Another Custom Inlay

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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Here are the end results of the epoxy resin. It's not as green as the pour, and I didn't want them to be. I wanted green paua.
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I made 2 more plates, with larger pieces.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Danl8
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Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Danl8 »

Very cool. What do the casts end up being in thickness? Do you do the pour on top of the pearl or drop the pearl in on a pour? Is the smoothness from natural epoxy flow leveling or from a silicone mold?
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

For these particular molds, I'm using silicone molds made for coasters, so they're about as thin as I could find.

I layer a thin layer of abalone scraps on the bottom, overlapping. I try to make them as thin as possible, maybe 2-3 veneers deep (these are veneer cutoffs).

I mix and use about 40-50ml, total, of mixed 2-part art epoxy resin, for a 4x4" mold. I have 3 different types of resin coloring agents:
Mica Powder, in 24 shades, translucent liquid dyes in 24 shades, and 4 pearl interface powder colors.

Since I want the shell to look like shell, but perhaps tinted slightly towards a specific color, like green or blue, I just added a drop or two of a translucent color of choice.

After thoroughly mixing, I poured it as evenly as possible over the shell laying in the molds. If anything seemed to stick up, or if I needed to move a shell piece, I just used the end of an awl to either gently push a piece down, or move it a bit. Let it sit until the next day at least, before unmolding. Then I allow them to sit for days until really hard.

They come out ~ 1/8" thick. The sides you're seeing were on the bottom of the mold. I'll thin them by sanding the opposite side.

The side you see is what will be face up when inlaid.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

So, this is the latest incarnation. I have to split the fretboard up to finish it. My paper isn't long enough.

I might take the berry on 19 and juxtapose it with one 3 leaf cluster from 17.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Hopefully the drawings are coming to an end. This is the latest rendering. I was able to fit the whole fretboard on one sheet of paper, so the drawing should be clearer. I've even corrected a bunch of things after this original post.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I think it's going to look mighty fine
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Okay folks. I know this has been boring for you, but these posted redo's were only about 1/2 of what I did. It's a long process.

But, we've finally come to the agreement that this is the final approved drawing. I'll make:

This original (which I'll sign) is mine for my portfolio.
I'll make another traced original, signed, for Steve.
3 copies:

1 master to follow while inlaying.
2 for cutting out individual elements as needed, to position on the shell to be cut out.

I just got the black mother of pearl dots for the blackberries. I have to decide from which direction each dot within each berry, flashes color. Ie: do all dots flash color at the same in the berries or do I make every other dot within a berry, flash from the opposite direction?

Each dot, which will be a berry node. They're 2mm dots.

I'll start work on the berries tomorrow.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I'm finally starting the inlay parts. I got the 2mm black mother of pearl dots yesterday in the mail and they're colorful.

I've placed a piece of waxed paper on top of the drawing. Using tweezers, I've arranged each dot to form blackberries. After I'm satisfied with the shape, I put a drop or two of thin ca glue over the berry, so the dots stick to each other.

The berries come right off of the wax paper.

They're turning out better than expected. You know what they are. The individual dots wink as you them. It's going to be stunning.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Most interesting. What a cool way to make a black berry.
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Another Custom Inlay

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I realized that the final drawing was too detailed, so I made another master, just outlining the leaves and berries. I also cleaned up the flowers. I scanned the drawing into the computer, where I've converted it into jpeg.

On the computer, I've "cut" each leaf grouping out. I'll eventually separate each group into the individual leaves, which will be cut on the CNC.

The flowers are very small; each petal is only about 3-3.5mm each. Cutting each petals on the cnc would take a very tiny, expensive bit and I don't think I'm able to do them by hand. I've decided to simplify them by cutting out each one as a whole out of the white abalone. Then, I'll drill a hole in the center of each one, large enough to accommodate the stamen area. I'll engrave each petal to bring out the detail. I'll mix the appropriate color of resin to fill the center hole for the stamens.

The body of the bee will be made from resin; the wings will be white abalone.

Instead of trying to cut the vine itself, or stems, out of abalone, I'm going to rout the board, fill the routing with crushed abalone, then fill with translucent green resin.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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