Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone mixed wood and shell in the same inlay? Any thoughts or suggestions on doing this?

None other than to say it's done all the time.

Wonderful answer. I just can't remember seeing it.

I'm not exactly what you would call an inlay artist. There are plenty of those hereabouts.
But... I have mixed shell, ebony, rosewood, tagua nut and sterling silver in the same inlay.

The only rule I am aware of is that there are no rules.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Here is a recent inlay by Larry Robinson that uses wood, metal, gem stone, abalone and a few other materials. It is going on the headstock of a 6 string acoustic that I am building for myself.

Most people mix shell and wood as previous posters explain. You do need to consider the differences in vibrance and plan accordingly as Larry has done above.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com

Actually, in most cases the inlay already involves wood at the perimeter. So the same rules apply about dark and light woods, fillers, contrast and outlines, and what colors are achieved after finish.

I've done a few based on what I learned from the Larry Robinson instructional videos. Base selection and orientation is the same as just shell, match grain and colors based on the image I'm doing. Also pay attention to sanding through layers of material as they sand at different rates, and often the dust from a dark material can get stuck in the pores of a light, or vice verse. And, as with binding, think about what the glue used is going to do to the wood, like CA can stain the wood or cause the colors to bleed.

My logo is shell and wood. I never gave mixing them a second thought. It is simple a simple inlay; I started making them with black MOB for the hawk, but I switched to ebony. In my case the difference in vibrancy matches a moon vs a shadowed hawk.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

First off thanks,
Joe I've always liked the no rules thing,lived that my entire life.
Michael, wow that is very inspiring , can't wait to see how it all comes out. I think this proves to me I've been looking at things without really seeing what they are.
Raymond , I had that thought about the perimeter being part of the inlay as I was laying in bed last night . You've givin me a lot of food for thought.
John ,nice logo. Ebony is one of the woods in question .