Official Luthiers Forum!

I have seen this stuf for sale on e bay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26otn%3D2
supposed to be flexible easy to cut etc etc
I was wondering if anyone has used it and how it looks

i have never used it but it is a knock off of Ablam and I seriously doubt it is near as good $10 for a 3 x 5 is just too cheap of a price. Spend $10 and let us know what you think!?

At .015", it can't be used in the same way as .060" - .050" abalam or solid shell. I think that Harvey Leach has used veneers for special effects. A note to the Duke might elucidate -- he sells veneers for about the same price.

That's what I used here, or something similar. Got mine from Grizzly. I don't think it's cheap because of quality, it's the thickness, or thinness as it were. It's .15mm or about .006".

I laminate it with epoxy to 2 cross-ply layers of black veneer. It is thin enough that the color behind it does make a difference. It's important to glue it up flat because you obviously can't sand it very much.

The advantage for me is not the price. It's the ease of cutting. When glued well to the veneer, it cuts cleanly, quickly and easily.

You can either inlay it very carefully so you can clean up without sanding through or you can go a little deep and flood with CA to get it level.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Isn't that referred to a leaves. That has been around for years. as long as Abalam. It pretty much is simular to just one layer of the veneer that abalam is made up of just thinner. An inexpensive way to make pickguards and logos also. Like Ken stated the effect of the shell can be altered by it's backing. Putting foil or color foils under it is also another way to get different effects.

Looks like the the Grizzly stuff is cheaper by the sq in. And around .010". The ebay stuff is probably the same thickness.

Some people actually glue this stuff right on top of a peghead for logos and spray enough finish to level it out. Not that I'd recommend it....

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

I use that exact product from inlayusa, and sometimes the same stuff with a plastic back coating on it to strengthen it (from inlayusa also). I glue sheets of it to thin plywood - 1/16" thick usually (the stuff model aircraft makers use) - then laser cut it for logos and the like. I laser cut the corresponding hole/s in the headplate wood that's been thicknessed and sanded to 320 grit (doesn't work for ebony though...), allowing for the laser "kerf". Then I glue in the "inlay" pieces dead flat, face down, on a flat surface (table saw with wax paper over). I only need to touch up with 400 grit and the job's done. Looks great, is inexpensive, and no one can tell it's not a full 40/50/60 mil solid shell inlay.

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"