MIMF

Hello everybody,
Almost new here (I posted on the old MIMF forum in 2005 for my F5 mandolin built and you were really helpfull as I had no experience, and still don't)

i'm building a 8 strings lapsteel, top wood is flamed maple for body and headstock
The finish I want to do is a yellow/orange burst with water dyes, and2 parts automotive PU varnish as finish.

At first I wanted to dye the headstock veener in black, but it looks great and finally would like to keep it visible under the same burst as the body will:



The inlays are these ones:(without the truss rod cover)



How to do the inlay job in such a light wood as this maple? In ebony it's easy with black CA, but here...?

Is it a good idea to:
-Rout the inlays cavities a little deeper than the inlays thickness
-Dye inside the cavities
-Lightly glue the inlays with clear CA or epoxy
Cover the whole with clear epoxy (how to avoid small air bubbles?)
-Sand flush
-And then dye the wood?

Thank you for your help

Xavier

I just inlayed a black MOP sickle moon with a blue abalone lightning bolt, outlined with copper wire in unstained quilted maple. I very carefully outlined each piece with a knife, then routed to 1/32” of the line, then carefully carved up to the line. I cut everything slightly deeper than the thickness of the shell, used clear epoxy, and clamped it using wax paper and a dead-flat caul. Good results, although I must admit it is far more tedious than working with a brown or black background.

Another option is to use a laser to create the outline.

Thanks for your answer Dave

here's the finished routing job:




Do you think it's accurate enough (I dont think so, there's a problem at the top of the "B") to try to do a natural finish, or sould I dye the wood black?

Both options are good for me

Thanks,

Xavier

No matter what you do, you'll see the fill. You didn't do that bad of a job, but it is all but impossible to get a fit good enough to work in a light colored wood like that. I think you'd be better off coloring the wood, even a little bit would help. use a fill that will take a stain, or at least take color in the same way the wood will and then it'll cover pretty good.

I agree with Mark. The problem is with the light inlay because the fill will come out darker no matter what you do.

Thank you for your advice guys

I think I'm gonna dye black inside the cavities then glue, sand and then dye the wood black.

Hello,
I finally got that after a black tint:



Xavier

What kind of laser would you use to outline and what process?

Hi Romeo,

What do you mean by "laser"? Everything was done with a dremel motortool, microchisels and a small scraper grinded in a razor blade.

Hate to say, but I liked it better white.

Chuck Tweedy wrote:Hate to say, but I liked it better white.

For sure, without any glue...

The white pearl looks great, but the abalone is too dark to show good contrast.
Too bad you didn't just dye half the headstock.

The wood looks awesome - like black satin.

Chuck,
I dont master the dying process, I'm a new bee at it

Next one will be better

Anyway I'm not so disappointed:

I think it looks ok, After it's shiny the abalone will pop out just fine.

I agree with Mark. I think it looks great (subtle......lizard climbing over rough ground). Actually, I thought the white background was a bit stark ... to each his own.

It is certainly not bad, I just liked it better white.

could sand it back and add a color dye for a 3d figure effect

Eric,
There is a 3D figure effect.

Anyhow the guitar is finished (just for Christmas ):
















So I wont sand back anything now

Happy new year everybody,

Xavier

Beautiful guitar Xavier. I don't know how you get any work done with such a nice view outside though.

That has got to be one of the prettiest lap steels I've seen. Great work!