out much darker than the surrounding wood, so it never matches well. Especially so on fretboards because you're usually not finishing it, so the glue soak dust is a lot darker than the surrounding wood. Since these experiences I've been curious to try using dyes or colored powders, so I could add a lighter color to the glue so when it darkens it closer to the surrounding wood. The recon stone dust sounds like a good idea. Anyhow, just curious as to your experience on this Cliff and what you prefer. Thanks. Jason

[Woodenspoke]

What are your thoughts on using fretboard scraps for filler coloring Cliff?

I've tried it a few times on different colored woods and personally haven't been all that satisfied, I suppose with ebony or other very dark woods you'd be fine, though some people find you don't even need any color for dark woods, just glue alone. I've always found in both inlays and in patching spots on guitars when you use dust or scrapings from the wood it will always come out much darker than the surrounding wood, so it never matches well. Especially so on fretboards because you're usually not finishing it, so the glue soak dust is a lot darker than the surrounding wood. Since these experiences I've been curious to try using dyes or colored powders, so I could add a lighter color to the glue so when it darkens it closer to the surrounding wood. The recon stone dust sounds like a good idea. Anyhow, just curious as to your experience on this Cliff and what you prefer. Thanks. Jason

I agree with not using fret board dust. I dont think you will get a uniform color if you are filling etched lines in inlay as it is not fine enough. Also the liquid will darken the sawdust beyond the normal color of the board and it will look darker on anything but ebony. I have also heard to just use clear on solid inlay, but I have not had that much luck with this method myself probaly because of my limited skill set..

So why is the 20 minute stuff so much better Cliff? I have been using my standard system 3, 5 minute stuff without a problem why should I switch? Really I do want to know as I want to do a better inlay job.

[ihocky2]

I have found some wood dust changes color when mixed with epoxy and some doesn't. My guess is that it varies with how oily the wood is. Cocobolo didn't change at all for me, but that is very oily wood. Some Indian Rosewood I had did get a little darker, but not much. When I tried it with walnut, it got much darker. I would guess that the oils help the dust resist absorbing the moisture of the glue. I might be wrong, but the theory at least makes some sense.

[cSuttle]

WHat are your thoughts on using fretboard scraps for filler coloring Cliff?

I've tried it a few times on different colored woods and personally haven't been all that satisfied, I suppose with ebony or other very dark woods you'd be fine, though some people find you don't even need any color for dark woods, just glue alone. I've always found in both inlays and in patching spots on guitars when you use dust or scrapings from the wood it will always come out much darker than the surrounding wood, so it never matches well. Especially so on fretboards because you're usually not finishing it, so the glue soak dust is a lot darker than the surrounding wood. Since these experiences I've been curious to try using dyes or colored powders, so I could add a lighter color to the glue so when it darkens it closer to the surrounding wood. The recon stone dust sounds like a good idea. Anyhow, just curious as to your experience on this Cliff and what you prefer. Thanks. Jason

Yes, sawdust will be darker mixed with epoxy than the original wood. However, on ebony or darker rosewood it's perfect. On lighter rosewood, try using mahogany dust. On a light brown board, use maple dust. On maple, I just like using the clear epoxy. If you have a lot of recon-stone (I have pretty much every color made), you can really get your choice of color. However, even the powders for the dyes dry darker than they look before hardening.

[anderekel]

So, not related to this exactly, but this thread helped out. I had a guy at work who had epoxy and all that, but didn't know what to color it with, so I pointed him to some of the powdered additives that you guys suggested.