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Need help about materials for inlays


Frenchy

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Hi guys,

I have read the tutorial about the 3D inlays, but i'm a bit disapointed :D .

I went to my local store looking for epoxy resin, and i found 2 differents products one is a polyester resin made for inclusion (that's written down on the box) and the other one is an epoxy resin (like the one you use to repair let's say....a surf board with fiberglass).

Now after a lot of research on the net, i'm totaly lost because on one site they say white and on the other one they say black, and now i really don't know wich one to choose for between polyester and resin. So if someone could point me in the right direction i would really really appreciate :D .

Frenchy

(Hope my english is fine B) )

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Epoxy 330 is what jewelers use for inlay. It dries clear, will stay as clear as anything else will and it takes and holds a great polish. Some other brands may or may not set up as hard so I find it easiest to just use the good stuff.

I'm willing to bet that you can find it in France but you may have to check out a jeweler's supply or maybe a hobby shop.

500.jpg

BTW: Welcome Frenchy

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Welcome Frenchy

Thanks :D

I will try to find it in a hobby shop tomorrow but it doesn't seem easy at all, i've made a search on the net and i haven't found anything in France B) (like a lot of things related to guitar building or at prices that you can't imagine :D ).

I will post one update after my shop search but i haven't a big hope to find what i'm looking for :D

Frenchy

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You can try just about any epoxy but do a few tests first. In Canada, I got some Lepage 11 slow setting epoxy but I noticed that sometimes it would take longer to harden even though I always tried to mix the resin and hardener as equally as possible. Then I did a test: I mixed a batch with about 20% more resin than hardener, and one batch with 20% more hardener than resin. After a full 24-hour cure, the one with more resin was rock-hard , and the one with more hardener was still soft even after 3 days. I ended up mixing it with around 5-10% more resin than hardener. So whatever epoxy you find in France, you may want to do this test.

BTW, Polyester resin is usually used for building composite materials like fiberglass and it usually consists of a resin which is hardened by mixing it with very small amounts of catalyst, and that's not what is used in the 3D Inlay Tutorial. The tutorial uses Epoxy.

If you use clear epoxy for the 3D inlays, I would think that the cavities have to be routed almost perfect since any irregularities in the edges will be more visible. Using dark epoxy (or clear epoxy mixed with rosewood or ebony dust) would leave you with the crisp edges of the transparent acrylic pieces. Or an alternative would be to paint the edges of the acrylic pieces the same color as the wood (or another color if you wish) and use the clear epoxy like I did in this thread:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...?showtopic=4108

That's about all I can tell you from my limited experience.

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Try your local art & craft store and ask for casting resin, the clear stuff you pour into a mold for making paper weights with objects floating in the middle.

If they carry the "Hobby Line" products ask for Einbettungs Giessharz glasklar which is the Hobby Line Special Cast Resin or La resine de coulage

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I though polyester resin and casting resin are one in the same :D

That's what i found too but the two options seems to exist (epoxy and polyester both with nearly the same characteristics).

I went to a shop of art and craft and ask a vendor, he tells me that he have tried to obtain epoxy resin (like the one in the tutorial (or at least something very similar)) but never recieved it B) .

I will have to go to a bigger art and craft shop (probably tomorrow) but for the moment i have bought the polyester based resin (the one made for inclusion) for testing purposes on a piece of scrap wood.

Frenchy

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