Replies

1. 
   VeniciaL | Dec 14, 2003 09:34pm | #1

   Jerry,

   Here's one of the ways that abalone and mother of pearl are inlayed into guitar necks. It should be very similar to your situation.

   Carefully trace all around the letter with a sharp knife. Either route out the recess with a dremel tool or trim router, slightly inside the lines and clean up with very sharp chisels until the inlay drops into the recess.

   Make sure the surface of the inlay is just a hair below the surrounding wood. Glue the inlay into the box top with cyanoacrylic (super glue) and immediately sand the area. The sanding dust will mix with the glue and completely fill the unavoidable voids between the recess and the inlay, creating an invisible seam.

   VL

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 14, 2003 10:12pm | #2

   Venicia..are you a Luthier? I was for many yrs. Worked at Ken Smith Bass's and was Production Engineer at (now closed) PBC Guitar Technology, I miss that work at times. Still do one off's on ocassion and lots of repairs. I used a stout needle for tracing inlay (MOP) and chalk dust to highlite it on Ebony/Rosewood boards..dremel and chisel as well. Colored epoxy works well, made position marks once by using a Radial Arm saw to kerf the FB from the Bass side towards the center of the FB (Shallow) short for the 3 pos. little longer for ea. at 5, 7, and so on. Repeat after 12th and then fill the kerfs with epoxy mixed with the color that the body was painted mixed with pearl dust..looked way cool. marks the side dots and face at the same time. Using a Hi bevel atb blade gives a ribbon effect at the stopped kerf. Did I just hi-jack a thread? Sorry.

1. 
   VeniciaL | Dec 14, 2003 10:44pm | #3

   Sphere,

   No. I'm not a luthier. Though I have worked with several. I do plan to make my first guitar in several months. It's something I have always wanted to do. I have several Martin steel string guitars and I've always wanted a nylon string instrument. And yes, we have hijacked this thread!

   VL

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 14, 2003 11:33pm | #4

   Stewart-MacDonald has real good kits. A Nylon string is a bit less hassel due to no truss rod etc. Go for it! HIJACK..

2. 
   DonStephan | Dec 17, 2003 06:33am | #5

   Another option is a router inlay bushing kit. Two different diameters make perfectly matching recess and inlay. May have to square up sharp corners. Try the various woodworking suppliers and/or router bit suppliers.

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 18, 2003 01:10am | #6

   That is true, they also sell letter templates tho' not much choice of fonts. Good thinkin.

1. 
   UncleDunc | Dec 18, 2003 01:19am | #7

   If you have a word processor with a decent selection of fonts, and a laser printer, you can get about any shape and size of letter you want. Transferring the shape from printed page to wood can still be tricky, though.

   I've never done it with wood, just t-shirts, and the t-shirt shop took care of that detail for me.

1. 
   Sphere | Dec 18, 2003 01:56am | #8

   Ok prepare for some education..you can reverse the letter and xerox a copy..then iron it on the wood. heavy on the ink on the copier..laser printr wont fly. OR lay the paper pattern on the wood right side up stab it with a pin/awl/ pointy nail whatever real close  together..dust it with chalk (like in a chalk box) and you have a ready to cut pattern...the sign maker I know uses an electric pointy thing on a metal table..it arcs an burns little holes for the chalk..called a "POUNCE"..some fun..