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Hi what dremel bit do you use for fine pearl inlay work please


Thanks

1/16" bits are what I go through the most of. But you also need at least 1/32" for detailed work. 1/64" is my smallest, and I don't use it very often, but it is nice to have around when working in very hard woods. Softer woods, you can just pick out any corners with a knife after the 1/32" bit. And 1/8" is nice to have around for clearing out large areas, although it can be done by hand with a chisel too.

Thanks..do you stick to genuine dremel bits or the cheaper options on ebay

don't use them I use these
it is a 1/32 end mill up cut.
http://www.bqtool.com/square-end-mills.html
you have to call and order them special. Great tools for inlay 1/8 in shaft

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I ask my dentist for used dental drill bits. There's quite a variety but the smallest one seems to be just under 1/32" and I find it works quite nicely. Plus, the price is right (i.e. free).

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

I went to my dentist friend, who supplied me with a variety of dental burrs. I believe many of them are carbide or otherwise very hard. In any event, when they are no longer sharp enough to be useful for his work, they still have tons of life in them for my work. Dental burrs will chuck into the smaller sized Dremel collet very nicely (use the wrench to snug them very tightly) and they cut like crazy. They come in ball shapes, tapered (for undercut), straight sided, etc. Tell your dentist what you need. Your dentist is probably throwing his used ones away.

My dentist runs them through his sterilizer before he gives them to me. I don't know that you need to go that far, but you might drop any hand-offs into a jar of alcohol for a while before you use them--and be sure to wash your hands VERY carefully if you've touched them with bare fingers.

Agreed with Dennis and John, I use 1/16" upcut carbide end mills for most inlay work, and go to 1/32 for the fine stuff - 1/8 for hogging out.
I rarely inlay other than ebony, which is pretty forgiving if you fill with epoxy mixed with Laskin's magic black powder (lampblack and ebony dust, methinks)

I also use 1/32" & 1/6" mostly. For inlaying sharp pointed areas I sometimes use smaller, like 1/64"

I get mine here. Cost more but they are good quality. http://www.american-carbide.com/MicroEn ... oducts.php

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

OK, no expert here, but following a recommendation on OLF, I bought 8 bits, (2 new, 6 Lightly Used, Fish Tail) from http://drillbitsunlimited.com/Default.aspx
Including postage they still came in at less that the import duty/charges threshold, at about $24.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.