Using Acrylic Resin

[weekendofsound]

So, I am looking to make a few original guitars, and I am really hoping for everything to be non-toxic and "eco-friendly" as much as possible, both for my own safety as well as my sensibilities, as I hope to shift this into a career, or at the very least, an involved hobby.

As far as I know, the best thing to use as far as non-toxic goes is acrylic resin (pmma.) I'm sure many of you are loyalists to the more traditional means, but I have worked as a painter and with them for years, and I know that no matter how many precautions you take, there is still risk involved. I also realize I probably wouldn't want to drink acrylic resin either, but at least I PROBABLY wouldn't die.

I've found a couple of places that I can get small sets of acrylic resin colors for automotive and airbrushing use, but I'm really interested in being able to mix it myself so I can create custom colors, and also have it available in larger quantities.

I WILL be starting off on a smaller scale, of course, but I am curious to know if any of you have ever used acrylics? Do you have any suggestions as far as the best type of tint? Do you know what would be best to thin it out? Or do you have any other suggestions that would also be non-toxic?

Whenever I get into this, I will be sure to post pictures, but any information/knowledge/advice is greatly appreciated.

Another thing I am curious about experimenting with is using brass for inlays? I think it would be a very attractive material to use, though I realize I would have to coat it in something (acrylic resin, perhaps?) and there is of course the issue of wood expansion vs. metal expansion (or lack thereof,) so I am concerned that over time it might just shift enough to fall out, though I have seen stone and copper used. Have any of you used anything like this in your guitars?

Edited September 10, 2010 by weekendofsound

[DC Ross]

I use brass and aluminum as inlays, gluing with epoxy, and haven't had any issues. You just have to make sure that the fret slots are wider than the fret tangs, cuz it's not going to compress

[weekendofsound]

I use brass and aluminum as inlays, gluing with epoxy, and haven't had any issues. You just have to make sure that the fret slots are wider than the fret tangs, cuz it's not going to compress

Thanks for the information! Any pictures? And what kind of epoxy? I just looked at your website, and I just thought you'd like to know that I am seeing a bunch of coding when looking at the "guitars" page. It may be my browser. But your logo is really cool.

Edited September 10, 2010 by weekendofsound

[DC Ross]

Thanks for the heads-up about the site. It's going through a redesign soon anyway.

Here's a pic of my aluminum dragon, sorry for the crappy cell phone pic.

Edited September 11, 2010 by DC Ross

[Kammo1]

That looks damn cool bro is that neck fanned fretted ?

[Woodenspoke]

That is the very reason no one used brass or copper for inlays because it will change color and oxidize. No inlay except wood expands and contracts with the wood. Unless you coat the whole board it will be a real pain to coat only the inlay with finish.

As far as finish it is really a moot point that you want to be Eco friendly. Acrylic like any other finish is toxic no matter what you do. You really want Low VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals) or the stink that rises from the finish. You would be better off just using a water based finish in the standard flavors of lacquer or Poly. Even these are toxic and emit a light ammonia smell for a short time.

There really is no safe finish except for Shellac but I dont suggest drinking it...

[Quarter]

... There really is no safe finish except for Shellac but I dont suggest drinking it...

Actually, if you mixed your flake with grain alcohol, it would be drinkable, but I'd suggest having that shot before the flake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

Shellac is edible and it is used as a glazing agent on pills (see excipients) and candies in the form of pharmaceutical glaze (alternatively, confectioner's glaze). Because of its alkaline properties, shellac-coated pills may be used for a timed enteric or colonic release.[10] It is also used to replace the natural wax of the apple, which is removed during the cleaning process.[11] When used for this purpose, it has the food additive E number E904. This coating is not vegan and most likely not vegetarian either as it may, and probably does, contain crushed insects.

[Ken Bennett]

Here's a little brass inlay. It's very easy to work. The position markers will be protected by the clear coat; any will do. The exposed brass on the fretboard will have to be cleaned occasionally.

Letters cut from .060" brass stock. I used a text font as a pattern. I think it's called Frigidaire, or Air Conditioner, or something like that.

In the next photo you can see where the fret slot is widened, as DC Ross said, with .032" end mill. These two frets will be held in with epoxy.

The horse is cut from brass and filled with ebony. The green and red materials are reconstituted stone.

Good luck with your guitar projects.

[luthier1206]

Here's a little brass inlay. It's very easy to work. The position markers will be protected by the clear coat; any will do. The exposed brass on the fretboard will have to be cleaned occasionally.

Letters cut from .060" brass stock. I used a text font as a pattern. I think it's called Frigidaire, or Air Conditioner, or something like that.

How'd you cut the slots for the letters? That looks sick!

[Ken Bennett]

The cavities for the brass letters are cut the normal way--dremel router with 1/32" bit. It's tricky holding the dremel with very little flat surface to rest upon.

Oh, and I didn't try to trace the letters onto the wood. Normally I use a fine hard pencil to trace inlay pieces for routing. For this job, I glued a printout of each letter in place first, routed, cleaned off the paper, glued the letters in, filled the gaps....

One of the letters turned out crooked. I had to dig it out, make a new one, and do it again.