Tools and Materials:
Diamond Needle File Set:
Jewelers Saw:
Jewelers Blades #3:
Jewelers Blades #1/0:
Jewelers Blades #2/0:
Jewelers Blades #3/0
Blade Wax Lubricant:
1/16″ Craft Plywood:
N95 Rated Respirator:
Work Light:
Dremel Moto Tool 4000:
Inlay Cutting Jig:
Magnifying Visor:
1/32″ Drill Bit
Cutting Mother of Pearl – Part C:
This article we will discuss cleaning up our inlays and more cutting tips. Unless you are really an accomplished inlay expert, you will have some rough edges, little errors and some repair that will need to be made prior to gluing the inlay into place in guitar.
You will find that as you cut from 2 different directions into an acute angle, the ending cut will be kind of square, due to the shape of the saw blade. Usually we desire these transitional angles to have a tiny radius so that the inlay looks graceful or sweeping in making the angle change. If you happened to use the drill pilot holes, you are most of the way there, but the radius may be a bit too large.
We can easily make this change by using Diamond Needle Files. If you purchase a Needle File Assortment, you will get a variety of files, with differing edge radaii and you must choose which is the most appropriate for your application.
Strive for Minimal Cleanup:
Considering the fragile nature of the typical inlay, try to keep you cuts right on the money, so you do not have to file hardly at all. I feel that every post-cutting task you perform on the finely cut inlay increases the chances of breakage exponentially, so try to address this on the front end and cut your inlays very accurately – even if this means slowing down your progress just a bit.
Ultimate Guitar Building Tip #1: I would stress that you keep the inlay glued to the Craft Plywood, if you used that as this operation can easily snap a delicate inlay in no time. When you use the needle file keep the piece resting on the Inlay Cutting Jig for support. Usually I cut a slightly larger hole in the base of the Inlay Cutting Jig to fit the needly file through.
Use only down strokes with the files. Up strokes will break the piece much easier. As you attain your target shape, use progressively lighter filing strokes.
Go to Cutting Guitar Inlays – Part D now.
Here we will discuss where you start if you are a beginner in the art of cutting inlays.
Tags: cutting guitar inlays, cutting mother of pearl, how to cut inlays, mop inlays, mother of pearl inlays
