Tutorial : Inlays and Inlay Tools

[wokkaboy]

nice one Gav, I'll have a good read of this thread later, think you have already done a similar thread ages ago.
You look cross eyed with those gogs on mate, or like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys hahha

[Gavin1393]

Smooth off any rough edges with needle files (about $10 or so at the big green store).

Bur we are only half way there - we next need to get the inlay into position in the headstock or fret board. For this process you will need three or four items depending on how you count!

You will need some White-out fluid which you will paint over the area you will inlay. You need to paint an area larger than the inlay so that you can mark where the inlay will go.
You will need a 2mm black or blue marker pen. The prepared inlay will be positioned on top of the White-out paint job (once dry) and you will use the PEN to draw an outline around the inlay exactly where you want to position your inlay. Use the freshly prepared inlay as your template to draw your outline.

You will need a Dremel or similar drill that can run at 25000 revs!

[dingobass]

Another way of marking out is to paint the shell with liquid paper then draw your design.
On MOP I just draw straight onto the shell with a .5mm HB pencil.

[Gavin1393]

The dremel bits that you will need will be a 1/16" 3/64" and a 1/32".

These also break easily so do not force them when using them. I highly recommend the Router Precision base shown above and below as this will save your drill bits as well as allow you to accurately set the depth using the controllers while you are drilling out the "chamber" into the wood.

[Gavin1393]

This is important.

Setting the depth and working with the router.

Turn the Dremel router upside down and lay the MOP against the drill bit on top of the Router base of the UNPLUGGED Router. Now set the depth so that the drill bit is even with height of the MOP. If you set the depth so that the drill bit is higher than the MOP, your inlay will end up BELOW the level of the wood surrounding the inlay. To fix this you may need to add 'saw dust' beneath the inlay. If you set the drill bit to slightly below the MOP you can sand the MOP down and get a perfect job with a little more sanding than is necessary! Hence try get it exact. The 'thickness' of the super glue or Epoxy will potentially allow the MOP to protrude slightly so that is can be sanded level with the wood around the chamber.

Make sure the drill bit is secure in the router collett and that the depth controllers are tight as you don't want to find after you have drilled that these released and you now have a 3mm deep chamber instead of a 1.1 mm chamber (if you used 1.1mm blank MOP!
Now turn the electrics on.
Set the Dremel to 25000 revs, and be careful.

Work from the centre of your inlay outwards in an anti-clockwise direction.
Be especially careful at the edges where your lines are drawn. A slip or loose grip could see the dremel careering across your headstock!

[dingobass]

A general rule of thumb that I use is to never set the depth of cut deeper than the diameter of the router bit.
Sure, this means you may have to go over it twice with the finer bits but better that than bust a bit halfway through a job....

This is also a another reason to cut the centre out first with the larger diameter bit. You can set this one to the correct depth.
When you get close to the edge on intricate designs it is much easier to setup the finer bits as the final depth is already set.

[wokkaboy]

and what sort of comments come out of the man cave DB when you break a tiny router bit ?

[dingobass]

In order to keep our G rating, I decline to repeat the words used.....

[wokkaboy]

haha I got a fair idea DB what is said
Do you look like Bubbles when you got your magnified gogs on too DB ? haha

[Gavin1393]

and what sort of comments come out of the man cave DB when you break a tiny router bit ?

Gosh! Darn it! Sugga!