More Sanding Questions

[IRISHPICKER]

Hi Everyone,
Hope you have a great holiday!!!!
After installing the pearl dots on the neck of my Martin kit I was wondering if you need to do anything special to sand down the inlay and remove the glue on the board? Do I need to use specific grits of sandpaper and is it ok to sand the Richlite finger board?

Pat

[Diane Kauffmds]

It all depends on what you want. If there is glue squeeze out, or if you needed to fill a bit, then you'll need to sand. Otherwise, if you want a smoother finish, or a gentle shine, sand the board and inlay to the grit which accomplishes what you want.

I do inlay that's a bit more complicated. Sometimes there are small gaps which need to be filled. Since I fill with CA glue and wood dust, the fill is pretty tough. I start with 100 grit and go up to 0000 steel wool.

The only caveat is that, depending on what kind of shell you used, you need to be careful about over sanding. Some inlay is made from laminated she'll, so it's very easy to sand your color right off. Solid material can withstand more aggressive sanding. Also, abalone will.change patterns and color as you sand to a different layer. Take your time and don't be too agressive.

I would start at 150 to 220g to clean it up, then go through the grits until you achieve the look.that you want. If you find that it's too laborious when using a finer grit, then back down a grit. This way you'll know that you aren't over sanding.

[IRISHPICKER]

Thanks Diane came out perfectly on to setting the neck.
Happy New Year By the Way