Inlay Blanks

Steiner

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
345
Reaction score
0
Location
Spokane, WA
Anyone know of a good source for shell blanks for inlay material, and if there is a cheap material that I could use to practice on before wasting some nice material.

Thanks
 
Depends how much you want to buy. For small amounts check out either Rescue Pearl or Masecraft. Both have web sites. Don't overlook the composite stone they both carry, it can add an interesting element to your inlay work.
Practice on hardwood first until you get the hang of things. Looka around your house or shop, there are lots of plastic or composite things you can cut and use. Just make sure they will be compatible with your finish. CDs make good material to practice on or even to inlay with. When you move into pearl, white MOP isn't too expensive. There are some great books about inlay including ones written by master inlay artists Larry Robinson and Grit (William) Laskin.
Good luck.
 
CD's are great for practice, thanks.

Another question: If you combine wood and other components like bone or shell in one inlay design, do you worry about filling grain on the little wood components? If I'm filling with Z-poxy, can I just spread it over the entire design or will that mess with the non-wood parts of an inlay? Hope that question makes sense.

Thanks for the ideas about where to go. I also found two other sites with comparable prices:

http://dominicartinlay.com/

http://www.luthiersupply.com/index.html
 
Dominic Art Inlay has very reasonable prices of their ready made inlays. Although I don't use them I've seen them. They are good quality if they have what you want.
As far as filling goes, everything gets filled! Under, over, the sides, it's one big gluey mess until you sand it level. BTW, I don't like epoxy because it creeps. I use two viscosities of Ca, thin and medium.
 
The guys at Masecraft are great to deal with. They're driving distance for me so I get to poke around all the cool stuff they have there. They get most of my business.
I was happy with the few things I bought from DePaule as well.

~Stephen
 
I'm wanting a book on inlay that is Moore Bettah than the rest...
 
I tried old credit cards and value cards from supermarkets for practice too. The little drills for cutting inside holes melt the plastic, but they're good for cutting with the saw. I'm guessing they're a lot softer than shells, stone, and hardwoods but they're lying around my house and are free.
 
I find that epoxy moves and leaves a telltale line around and within the inlay. This shows up weeks or months after your final coat of lacquer. If you're using a satin finish then no worries. Satin hides all of your mistakes but doesn't bring out the richness of the materials. After setting the inlay pieces into the routed cavity I flood the entire area with thin CA to makes sure all voids are filled. Once that dries in a couple of hours I'll fill any gaps with medium CA. Let dry overnight an do not use accelerant.
 
Get Larry Robinson's Art of Inlay book.

I co-curated an exhibit at the Museum of Making Music a couple of years ago featuring Larry's work along with Renee Karnes, Harvey Leach, and Grit Laskin. You can see photos from the exhibit on the museum's site. Incredible stuff, some way over the top, but flawless craftsmanship from the best four inlay artists in North America.
 
I'm not sure it matters. Hobby shops usually carry a wide assortment. For larger amounts I order Starbond from CPH International. Google them for contact. You'll have to call for prices but I pay about $30 a pint. Smaller quantities may be available but they may also have a minimum.
Rather than specific brand, just make sure you get the correct viscosity for what you're doing. I use both thin and medium but there are a lot more choices. The thin goes off in a matter of seconds while the medium has a bit more open time. I've tried a dozen different accelerants and dislike them all except for "2P-10" aresol which I bring in from the Mainland. Woodcraft carries it.
 
Thanks for the info Chuck--I'm going to skip the epoxy on the next inlay and go all CA. I'll be swinging by Woodcraft to drop off my paycheck today!
 
Masecraft is awesome. Shipped yesterday, got here today, tons of small samples included for free. Will be using them a lot if I keep attempting inlay.
 
Top Bottom