Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, i decided it was about time to try my hand at some inlay other than simple headstock logo type stuff. So I checked out the Obrien video on youtube as a starting point, which was very helpful. Right now, I have my inlay design cut out and glued, but have not routed the channel in the fingerboard yet. Currently the fingerboard is still just a blank. It has not been trimmed or fret slots cut. My question, is what order would you do things now? I seem to see most people have the fingerboard tapered and slotted, but is this necessary? It almost seems to me that it would be easier to rout the channel and inlay before I taper or slot. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, folks.

Slot then taper then radius then inlay. This way you don't sand through your inlay when radiusing, or pull out any of the inlay when slotting.

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Also, it would be tragic to to put a lot of work into inlays......then accidentally ruin the fretboard while trimming or slotting.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I vote slotting (while sides parallel), then tapering, then inlay (so it's exaxclty centered about taper and the bearing surface is flat/stable) then radius (so no undulations from sanding various hardness mat'ls).

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Dave
Milton, ON

I routinely buy from Andy DePaule. I can count on quality and adequate thickness. I often pre-radius my inlays-the outer surface. Then, I rout in small stages to meet the contour of the fretboard. I get tight fit and less glue and fill. If I had to deal with less consistency in thickness, I would likely radius the back and, again adjust the rout depth. I use a Foredom in the StewMac base and it will follow the radius of the wood nicely.

I have a pin router/template for LP traps and blocks and to accomodate the 12" radius, I pre-shape-then I rout shallow. Next, I add tape to the bottom edges of the template, alternately-this rocks the cut enough that it mimics the radius in the rout. I can do volume on the LP's-cutter is 1/16th and guide pin is 1/16th drill rod-thinned a tiny bit in diameter to give a tight but drop-in fit. For the blocks, with sharper corners, I have massaged the setup to use a 1/64th" bit(Lee Valley)and a pin at roughly 1.75/128th"-what ever that is. I did it by T & T( a form of T & E = Trial and Terror). I use LMII ebony pre-slotted when possible-the density of their wood is very uniform and they have the best black uniformity of color-I pay the premium. It takes a very gentle hand but my friends love the result-I am still looking for a source for more affordable 1/64th" bits with 1/4 shank-gentle still fractures a number of bits and they are HOT and bury themselves in flesh as shrapnel-penetrating kidskin gloves-thicker protection kills my feel.( a 1/32nd" bit works too, but not as tight in the corners.

I have photos of the OPR and temps being used if anyone is interested.

Apparently I have made myself a thread killer lately- I acknowledge I was too direct in a recent post-should have stayed out of it To his gentlemanly credit, Mr. Morelli, did not retort; he rose above-I'm sorry.mt