FRETBOARD INLAY

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Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I've designed an inlay for the Celtic theme OM that I'm building. The inlay is fairly simple, in the form of a vine. It features oxalis flowers and leaves (shamrock). I'll be using some traditional and some alternative inlay. As many of you know, I've been working on making alternative "mother of pearl" out of art resin. I've found that I can cut it like real mop, with a jeweler coping saw, and I can cut it on the cnc. Of course, I can directly pour it into the wood as well.

Shamrock flowers bloom in 2 colors, white or pink. So, the flowers in this inlay will be cut out of Korean awabi (white abalone), with the exception of frets 5 and 12; I'll make pink pearl resin to cut the petals. All will have green pearl centers. The vine and shamrock leaves will be poured resin.

This is the drawing, which I colored to illustrate my idea. The colors of course will be different.
20210521_112507.jpg
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

To lay out the vine on the fretboard, I needed to visualize the board and vine in tandem. This is how I did it:

The vine is drawn on large transfer paper. I laid out the paper and put the fretboard beneath it, taping the edges of the paper to my workbench. This way, I could move the board around until the vine was centered and the flowers marking the frets were in the right frets. After I got it in the right place, I put a piece of tape across the bottom of the board, to prevent it from shifting.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

To transfer the vine to the board, I used CHACOPY transfer paper. This is cool stuff. I use this extensively when sewing and it's marketed for sewing. It's different color papers have a kind of water soluble waxy chalk. It doesn't easily rub off, but will disappear with a drop of water. It doesn't get all over your hands. The marking you make won't accidentally rub off if you touch it, but disappears with a damp rag, or light sanding.

When I first started building, I used this paper to transfer guitar plans to the wood. It's made by CLOVER and only costs $5. It's reusable and doesn't dry up. The set comes with red, blue, yellow, green, and white transfer paper, so there's a color that will work with all wood colors.

Clover "Chacopy" Tracing Paper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DZUW2C/re ... TA70XP04E9

I used white paper with the ebony board. BTW, this paper is a good 7 years old.

I cut the white transfer paper in half lengthwise and laid it face down to the board under the drawing. I simply used a regular pencil to trace all design elements.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

This is the end result. I know it didn't photograph well, because of the shine of the board. The vine is now appropriately placed on the board and I can see the white outline.

I can easily make corrections as needed.
20220522_104702.jpg
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Bob Gleason
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Bob Gleason »

Diane- Talk about mixed reviews. I looked on line for the Clover brand Chacopy paper you use. Every other review switches between " great" and "junk". One says the older product was better than what is current. Maybe you have some vintage product there! Anyway, ordered some to try. Thanks, Bob
tippie53
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by tippie53 »

david nichols taught me inlay
I pencil line it in.
That is that hardest part in inlay
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Bob Gleason
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Bob Gleason »

Agreed, the pencil line is the hardest part of inlay.Pencil works O.K. with ebony, but I don't do inlay into ebony anymore and pencil does not work well with many other wood colors or wood that has pores. Always looking for a better way, but still working by hand.
tippie53
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by tippie53 »

just did a batch of inlay today
the big key to this is also LIGHT
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
jread
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by jread »

tippie53 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 8:45 pm just did a batch of inlay today
the big key to this is also LIGHT
And “magic eyes”

I couldn’t do inlay without them
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073RMHX ... Vfc2hhcmVk


Edit: This is actually the visor I have. Leaving the link above since it looks fine but I can't recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015IS6K2/re ... 0TWFD?th=1

LED attachment works great: Quasar Led Lighting System for Optivisors | ELP-558.00


That’s a beautiful design, Diane. So glad to see you back at it.
Last edited by jread on Wed May 25, 2022 6:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
Bob Gleason
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Re: FRETBOARD INLAY

Post by Bob Gleason »

For me, one of the main needs for inlay light is backlighting and low angle lighting. The line can easily disappear in bright direct light. If I can get light coming over my shoulder, it is usually the best scenario for me.Those knockoffs of the way over priced original Optivisor look like a good deal. I could not live without my Optivisors, all 4 of them, 2 of them with L.E.D's added.-Bob
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