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So, those of you who do your own inlay work, what are you using for engraving filler?

I notice on Stew-Mac's site that they have two options, one addes pigments to epoxy and the other is Grit Laskins own blend.

What have you used and realy what should I use for filling engravings?

Thanks for the help.

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I inlaid the ebony headplate on a steel-string and used ebony dust mixed with CA as the filler. It blended in perfectly. A lot cheaper than the black CA, that's for sure.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Rod - India Ink, Staedler .005" tip black drafting pen for fine lines and Grit Laskin filler. All work just fine!

If the graving is done on the fingerboard you can seal the filler with thin CA.

These were filled with India Ink brushed on with a very fine tip artists brush.

Anthony Z38901.9095949074

My wifes well of Mont Blanc black ink on a toothpick ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Cool, thanks

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I've made and used thin black CA by putting some powdered black analine dye directly into a CA container and letting it sit for a week or two,(It doen't blend wellfor a time). Then just use it on the lines and sand it smooth.

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com

Todd I have used it and found its quick and easy to clean-up after.   Is it better than India ink? A toss-up in my mind. For really fine graving I find you get better results with India ink applied with a very fine artists brush.

I use Grit's and I love it, for black.
I have also used india inks of about every color, then filled over them with thin CA and sanded it out lightly. You geta big range of colors, but it doesn't fill out the cut as good as something more solid like Grit's waxy stuff.
Craig L.

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Does anyone ever use Lamp Black any more. MY grandfather used it mixed with shellac or lacqure. I have used it with both CA and epoxy. It is easier to mix with epoxy. and it is free

[QUOTE=MichaelP] Does anyone ever use Lamp Black any more. MY grandfather used it mixed with shellac or lacqure. I have used it with both CA and epoxy. It is easier to mix with epoxy. and it is free

[/QUOTE]
I use it all the time when epoxying inlays in their cavitys on ebony FB's.
It's also been used to make Black thin vis CA in my shop.

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com

What's Lamp Black? Free is my kind of price

How bout the car-coal from my BBQ? Would that work with CA?

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Lamp Black is the carbon build up from a kerosene lamp or a candle. You can take an unscented lit candle and place a piece of foil about 3" above it and collect the carbon as it burns. Then just scrape it off and run it through a sifter screen just to make sure you don't have any foil in with it.

Believe it or not craft stores sometimes cary it in the paint section. Not so much any more but till the 80's it was pretty common pigment for blackening milk paint.MichaelP38905.6567361111

Cool, thanks Michael

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

[QUOTE=MichaelP] Does anyone ever use Lamp Black any more. MY grandfather used it mixed with shellac or lacqure. I have used it with both CA and epoxy. It is easier to mix with epoxy. and it is free [/QUOTE]
Michael, boy does this bring back memories. My grandad used to manage a carbon black plant in West Texas (that great metropolis of Kermit ). It seems they all started moving offshore in the mid 60's.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA