Delicate V-Carved Inlays - Guitar Fingerboard

[Cambrian]

I'm well impressed by my new BT-48 and what it can do. I can now make VERY nice looking intricate inlays using the v-carve inlay method. I just did a test piece of a couple of Chinese characters that will go onto the 3rd fret area on a guitar I'm currently building (along with another 6 sets of Chinese characters on the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th and possibly 17th frets).

I used gap filling CA glue for this with a single Bessey clamp - worked like a charm!

FYI the greyhound inlay was done using my laser engraver. This test piece is rosewood, but the laser can't touch ebony and purple heart (amongst others), so the Shopbot is going to fill in there nicely!

Cheers,
Dave F.

[Brady Watson]

Looks great, Dave. Thanks for posting!

-B

[Rob Gunn]

Wow, that is way cool. I wish I had time to do that kind of work. Great job!

[gene]

Why cant you use a laser on the other types of wood?:confused:

[Cambrian]

Randy, the 45W CO2 laser in my Epilog 32EXT just burns ebony and purple heart. It has to do with the fact that the lignen in these woods absorbs the power of the laser beam rather than allowing themselves to be cut by it.....I'm no expert on this, but I know what works and what doesn't!

If I back the laser power off, I can get a very shallow vector cut to work ,sufficient to fill with gold paint to get a thin-line logo to look okay, but that's it. If I try to raster engrave an area out for an inlay, it just burns and the edges get ruined. I've tried making the pocket with multiple low-power passes, but it still ends up being too burned/scrappy. Using the V-Carve inlay technique on the Shopbot seems to be the way to go on these difficult woods.

HTH,
Dave F.

[nailzscott]

Nice work. Did you do the inlay on the arch of the fretboard or while it was flat - before cutting the radius?

[SomeSailor]

Why cant you use a laser on the other types of wood?:confused:

That's one of the reasons I bought my bot. Lasers impart a LOT of heat to wood and oily woods (most all the really pretty ones) don't do well being laser cut. Burnt edges, darkening veins, discoloration, etc.

I gave up on a large job a few years back trying to cut some engraved fretboards for a customer (rosewood).

Lasers are great (love mine), but the bot definitely fills the gaps in capabilities.