who has used unconventional inlays?

[mistermikev]

thinking about inlays... was looking at flat beads... why? well

1) $70 for decent 'cookie cutter' inlays might be good on a build or two but then what

2) might try something unconventional on a future build for stand out color/texture

been looking around and you can find paua and mop beads in differing sizes... I really like flat oval.  could get enough for a set of inlays for less than $20 and some good looking shell.  they tend to be a bit thick... just over an 1/8"... but I suppose one could work with that.  There are lots of other jemstones that might work like onyx... but I'm guessing you'd want that burried and then epoxied in so you don't have to sand it.

other ideas would be crushed stone of whatever type, then fill with epoxy.  I've seen this with turquoise and we have a lot of it in az... what else?

can  you tell me some of your unconventional inlay ideas/experiences?

[MiKro]

.

 

 

[ScottR]

Recon stone used to show up every now and then.

SR

[mistermikev]

11 hours ago, MiKro said:

used some pearl mop dust for paint mixed with clear bar top epoxy. It came out ok, will most likely try something like crushed Mop next time.

 

I would say that is a lot better than ok... looks great!

 

[mistermikev]

1 hour ago, ScottR said:

Recon stone used to show up every now and then.

SR

recon stone stands for reconstituted?  lots of potential there... sky is the limit afa color.  I suppose solid surface might be cool depending.  I have some turquoise dots that are kinda nice... but how to get a matching binding with turquoise?

 

thanks for the responses gentlemen!

[ScottR]

Here is another source for fun stuff.

http://www.inlaceonline.com/

SR

[mistermikev]

interesting... love the metallic looking stuff.  gonna have to learn how to do a poured binding and build a white falcon w gold sparkle binding!!!

[ScottR]

You've got to route a channel and then cut the outer edge off after the pour sets up.

SR

[mistermikev]

so.. in that scenario you just cut the body a hair large and sand/rout after?  or perhaps just do a channel prior to ever cutting the body... interesting and creative solution.  I've seen folks do cardstock and wood molds but your idea is much more practical. 

[ScottR]

@verhoevenc posted this idea a while back. I don't think he was pouring his binding, but I don't remember that for a fact. He routed the channel using his CNC and laid in the binding and glue and came back after the glue was dry he cut the body out. I'll try and see if I can find the post.

SR

[mistermikev]

i think I may have seen that but walked off because I have no cnc.  ah yes - he pointed out that without precision your channel would likely not be uniform...

[ScottR]

That is true, but if you made a template for the channel and another for the outer edge of the body, you might well be able to pull it off. Practice on scrap like he did, and judge those results.

SR

[mistermikev]

I think with that in mind... and knowing my skill set or lack thereof... it'd be more wise to cut the body shape... then route a channel using some sort of guide... leaving very little wall... then sand through afterwards. or perhaps even doing card stock walls... have to think on that some more.  thanks for the advice.

[verhoevenc]

I have done this on several actual bodies now and it works like a charm! But yes, with my CNC.

I've done something SIMILAR without CNC though. I took my template and a 1/2" rabbit bit and made a smaller template. Then used a 1/4" bit following this smaller template to route a channel 1/4"" in from the edge to inlay some cool purfling into. That said, this only worked because I was fairly far inside the body... I'd be skeptical of my skill being able to do this with templates and come out with the body cut exactly on the binding perfectly. Problem is in close spaces the human eye is capable of pickup up on discrepancies of .010"... so unless you get the .060" binding EXACTING, the eye will notice.

Chris

[mistermikev]

it would seem like routing binding as usual and then building some kind of wall around the outside might be the only hope for me given my skill set.  I guess if you wrapped the guitar in 3 or 4 layers of tape... then cut the binding, then taped on a card stock barrier to the outside of your already taped guitar - you could build up a little more channel in hopes that you could sand it back and be left with a fairly uniform binding... in theory.

would almost have to build a test body to attempt... and then it's getting to be enough work that just doing binding might be easier for a one-off. 

thanks for the input guys!

 

good idea on the purfling tho... that could work!

Edited July 24, 2018 by mistermikev