Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Got a new way of doing something? Or maybe an old method that needs some clarification.

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tim mullin

Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by tim mullin » Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:40 pm

I just posted a photoessay on my blog on how I inlay my headstock logo. It's a pretty basic inlay, but might give someone the courage to give it a go if they can see all the steps involved.

http://www.mullinguitars.com/2011/03/gu ... ature.html

Of course, the ultimate tutorial on the topic is already published in the wonderful book and DVDs by Larry Robinson -- it's all there, and a whole lot more. These are highly recommended to anyone wanting to get serious about inlay.

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Nick
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Re: Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by Nick » Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:02 pm

Nice tip with gluing a copy onto the headstock Tim, I've always traced the cut out blanks incase the cut letters have any 'anomolies' (i.e not quite on the line :oops: ) but this technique will be another tool in the arsenal when needed & great when requiring an exact fitting inlay such as on light woods (providing I've cut my blanks accurately enough) where fillers will show. :wink:
"Jesus Loves You."
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tim mullin

Re: Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by tim mullin » Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:22 pm

Nick wrote:Nice tip with gluing a copy onto the headstock Tim, I've always traced the cut out blanks in case the cut letters have any 'anomolies' (i.e not quite on the line :oops: ) but this technique will be another tool in the arsenal when needed & great when requiring an exact fitting inlay such as on light woods (providing I've cut my blanks accurately enough) where fillers will show. :wink:
I've tried the technique of gluing the letters on and scribing around them, but in this situation, where the letters are so tiny and the alignment of each letter is critical, I just couldn't get them all in the right place, and the scribed line was never accurate enough. Be aware though, the paper template fuzz hides some of the detail until after you sand it off. At that point, some individual fitting is required to get the letters to slide in. Of course, everything is easier if you do an accurate job cutting out the pieces in the first place (I'm getting pretty darn good at the letters in my name -- when I started, I was snapping blades and breaking cut letters like there was no tomorrow!)

You're right that light woods are more unforgiving (rosewood doesn't show small gaps, and you can get away with making an absolute mess of the routing in ebony). Also, as I've just learned the hard way, super-glue and Ancient Kauri don't mix -- I've just had to mill off a Paua-inlaid AK headplate where the super glue caused unsightly staining when absorbed into exposed endgrain).

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Nick
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Re: Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by Nick » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:03 pm

Tim Mullin wrote: I've tried the technique of gluing the letters on and scribing around them, but in this situation, where the letters are so tiny and the alignment of each letter is critical, I just couldn't get them all in the right place, and the scribed line was never accurate enough.
I bought the Stewmac tracing point, absolutely brilliant. It scribes a very fine line (I put a yellow poster paint down so any line is clearly visible & either sands or washes off easily before laying in the glue) and can be run around the pearl with very little pressure so the pearl doesn't move at all.
I know what you mean about getting quicker cutting your name, my "signature" inlay I think took about an hour & a half the first time with several curses & broken blades along the way. I can now knock one out in about half an hour (and it stays in one piece!) and use the same blade for the next one! :wink:
"Jesus Loves You."
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morgan
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Re: Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by morgan » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:14 pm

Tim, have you discovered a better glue for using with Ancient Kauri? Or a better technique (apart from just being more careful :) ) ?

tim mullin

Re: Simple headstock inlay photoessay

Post by tim mullin » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:40 pm

morgan wrote:Tim, have you discovered a better glue for using with Ancient Kauri? Or a better technique (apart from just being more careful :) ) ?
Yes, I think I have -- shellac seems to seal the wood sufficiently to prevent CA wicking. I had applied shellac before glueing my template with CA, and that worked fine. I just forgot to seal the cavity after routing and before flooding the inlay. :roll: Won't do that again!

I've got another headplate curing on the headstock as I write. Fortunately, the plan has always been to bind this one, which makes it easier to hide a messy glueline and any trim issues. I'll post a pic once I've redone the inlay and bound the headstock -- you can tell me then if I succeeded.

Can't say I'm thrilled with Ancient Kauri up to now. Besides the aversion to CA (sorta like spruce), it is a bit like building with MDF, but with more tearout. Those who like it, seem to like it a lot. I've got what I think is a killer top going on this one, so it'll be interesting to see how the beast sounds when all is said and done.

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