Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a top (Spruce) that will have a pattern inlayed in it. (not the rosette) I
will try to route out the pattern as best as possible. What is the best way to
fill slight gaps on a spruce top. Can you use "spruce dust and CYA". Will it
stain the top.
When I do my rosettes, I use a lot of CYA without staining, because I put a
layer of vinyl sealer on before gluing the rosette.
Thanks
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy, I've tried the spruce dust with CA and it darkened up too much.I would use the vinyl sealer that worked for you on the rosette.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Andy, I do my binding by sealing with the vinyl sealer and CA, no staining like you. However if you try spruce dust with CA it gets lots darker, kinda like Mahogany. Wish I had an answer taht works, maybe someone elese will.
Jim

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

You can either do one of four things, going by my methods- I would love to hear others.

1) You make a good rout slightly larger than the entire inlay, evenly all around it and call it a day. Leave the gaps, or fill with a darker material. If it's even and clean it will look like part of the inlay, or at least well framed.

2) Make an uneven rout- and that looks bad. Filler does nothing to help you.

3) Depending on how bad the route is and the gaps are don't use dust- take a razor and cut and force a sliver of the top wood into the gap, using the proper grain orientation- you may be surprised to see how good that works. Your really actually adding more inlay to the route- just filling the voids with the tops' wood, not your inlay.

4) Make a relatively perfect rout to begin with:
Cut and assemble your inlay. Make sure the top is level with itself- this is harder to do if the materials are all different thicknesses. Take the inlay to a copy machine- lay it top side down on the nachine- make a few copies.

Take these copies back and glue the pattern down to the location where the inlay is going to go: I se 3M spray tack to hold it non-permanenently down- it cleans up with acetone.

Scribe the paper edge as if it was your inlay with an exacto knife blade (NOT a scribe!!- You need cuts here- not scratches), then route to the edge of the paper pattern. If part of it lifts up well then you already scribed it anyway. The outline should remain. Lift off the pattern and start dry fitting it. Be careful though- it may fit so tight you'll never get it back out cleanly. You need to then slowly start working the rout edge with your downcut bits until it sits in the rout nice and clean and relatively easily. Then glue it up.
Routing in light woods takes longer than cutting sometimes for me.
Good luck.

Craig L

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Thanks Craig...you are just the person I wanted to respond to this thread
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

    I agree with craig the only difference we have is in the layout technique. I use a .3mm pencil instead of lining with the blade .
     I will seal the top. place my inlay pin it and then use the pencil to make a line. Graigs eyes are better than mine LOL. I use the optic visor magifier and a good adjustable light.
      The thing I like about this is the I can get a relation to where I need to open things up as I am test fitting. I never could see the cut lines as well.
    This is just a difference in layout technique. Dave Nichols of custom pearl tought me this. Good luck and show some pix as you go
john

What if you were to seal the area where the inlay goes, use the exacto knife like Craig suggests and then rub some graphite into the cut? You would benefit from having cut your outline and also would be able to see the line better. And since the wood is sealed, you wouldn't stain the top. Just a thought.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Andy,
The only thing you will be happy with is cutting splints or slivers that match the grain direction of the top and filling the gaps with them. every thing else will appear as a filled mistake

What Michael said. Everything else will look like over darknened mixes. I have though of trying pigments with System Three, but I haven't found anything light enough in color to match spruce.... Maybe some liquid off white dies....

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Splints or an "even" over-route; see Craigs description above.

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com