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Instructional Step by Step: How I do Block Inlays

LedBelli Bass

LedBelli Bass

Fine, Handmade Custom Bass Guitars
Dec 25, 2008
1,169
104
Pasco, WA
www.ledbellibass.com
#1
IMG_1270.jpg


This thread is devoted to a step by step tutorial on how I do block inlays with the tools that I have available to me.

This tutorial is only how I do it at the present time; there are other methods, but I have found that this method produces the sharpest results with the least amount of work.

First, here are the tools and materials that I use to produce block inlays:
IMG_2555_zps71f38deb.jpg


First, of course, in the middle of the photo is the block inlay, available from: http://www.luthiersupply.com

Then, from left to right: a Bosch Colt router with a 1/8" channel bit; an X-acto knife; a .05 mm mechanical pencil; 2P-10 Super Glue, medium viscosity; a tray or bowl for water; a 5/8" or 3/4" HIGH quality chisel; a wooden mallet; a 2' straight edge.

STEP 1: Draw a line with the .05 mm pencil down the center of your fingerboard. BE EXACT. Inlay work is precision work . . .

STEP 2: The MOP inlay is glued to a thin cardboard backing, as shown in the photo. Using your X-acto knife, cut out the inlay that you intend to use (usually, I start with the 1st fret!). Trim the cardboard backing exactly flush with the edges of the inlay, so that when you view the inlay from above, you cannot see any cardboard showing around the edges.

STEP 3: Then center the inlay in the required position on the fingerboard, at this time the inlay is still glued to the cardboard backing:
IMG_2543_zps41748714.jpg


STEP 4: Using your .05 mm pencil, trace the outline of the inlay onto the fingerboard, as shown:
IMG_2544_zpsc348a7c7.jpg



My next posting will focus on where the real work and skill of the craftsman begins: using the chisel and router to develop the recess where the inlay will be installed . . . Until then
 
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#2
Ledbelli
A subject of great interest to me, just got a slotted bubinga fingerboard for my Hossenfeffer bass build, bought some triangular block inlays, no real clue how to install them. I planned on practicing on scrap before I even think about touching bubinga. Looking forward to this tutorial.
 
#9
Ok, thought he was deliberately gluing to cardboard. I should be getting my block inlays this week, curious to see if they come with backing. Mine have sharp corners on the triangle points, thought it might be better to round them off to 1/16th radius or so to match dremel bit diameter a la Rick triangle inlays.
 
#11
Hey guys . . . was out of town for the weekend, but I will attempt to answer some of the questions raised above since I've been gone:

1. If you have never done inlay before, ALWAYS practice your technique on some scrap wood before going to the fingerboard. One slip up can cost you a lot of time and money in the twinkling of an eye.

2. To achieve SHARP corners is what the chisel is for. In the case of triangle inlays, ditto.

3. The inlay is shipped from www.luthiersupply.com glued to the backing already.

4. Why settle for pasties (i.e. stick-ons) when with a little patience you can have the real thing? This also applies to inlay work!
 
#12
Okay, back to work . . . picking it up from where I left off at STEP 3 above:

STEP 4: Using the chisel and mallet, AND KEEPING THE BEVEL SIDE OF THE CHISEL FACING THE INSIDE (OR SOON TO BE RECESSED) AREA OF THE INLAY, trace the pencil outline by hammering a chisel line over the pencil line. BE EXACT. This line lays the foundation for how well the inlay turns out for all the remaining steps:
IMG_2545_zpsf44fe18d.jpg


When you complete STEP 4 you should have something that looks similar to this:
IMG_2546_zps2db4d663.jpg


Some timely tips and advice:

1. Use a chisel of the very highest quality. Two Cherries are my favorite, and they are relatively easy to obtain. Beware of Chinese counterfeits.
2. Study how to sharpen chisels and plane knives and sharpen your chisel to a razor's edge. THE SHARPER THE CHISEL, THE EASIER ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO BE. COUNTER-INTUITIVELY, THE SHARPER THE CHISEL, THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO MAKE A FATAL ERROR.
3. DO NOT attempt to "sink" the chisel with over-aggressive blows from the mallet! This will ruin a fingerboard faster than anything else! USE A LIGHT TOUCH! All you want to achieve at this stage is a razor sharp line no more than 1mm deep (probably not even that deep) to use as a guideline.
4. PRACTICE on a radiused piece of scrap wood if you are inexperienced with using a chisel and mallet.

Questions . . . ?
 
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#13
Ledbelli
In the case of a new uninstalled fingerboard blank ( slotted for frets in my case), I assume the inlays should be cut in Prior to radiusing the fingerboard? I understand this would be a problem if the inlay is really thin because you might sand through the edges. My current plan is to complete the entire fingerboard, including binding and inlays, as a separate object that can be done on a flat surface, radius sand it, and only then mount to my neck through beam. I have seen people fret the board too, don't know if that's a good idea as the fretboard could backbow. Opinions or advice?
 
#14
NOTES ON SHARPENING PLANES AND CHISELS:

The "method" that I use to shapen my plane knives and chisels is commonly known as the "Scary Sharp" method of sharpening. Over the years I have tried many different techniques to sharpen tools edges, but finding the "Scary Sharp" method literally changed my whole approach to the craft.

Essentially, the Scary Sharp method uses sheets of sandpaper that are stuck to a 12"x12"x1/4" piece of glass. One begins with 600 grit wet/dry (using it dry) and progresses step-by-step through 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500 grit papers (or all the way to 2000 grit if you so choose). In the end, you achieve a mirror-like, razor sharp edge in the fastest way possible. I have abandoned all other sharpening methods for this one. Try it!

