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John,
This will be a new process for me, but I want to do a Abalone purfling on my next dred around the top. I can get some strips that are just 1mm thick. I see that around 2mm is probably more common to work with in this way.
Do you think these would cut/break okay as I lay them in the channel? I've done a abalone rosette but it had curved and fit pieces.

Thanks.

Kevin

This isn't that difficult. May I suggest abalam . This is real shell and is more environmentally friendly. CP inlay stocks it and you can get the matching filler strip. The process is easy enough. When doing the binding the poly strip goes in with the rest of the purfling. Once the glue sets you pull the poly strip and drop the abalam in the open channel. I use tite bond for gluing in the pearl.
Feel free to call me I can sure help , I do have a dvd on this subject . http://www.bluescreekguitars.com/shop/i ... cts_id=185
again thanks
john

I took the advice of John & RD and used Ablam for purfling in the last rosette I made. It was quick, simple, and straightforward! I'll go out on a limb and guess that overall the Ablam will have more sparkle than the shell so looks better and wastes less (if you pick out the nice pieces and leave the dull pieces).

Thanks John and guys. Isn't Ablam a laminated shell structure?
I used the teflon filler when I did a rosette and it worked out great. I have a few pieces of this 1mm thick x 1/16" wide stuff so I'll try a practice piece and see what it looks like, if I don't like it I will go the ablam route

In a way it is laminated with lower grade under the higher show veneer. While you do have to be aware of sand through I think it makes a great looking guitar. I had one "expert " tell me he was glad to see I didn't use that junk Ablam while telling me how nice the inlay on the guitar looked, He said he could spot ablam a mile away , so I guess inside 2 feet is harder to tell.

tippie53 wrote:In a way it is laminated with lower grade under the higher show veneer. While you do have to be aware of sand through I think it makes a great looking guitar. I had one "expert " tell me he was glad to see I didn't use that junk Ablam while telling me how nice the inlay on the guitar looked, He said he could spot ablam a mile away , so I guess inside 2 feet is harder to tell.

LOL!

yeah pretty funny

John, what do you typically put on either side of your ablam purfling....??
What gives it a Martin look?

Kevin

Typically I use thin BWB on both sides of the top
On the back and side I use BWB against the binding the WB at the wood.
Also tortoise pearl and tortoise
looks goooooood