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No I'm not nuts, but am wondering if I can use a black epoxy pore filler on the top of a guitar around the rosette? I'm already finished inlaying all the home-made tiles, and I just put in the rope and ebony veneer around the outside. There is the slightest little gap in one spot (not more than a hair or two wide), and I'm thinking a black pore filler will blend in perfect. Will this stain the soundboard around the rosette, or will it sand off ok? Also, will ebony dust work well enough to dye the epoxy, or do I need something else? Any opinions greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

John

Black CA adhesive?...seal the surrounding area with shellac so it doesn't stain the raw spruce wood.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

The rosette is already installed and I'm afraid CA will wick into the top. Are you saying I should wash shellac into the crack first and then fill with CA?

John

no wash the top with shellac the fill the gaps with black CA. The shellac will keep the top from being stained by the CA. Black CA is much thicker than clear thin CA and does not penetate in the end grain as far. I would not hurt to get som thinned shellac in the gaps to seal the end grain.

John...I probably don't have a good enough understanding of the issue. But from your description of the void, I just thought that it would require CA to properly wick into ebony dust better than epoxy. If you pack ebony dust in the crack then thin CA will be easier to control. Black CA (over the ebony dust) might even make a better black match. From your description I thought that you were more concerned in protecting the soundboard. In that case, coat the soundboard with shellac. Otherwise the CA will wick into the wood.

Will the void show up in a picture?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I think I would be hesitant to put black CA around the top wood even if it was sealed, why not use ebony dust and regular CA.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Here is a rosette I am currently working on. It will need some filling no doubt but I plan to use just a little Ebony dust and CA for that and then only initially. Once everything that is supposed to be black is black then clear CA will be used.
John How38770.3311226852

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hey John
That's a beauty.

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Cool rosette. I think you have way too much time on your hands LOL. My Bifocals wouldnt let me do that
john hall

Hey I walk into my shop, take my hat off and put my optivisor on. Without it I can't do anything. I have been wearing drugstore reading glasses for the last couple years but I really gotta get in and get a new prescription soon. I lost my regular set of bi's a few years ago, I had'm hangin on my shirt while ridin the motorcycle. Not too bright huh.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

why not try on a piece of scrap wood first? Beautiful rosette!!

Won't the black fill make the rosette outline uneven? The times I've filled with black around rosettes or purfling lines it has just made things look worse, not better.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I just posted a pic of the rosette on another thread. If you zoom in on one of the completed pics, you can see a small hairline gap in a few small areas. I'm thinking CA might be the way to go, but I'm still not sure.

John