If you Google "scary sharp" in your browser you will come up with a host of articles that discuss the pros and cons of this method. I find that the pros FAR outweigh the cons. The only circumstance that Scary Sharp will not work well is when you need to completely recondition an edge that is somehow chipped or otherwise damaged.

Here is a link to one (among many) articles you can find on the web that detail the Scary Sharp sharpening method: http://www.woodworkstuff.net/scary.html
 
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#15
Gilmourisgod said:
Ledbelli
In the case of a new uninstalled fingerboard blank ( slotted for frets in my case), I assume the inlays should be cut in Prior to radiusing the fingerboard? I understand this would be a problem if the inlay is really thin because you might sand through the edges. My current plan is to complete the entire fingerboard, including binding and inlays, as a separate object that can be done on a flat surface, radius sand it, and only then mount to my neck through beam. I have seen people fret the board too, don't know if that's a good idea as the fretboard could backbow. Opinions or advice?
Click to expand...

I do my inlay work after the fingerboard is radiused, but before it is final sanded or fretted. Since I radius my fingerboards after they are glued to the neck, the fingerboard will also already be glued to the neck.

I cannot think of an instance where it is advisable to inlay before radiusing . . . it just isn't normally done that way for the very reasons you suggest, among others.
 
#18
STEP 5:
After you have outlined the recess with a chisel as shown in STEP 4, then take your Colt router (set to its SLOWEST speed) and set the depth (VERY carefully!) to just a fraction shallower than the inlay material you have on hand. IMPORTANT: DO NOT MAKE THE RECESS FOR THE INLAY DEEPER THAN THE INLAY. IF ANYTHING, ERROR ON THE SHALLOW SIDE. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THE RECESS YOU WANT THE INLAY TO BE JUST A SMIDGE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE FINGERBOARD. Then, starting in the center of the recess, route out the bulk of the material, leaving just a fine line of wood between where the router stops and your chiseled outline is.

After routing out the bulk of the inlay recess, you should have something that looks like this
IMG_2547_zpsef468952.jpg


STEP 6:
Now, using your chisel and mallet, carefully cut out the remaining material until you have a perfectly recessed cavity. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCEDURE! Rushing this step will lead to "chipping out" around the fret edges (very easy to do with Ebony). Use a SHARP chisel, take your time, breathe a lot, relax, and just let the tool do the work. A SHARP tool . . . if you get frustrated or up tight, step away and chill out. Then come back to it. If you use a sharp tool, you will find this stage to be the most satisfying. (NOTE: you can also use the chisel as a scraper in the recess and around the edges. This helps to create a recess with perfectly sharp and square sides and corners, which is what you are striving for! When you are done, it should look something like this:
IMG_2548_zps6f249345.jpg


You may notice in the photo, near the top left corner of the recess there is an irregularity. That is a small "chip out" where I was just a little too aggressive with the chisel. I will return to how to deal with chip-out issues (both large and small) by the end of the tutorial in a posting dealing with contingencies.
 
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#19
Ledbelli,
Let me know when you get sick of all my questions...
Are you running the router on some kind of sled or rails in Step 5, or do you just set the baseplate right on the radiused fingerboard? I suppose the tiny difference in depth relative side to side if inlay cutout bottom is radiused relative to flat MOP would make no difference? I don't have access to a small router like that, but I do have a dremel. Thinking of buying a Stewmac precision base if I can find one used, or making a base for it.

I have to say radiusing the fingerboard first seems counter-intuitive to my assumption that you keep everything flat and square as long as possible, but my "instinct" is based on zero experience in this case. How about fingerboard binding, before or after radiusing?

I stumbled across the "scary sharp" technique a few years ago, and bought a piece of 1/2" thick float glass and various papers, glued on in strips of successively higher grit. I'll have to drag it out and sharpen my old Marples Blue chisels! They are looking a little sad these days, and not near sharp enough for this.

Thanks for your patience and taking time to teach the Noobs (me). I checked out your website, gorgeous work!
 
#20
Gilmourisgod said:
Ledbelli,
Let me know when you get sick of all my questions...
Are you running the router on some kind of sled or rails in Step 5, or do you just set the baseplate right on the radiused fingerboard? I suppose the tiny difference in depth relative side to side if inlay cutout bottom is radiused relative to flat MOP would make no difference? I don't have access to a small router like that, but I do have a dremel. Thinking of buying a Stewmac precision base if I can find one used, or making a base for it.

I have to say radiusing the fingerboard first seems counter-intuitive to my assumption that you keep everything flat and square as long as possible, but my "instinct" is based on zero experience in this case. How about fingerboard binding, before or after radiusing?

I stumbled across the "scary sharp" technique a few years ago, and bought a piece of 1/2" thick float glass and various papers, glued on in strips of successively higher grit. I'll have to drag it out and sharpen my old Marples Blue chisels! They are looking a little sad these days, and not near sharp enough for this.

Thanks for your patience and taking time to teach the Noobs (me). I checked out your website, gorgeous work!
Click to expand...


Re: The router - I just free hand the router on the base as shown. As I follow the radius of the fingerboard, I tilt the router as needed to produce a uniform recess. It is easy to see the pattern of the router bit in the wood, it tells you if you are routing at full depth. Since I have always done 3 piece block inlays (Split blocks, as they are known in the industry) I've never had to deal with conforming a 1 piece block to a radius . . . so, I'm not much help there.

Re: Binding - I've only bound one fingerboard in my career (I intend to start doing it all the time sooner or later). As I recall, I bound the fingerboard prior to radiusing . . .

Marples chisels are good ones, although they need a lot of attention prior to first use (unlike Two Cherries, which are pretty much ready to use right out of the box). I have some Marples chisels and I love them!

For finer inlay work, I have a Dremel that I would use. But the tool of choice for dedicated inlay artists is found here: [This invalid link has been removed]
 
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