Checkout the inlay I just did

[anoel]

I just finished up an inlay for a guitar that my friend Kevin and I are building for the local Hardwood Shop's. open house in a couple of weeks.

I cut the inlay on my homemade CNC machine.

[Moondog]

anoel..

That is impressive. tell us how you did it?... what cam program did you use?, what router bits did you cut with et..

cheers

[buscht]

Great job Nathan! I agree, let's hear specifics.
Trent

[anoel]

It's just sraight up Contours and Pockets. Any 2D CAM software will do it.

And I used a 1/32" 2 flute endmill for both the Contours and pockets. I made the pockets .005" oversized to allow for the inlays to seat with out pressing them in and to allow for a liitle glue room.

[buscht]

Nathan, These things always seem easy to the person who did it and very confusing to everyone else.

Here's some specific questions.

1. How deep are the pockets?
2. How did you hold the inlay material down to cut it out? I tried to cut veneer once by holding down with carpet tape and it only worked marginally.
3. What is the inlay made out of?
4. What kind of glue did you use?
5. Are the inlays sitting proud? and then sanded down flush?
6. How did you color the inlays? before or after gluing in place?
7. A 1/32" cutter must have taken about 3 hours to mill out that big of a pocket. Is that about right?
8. How did you register the guitar body on the machine bed?
9. How did you insure that the top of the guitar body was exactly flat? Or wasn't that a problem if the inlays were proud?

That's all my questions for the moment.
Thanks
T

[ger21]

6) He didn't. The text looks like Paduak (guessing)

[anoel]

See my answers in red

Originally Posted by buscht Nathan, These things always seem easy to the person who did it and very confusing to everyone else. Here's some specific questions. 1. How deep are the pockets?.05" 2. How did you hold the inlay material down to cut it out? I tried to cut veneer once by holding down with carpet tape and it only worked marginally. Good old Double stick tape... 3. What is the inlay made out of? Paduk (Good guess Ger21) and Bocote 4. What kind of glue did you use? Titebond I 5. Are the inlays sitting proud? and then sanded down flush? Yes 6. How did you color the inlays? before or after gluing in place?No color, just the natural wood 7. A 1/32" cutter must have taken about 3 hours to mill out that big of a pocket. Is that about right?The pockets took 1hr 3Min 8. How did you register the guitar body on the machine bed? Lined the Centerline on the body to the bed and used the center of the butt end as datum. 9. How did you insure that the top of the guitar body was exactly flat? Or wasn't that a problem if the inlays were proud? Yes the inlays were proud and then sanded flush That's all my questions for the moment. Thanks T

[Kammo1]

Hi Nathan man that is absolutely outstanding!!!!!!!!!!! What machine did you use to cut this out with?? Please post some pics. Kammo1

[troyswood]

If you are in a hurry try to use .5 carbide plunge router bit for rough cut then manual tool change to smaller bits of your choise, and run part 2 of same program and your cutter will mill only the left over radius. Here is a sample of oak inlay to poplar 5 x 7 inlay also .005 clearance for glue.

gutar looks great nice job!!

[redbaron]

Awesome!! How are you going to stain/finish the body?

I have wondered about doing wood inlay in guitars with different stains, but I think I would have to choose colored woods, because of the sanding process, especially carved tops.

[anoel]

This guitar is just being finished in Tru-oil. No stain.

[drj]

very nice anoel. Could you post a pic when it is completed?