Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Wed Jul 23, 2025 5:46 pm


All times are UTC - 5 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 17 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:53 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:32 pm
Posts: 1969
Location: United States
I'm going to be starting on the fretboard pictured below. The fretboard I'm using is figure rosewood, not black ebony. Any amount of over cut will be visible.
I'm not real happy with the way I transfer the pattern to the fretboard and I'm wondering what you guys do.
I stick the inlay on with some water-based white paint, allow it to dry, and then make the outline will a needle or a new #11 Exacto knife.
Often the paint is too thick and caused my scribe line to be too large or the scribe lines aren't that visible.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!



_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:59 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:15 pm
Posts: 2302
Location: Florida



If you have the luxury of having the inlay in a printable form (which is an exact size), you can print it out and then use some glue to stick it on the fretboard. then just cut out the stuck on pattern. Any paper remaining after the inaly hole is cut out can be sanded off easily.


I have had great luck using this method, but youre in trouble if the stuck on pattern slips for any reason.


_________________
Reguards,

Ken H


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:15 pm 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 12:46 pm
Posts: 413
Location: Toronto, Canada
First name: Michael
Last Name: Lloyd
City: Toronto
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hi Steve,

I glue the inlay on with airplane glue then trace with an Exacto knife. Once traced I remove the inlay, remove remaining glue and dust with Tempera paint power.

The power highlights the trace lines as seen in the photos below. I didn't have one with the inlay traced.




_________________
Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:02 pm 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:53 am
Posts: 2104
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
First name: Anthony
Last Name: Zlahtic
City: Toronto
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Or you could photo copy the inlay patterns. Cut around the individual photo copies pieces and glue them to the fretboard.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:22 pm 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:11 pm
Posts: 296
Location: United States
First name: Louis
Last Name: Freilicher
City: Belchertown
State: MA
Zip/Postal Code: 01007
Country: USA
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
For a super tight fit I would print the pattern slightly reduced in size, say
95% or so. You will have to experiment a bit but the idea is to make the
outside edge of the printed pattern line up with the edge of the cut pearl.

Do you cut to the left of the line? To the right? Or split it down the middle?

No matter how careful you are there will be some gaps, try some
experiments with CA and various wood dusts to find the best match.

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:37 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:12 am
Posts: 216
Location: United States
Hi Steve:

I do the same thing Michael does except that I rub a peice of chalk over the scribed lines. It produces the same effect though. Then, route until the chalk line just disappears and you're done.

_________________
Don Sharp
Got Brazilian?
http://www.sharpguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:45 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:12 am
Posts: 216
Location: United States
Steve:

Where did you get those inlays? They're really nice!

_________________
Don Sharp
Got Brazilian?
http://www.sharpguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:08 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:36 am
Posts: 381
Location: United States
First name: Wayne
Last Name: Clark
City: Driftwood
State: TX
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I also use model airplane glue to stick the pieces to the wood. I use an exacto-knife with a fresh blade to score around each piece. A drop of acetone softens the glue enough so you can pop the piece off with your finger. Rub chalk on the scribed line so you can see them.

The key for me is a good light source when I route the cavity. A magnifier seems to help as well.

_________________
53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:17 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:21 am
Posts: 2924
Location: Changes when ever I move..Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Same as Don and Wayne but I have sharpened a small jewelers screwdriver into a slow tapering fine needle point and I use that to scribe around the glued shell and then rub chalk on the scribe line to define once the shell has been freed with acetone.

Cheers

Kim


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:06 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:32 pm
Posts: 1969
Location: United States
[QUOTE=sharp_custom] Steve:

Where did you get those inlays? They're really nice! [/QUOTE] I got them here..

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:10 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:32 pm
Posts: 1969
Location: United States
Thank you all for the tips. I think I'll go for gluing a photocopy down and routing to that.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:22 am 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:42 am
Posts: 564
Location: United States
First name: Stephen
Last Name: Ziegenfuss
City: Jackson
State: MI
Zip/Postal Code: 49203
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro

Steve,


I have had the best luck using printed patterns.  When I cut and dress the pearl, I assure that it is perfect to the pattern, so the pattern works as a solid outline.  With my limited experience and tools, I have found that chalk lines can be harder to see than a printed and glued-on pattern - but a pattern is dependent on how well the pearl fits the pattern...


Awesome


_________________
www.ziegenfussguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:50 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:12 am
Posts: 216
Location: United States
[QUOTE=SteveS] [QUOTE=sharp_custom] Steve:

Where did you get those inlays? They're really nice! [/QUOTE] I got them here..[/QUOTE]

Are they a special order? I didn't see them on the website. I could hav emissed them though.

Thanks, Don

_________________
Don Sharp
Got Brazilian?
http://www.sharpguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:19 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:50 pm
Posts: 2711
Location: Victoria, BC
First name: John
Last Name: Abercrombie
Status: Amateur
I've only done one guitar with a lot of inlay (cut the inlays from shell, etc... decided it was not my thing) but I found that the 'scribing' around the glued-on inlay worked best if it was quite deep- several trips with a very sharp blade (scalpel/x-acto or violin knife).
If you have a good deep scribe, last bit of wood will just 'pop out' when you get close with the Dremel.

Of course, I wasn't brave enough to inlay into rosewood- ebony is very kind and allows hiding mistakes quite well!

John


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:04 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:09 am
Posts: 326
Location: United States
Hey Don, I too checked the web page for them. I found them under the individual pieces catagory, several pages down. (there are about 30 "pages" of the different pieces.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:35 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:04 am
Posts: 313
Location: United States
First name: Paul
Last Name: Bordeaux
City: Massena
State: New York
Zip/Postal Code: 13662
Country: US
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I use a different approach.
I use a silver metallic pencil. 1st I sharpen it, then I "shave" half the width of the lead away with a single edge blade.
I use either finger tips or the ends of needle files to hold the cut shell in place, and then trace.
The silver pencil works great on darker woods.
Obviously if you don't have a steady hand, glue may be your best choice.
On really delicate pieces, such as small signatures, I sometimes use kid's glue stick to attach a pattern to the wood and route through it.
Once you make a single pass, you can remove the remains of the paper, place the shell on the route and mark reference points to cut to fit.

Good luck!

Paul


_________________
Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:07 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:08 pm
Posts: 1018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Paul, where does one obtain this "silver metallic pencil"?


_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 17 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com